Businesses employing adult apprentices will now have the power to decide whether a Maths and English qualification should be part of the prescribed course, following a rule change by the government. The Department for Education (DfE) says this could mean 10,000 more apprentices are able to complete courses every year.

Allowing employers to ignore a previous requirement for apprentices over the age of 19 to have GCSE-equivalent English and maths may allow up to 10,000 more people to enter the workforce each year, ministers estimate.

Changes to requirements for apprenticeship courses will see 10,000 more apprenticeship starts a year, the Education Secretary has said.