Government changes to apprenticeships
Automotive employers are concerned about lowering standards
Lucy England
Between 2025 and 2026 the Government are bringing in changes to assessments for apprentices in the automotive industry 'to create a more flexible, streamlined and proportionate system'. The new reforms will replace end point assessment (EPA) and bring in what we used to call continuous assessment, or assessment which takes place during the apprenticeship at any stage, not just at the end.
It will be up to employers to verify their apprentices' level of competence and behaviour as they go along. Assessment organisations will however continue designing assessment materials and assure quality. Assessments at the end of training will be shorter and focus on core outcomes, apparently 'reducing duplication and providing flexibility while maintaining rigour'
However some automotive employers are not happy about the changes and believe that it will de-skill apprentices and dilute technicians' training. The Institute of the Motor Industry and 10 automotive employers have written an open letter to Pat McFadden MP, warning about weakening training in safety-critical automotive jobs. The automotive industry is worried that,while technology is actually becoming harder to understand and more technical, with vehicles becoming more complex with high voltage electrical systems, digital tech and hydrogen powertrains, which require a higher level of skill for the engineer, the government plan will actually mean that the training for those apprentices who will be the engineers of the future, is going to be less comprehensive and stringent. This would mean that safety could eventually be compromised for the technicians themselves, due to lack of competence, and therefore also for members of the public, the recipients of their work.
The letter states that the current proposals risk affecting the robustness of assessment and reducing the level of training required and thus competence in the workforce. It could also mean that employers are not confident that the apprentices they might employ from the scheme, will be fully trained and competent to do the jobs required.
There is a need for urgent action and this is what the government is trying to address. The automotive sector has seen a 30% reduction in apprenticeships and is still below pre pandemic levels. But the quality of training apprentices receive does have to be really consistent and trustworthy otherwise they are training in vain and confidence and safety could be compromised.
Is the Government going to improve the situation and persuade more young people to sign up to apprenticeships and acquire a skill set for the future, or will the system be compromised and undermined by the suggested changes?
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