Key Changes to Apprenticeships
There are several changes to apprenticeships which will be applicable from 1st April 2026. Please see below for details and how it relates to the apprenticeship provision through Askham Bryan College.
To be eligible for £3000, you need to hire an apprentice who has been on Universal Credit for at least 6 months.
To be eligible for £2000, you need to be a Non-Levy paying company, (less than £3million in wages) and employ an apprentice aged under 25, with a start date in your employment after, July the 1st 2026 and an enrolment date on their apprenticeship after the 1st of October 2026.
To be eligible for £2000, you can be any size employer, employing an apprentice on a Foundation apprenticeship with any start date. At Askham Bryan College, we only offer a Foundation Apprenticeship in Engineering.
To be eligible for £1000, you need to be a Levy paying employer (more than £3million in wages) and enrolling an apprentice aged under 19 to an apprenticeship with any start date.
To be eligible to pay no National Insurance Costs (NIC) for your apprentice, the apprentice must be aged under 25 and enrolled to an apprenticeship.
As a training provider, we are consciously trying to support our employers by maximising incentives for their businesses, so we are considering moving apprenticeship start dates in 2026, to October so that the maximum incentives are available for our employers.
The Department for Education and Skills England are introducing a major redesign of apprenticeship assessment through 2026. These reforms aim to make assessment simpler, more proportionate, and better aligned to occupational competence.
Key Changes
· End-Point Assessment (EPA) is being replaced with the broader concept of Apprenticeship Assessment, which may occur at multiple stages — not purely end loaded.
· Assessments for starts after August the 1st 2026, will be able to take place during training to reduce duplication and improve relevance.
· Assessments will be designed by the awarding organisation, and this may vary depending on the awarding organisation.
· Assessment plans will be redesigned to give providers greater flexibility, while maintaining rigour and quality.
· It is likely that employers will need to give detailed witness statements to support apprentices completing assessments, however we will communicate this on an apprentice by apprentice basis.
An example of the above would be:
If a learner currently has 3 parts to an EPA, Professional Discussion, Observation and Exam.
1 x Awarding Organisation may choose to keep assessment methods the same, and as a provider, we can complete exams before ‘Gateway’ and then the learner only needs to complete observation and discussions at ‘EPA’ / ‘Apprenticeship Assessment’
1 x Awarding Organisation may choose to change assessment methods to, Observation and Project. Again, they may allow the training provider to complete 1 aspect (observation) and the awarding body complete the other at ‘EPA’ / ‘Apprenticeship Assessment’
All our learners must complete with the same awarding organisation, therefore as a provider we are undertaking a review of learners needs, and most suitable assessment methods, so we can carefully select awarding organisations.
A £725m national reform package is being rolled out to create new opportunities for young people and to try to support small businesses. Currently, depending on age, apprenticeships, employment hours, and apprentices background depends on whether yourselves as employers contribute towards the training costs. After the 1st of April 2026, the below table explains training fees with the most notable announcement being SMEs will receive fully funded training for eligible under‑25 apprentices, removing the 5% co‑investment requirement.
Summary Table:
| Employer Type | Learner Age | Training Contributions |
| SME (non-levy) | 25+ | 5% |
| SME (non-levy) | Under 25 | 0% funded |
| Levy Payer | Any (if levy used) | 25% |
| Levy Payer | Any (if levy available) | Levy funds cover all |
The government has confirmed the launch of Apprenticeship Units from April 2026 — short, focused, fully funded training modules based on existing apprenticeship standards. At Askham Bryan College, we are hopeful we can support you as employers with the Welding unit, however, we must wait for confirmation from the Department For Education. In the meantime, I have explained what these units will look like:
· Short‑form, specific Knowledge and Skills, taken from the Welder apprenticeship standard. More details can be found here – Welding (mechanised) – Apprenticeship unit / Skills England
· The units can be delivered over 1 to 16 weeks, replacing the traditional minimum 12‑month duration for full apprenticeships. At Askham Bryan College, at this very early stage we have not yet committed to a delivery model but there are 13 knowledge criteria and 10 skills outlined as needing to be taught, demonstrated and assessed. Progression routes can be in to apprenticeships.
· Include a provider-led skills test instead of an end‑point assessment.
· Funded via the Growth & Skills Levy or funded by the Government for SME’s (Subject to T’s and C’s.
· Only for learners aged 19+ in employment.
There are further announcements due on this subject in April to outline the T’s and C’s of each area, however I wanted to communicate this as early as possible to support training and development within your organisations.
More Flexibility
Shorter training units, flexible assessment points, and streamlined processes mean you can upskill staff more quickly and with less disruption.
Reduced Costs
SMEs benefit particularly — full training funding for eligible young apprentices and funded apprenticeship units reduces financial barriers.
Better Alignment to Your Skills Needs
Regional priorities and occupation‑specific assessment design mean apprenticeships will increasingly reflect the real competencies your industry requires.