Maths and English qualifications to be optional for adult apprentices

The government has changed the requirement for businesses employing adult apprentices to require GCSE maths and English. 

For those aged 16-18, completing a functional skills qualification will still be a course requirement. The Department for Education has said that this could mean 10,000 more apprentices are able to complete courses every year and move on to meaningful employment. 

This should bring hope to those who have found maths or English a struggle but otherwise have the skills required for the apprenticeship role that they are interested in. "If you are learning a construction skill, of course you need to be able to measure, you need to understand ratios - but perhaps you are best off learning those as part of your on-the-job training, rather than having to do a separate English and maths qualification," Skills Minister Jacqui Smith told Radio 4's Today programme.