Published on: March 27, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Changes to Apprenticeships
The Department for Education has proposed changes that are designed to introduce flexibilities to apprenticeships.
Adult apprentices, aged 19 or older at the start of the apprenticeship, will no longer have to pass Level 2 English and maths tests. This requirement was seen by many employers as an obstacle to adult apprentices achieving their programmes. Younger apprentices are still required to achieve Level 2 English and maths as part of their programmes.
The “behaviours” element of apprenticeship end point assessment will be tested by employers, not by the end point assessment organisation, and some aspects of the apprentice’s assessment will be carried out by the training provider.
Legislation will be drafted to allow short apprenticeships of eight months minimum duration rather than the current twelve-month requirement.
End point assessment plans will be reduced to much shorter specifications, and all current end point assessment plans will have to be rewritten
While the change to the English and maths requirement for adult apprentices took immediate effect, the other changes will take some time to work through the system, and will be part of the work of Skills England, which is expected to become fully operational in April.
If you have any questions, please contact carl.jordan@euskills.co.uk or grace.storey@euskills.co.uk
Independent Water Commission Call for Evidence – Future Changes to the Water Sector
The Independent Water Commission was set up in October 2024, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, to deliver recommendations to government on reforms to the water sector. It is focused on establishing a robust regulatory framework that attracts investment, accelerates infrastructure delivery, and rebuilds public confidence. Although supported by a DEFRA Secretariat, the Commission operates independently of UK and Welsh Ministers and is currently gathering feedback on six key areas—including strategic water management, the overarching regulatory system (incl. the functions and responsibilities of the four relevant regulators (Ofwat, Environment Agency, Drinking Water Inspectorate and Natural Resources Wales)), economic and environmental regulation, ownership models, and asset health/ supply chains.
The call for evidence document contains some references to workforce and skills issues. It notes challenges, such as the Environment Agency’s recruitment difficulties due to uncompetitive salaries and Ofwat’s limited engineering expertise. Stakeholder evidence suggests that these factors are hindering effective oversight of water companies. Moreover, skills shortages and supply chain constraints are emerging as major barriers to both infrastructure resilience and timely project delivery.
The document states that “increasing demands on companies to deliver infrastructure will mean the balance between construction and operational capability will change – with corresponding implications for resourcing and management of risk”. The latest data shows that the sector is indeed struggling to fill skilled roles, compared to the national average: in 2019, 58% of vacancies in the water industry were skills shortages (UK average = 24%). While the UK figure went up to 36% in 2021, the corresponding data isn’t available for the water industry. The water industry will need c44,000 new people by 2030.
The Commission has issued a Call for Evidence, open until 23rd April, inviting views on these issues, and will present its final recommendations to the UK and Welsh Governments this summer.