BALI has welcomed today’s announcement from Government which aims to provide more flexibility over Maths and English requirements in Adult Apprenticeships (19+).
Employers in the landscaping industry have long identified the requirement for all apprentices to complete a Level 2 English and Maths qualification as a barrier to attainment – particularly for older learners.
English and Maths skills remain important in the landscaping sector, but this change will allow assessments to be more contextualised for the industry and allow apprentices focus more on their paid work.
As we celebrate the achievements of our apprentices across the industry during National Apprenticeship Week, this change is a welcome step in making apprenticeships more attractive and accessible to adult learners.
BALI also cautiously welcomes the decision to reduce the minimum duration of an apprenticeship to eight months, down from the current minimum of 12 months. Although Government hopes that this may help to make apprenticeships more attractive, the Landscape industry has worked hard to develop high quality apprenticeships valued by our employers and learners. Reduced duration must not be at the expense of quality.
We will continue to work with our training provider and industry partners, as well as within the Trailblazer groups, to ensure that these changes are implemented with the goal of maintaining the availability of high-quality landscaping, horticulture and arboriculture apprenticeship opportunities.
For more information on this announcement please visit the Department for Education website.
