The removal of the English and maths GCSE pass requirements comes into effect immediately. This means that adult learners over the age of 19 when they start their apprenticeship course will no longer need to complete a Level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) in order to pass the apprenticeship.

In addition, changes to the minimum length of an apprenticeship will be introduced from August 2025 subject to the legislative timetable, reducing the training period from 12 to eight months. However, these shorter schemes will only be available in specific shortage occupations, including green energy, healthcare and film/TV production.