Industry education experts say government reforms of adult apprenticeships will open up training opportunities to more staff and attract newcomers to the sector.
Training providers and Abta have welcomed the government’s decision to remove the mandatory requirement for functional skills exams in maths and English for apprentices over 19 without equivalent qualifications.
Businesses will now be able to decide whether adult learners need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) to pass their apprenticeship.
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Alison Wells, senior director, talent solutions, of BPP Education Group, said the change “aligns perfectly” with the travel sector’s need for “rapid skills development”.
“These reforms offer a chance to build more agile, skills-focused development programs,” she said, adding: “Where maths and English upskilling is needed, it is still available – allowing employers and apprentices to ensure they follow a programme that works for their business need and learner.”
She added: “We encourage travel firms to take a fresh look at how they can leverage these opportunities—not just for new starters but also their current workforce.”
Damar Training managing director Jonathan Bourne said the reforms removed “a barrier to success”, adding apprentices without GCSEs in maths and English could still choose to access “free training and support” towards maths and English qualifications.
“This makes it a “win win” for employers and apprentices; free support where it is beneficial without the pressure to pass the exams to complete the apprenticeship,” he said.
Abta head of education and career development Vicki Wolf said members had reacted positively to the news, which is expected to encourage more industry employees to take up opportunities to develop their careers further through apprenticeships.
“It will make things easier,” she noted, citing examples of staff dropping out of apprenticeships because of the need for a maths and English qualification.
She added: “You often have situations where people don’t need maths or English in their job and are terrified of doing this qualification, or someone who has been doing maths in their job for years but can’t find their GCSE certificate, so has to resit maths.”
A further government proposal to drop the minimum legal duration of an apprenticeship from 12 months to eight months was welcomed as a way to help short-term contract workers achieve qualifications and attract newcomers to the sector.
Bourne said: “We are expecting to see this rolled out more widely over the coming months, which could open up more opportunities for travel companies, particularly those looking to recruit 16 to 18 year olds into entry level roles.”
Wolf agreed, noting: “It will make it very attractive to work in travel as you will be able to get a qualification on a seasonal contract and move to the next level when you change job.”