Apprenticeship leaders have hailed the early success of a “game-changing” pilot that aims to make apprenticeships more accessible to people with learning difficulties.
Hundreds of people who found themselves blocked from apprenticeship opportunities under government requirements are now enrolling on programmes thanks to a new English and maths exemption.
The “LDD apprenticeships English and maths flexibilities pilot” was launched by the government in May to allow, for the first time, those without a pre-existing education health and care plan (EHCP) or statement of learning difficulties assessment (LDA) to work towards a lower level of functional skills.
Under current rules, apprentices must achieve level 1 English and maths functional skills qualifications if they’re on a level 2 apprenticeship and did not pass the qualifications at GCSE. And if a similar learner is on a level 3 or higher apprenticeship, they must achieve functional skills at level 2.
