At Get Further we believe that all individuals, regardless of socio-economic background, have the potential to achieve the gateway qualifications in English and maths they need to progress in work and life. Our own work demonstrates that with the right support these qualifications are well within reach. Today the government removed the requirement for adults to achieve English and maths qualifications to complete apprenticeships, giving employers the flexibility to decide whether apprentices should undertake these qualifications. This risks significantly limiting access to Level 2 qualifications for those who need them to unlock their future careers.
Every year around 200,000 young people reach the age of 16 without a grade 4 GCSE in English or maths, and there are around 8.5 million adults in the UK with low literacy and numeracy skills. People from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are far more likely to need additional support and more varied routes to attaining these qualifications. Apprenticeships offer a vital, funded, chance to undertake them alongside employment and career-focused study.
We know that having strong literacy and numeracy skills – and the qualifications to demonstrate them – opens doors to long-term career progression, further study, and higher lifetime earnings. Over 70% of employers rate literacy and numeracy skills as one of their three most important considerations when recruiting school and college leavers and one third of employers report that GCSE English and maths are essential when recruiting for entry level roles. The removal of the English and maths exit requirement for adult apprentices is particularly concerning in the context of further cuts to the Adult Skills Fund. At a time when there is a real need to support more people into employment or to progress within their roles, we should be closing, not expanding, the divide between employer requirements and the support available to those looking to upskill.
This change may also have unintended consequences for younger apprentices and for the Government’s ambitions to boost apprenticeship access for young people, when the number of young people taking apprenticeships has fallen sharply over the last few years. The removal of the exit requirement for those over the age of 19 may discourage employers from recruiting apprentices under 19 who have yet to achieve English and maths qualifications, creating additional barriers for young people who could benefit most from apprenticeships. This would disproportionately affect young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, more than half of whom leave school without GCSE English and maths.
Within these reforms, it is essential that support for adult learners to develop their English and maths skills is maintained and that access to apprenticeships for younger learners without these qualifications is safeguarded—especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We know that many employers share our commitment to widening access to essential English and maths qualifications and we will continue to work towards these aims.
We are now calling on the government to clarify the position for existing apprentices, to ensure that through the new funding rules employers are incentivised and supported to provide these essential qualifications, and to use flexibility in the new levy to fund English and maths. We look forward to continuing our work with government and employers to ensure that everyone, regardless of socioeconomic background or prior educational attainment, has the support they need to thrive throughout their careers.
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11th February 2025