English and maths exit requirement made optional for apprentices aged 19+
One of the largest single removals of a completion barrier in the history of the standard.
Since 11 February 2025, apprentices aged 19 or over at the start of their training no longer have to achieve Level 2 English and maths in order to complete their apprenticeship. The requirement became optional rather than mandatory.
What it changed from: every apprentice had to hold or achieve English and maths at the relevant level before they could pass through gateway and complete. For adult apprentices returning to education after a long gap, functional skills was frequently the single reason a programme stalled or a learner withdrew.
There is an important exception. Where English or maths forms an essential component of a mandatory qualification within the standard itself, it still has to be completed and evidenced before completion. That determination sits with the awarding organisation, so it must be confirmed standard by standard rather than assumed.
The change applies to apprentices already on programme as well as new starts, and where content is removed from a training plan, the plan must be re-signed by the employer at the earliest opportunity and no later than the next progress review.
What follows: achievement rates on adult programmes should improve, and the delivery cost of long functional skills provision falls. The trade-off is genuine and has been raised by sector bodies including the CIPD — adults completing an apprenticeship may now do so without demonstrating Level 2 literacy and numeracy, which affects transferability. Learners who opt out can still access these qualifications separately through Adult Skills Funding.