Responding to apprenticeship reforms announced by the Government on 11 February, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:
“It is a mistake to reduce the minimum length of an apprenticeship and remove the need to study English and maths. England is already an outlier compared to other countries with shorter apprenticeships and far less general education like English and maths. Lowering standards in this way will increase this disparity, and only gives the false illusion of increasing opportunity. If training doesn’t require 12 months, it can still be valuable but isn’t necessarily an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships should prepare people for future careers, which will increasingly need good English and maths. We should invest to make that work, or risk limiting opportunity and growth.”
Contact our press office20 Ionawr 2026
Labour market dashboard
Every month, Learning and Work Institute produces detailed and timely analysis of the latest labour market statistics from ONS. Explore our interactive charts.
24 Rhagfyr 2025
Falling short: Understanding further falls in employer training
This briefing looks at how employer investment in training continues to fall – now down 36% per employee since 2005 – and argues that we must turn this around to improve economic growth.
22 Rhagfyr 2025
From confusion to clarity: rethinking England’s 670 occupational standards
L&W’s Stephen Evans and Pearson’s Donna Ford-Clarke reflect on findings from our recent research on England’s occupational standards – of which there are now more than double the number in countries like Germany and Switzerland.
8 Rhagfyr 2025
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal meets London learners at an event for adults’ access to essential skills learning
On Wednesday 3 December, Learning and Work Institute was delighted to welcome their patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to an event in London about essential skills for learning and life, like literacy, numeracy and digital.
27 Tachwedd 2025
Responding to the full year apprenticeships data release
Learning and Work Institute’s Deputy Head of Research Dr Corin Egglestone responds to the full year apprenticeships data released on 27 November 2025.
18 Tachwedd 2025
Responding to higher technical skills needs
Supported by Gatsby Charitable Foundation, this report explores employer and employee decision making about training and the development of higher technical skills.
7 Tachwedd 2025
No train no gain
This research, supported by Multiverse, finds that access to training is a boon for people’s pay and careers. The training dividend is greatest for those on the lower rungs of the occupational ladder, helping them go further, faster.
7 Tachwedd 2025
Working class people paid more when they get training from their employer
Experts are calling on the Government to do more to get employers investing in training, as research reveals it’s a “boon for people’s pay and careers” – particularly for working class people.
5 Tachwedd 2025
Investing in skills: International policy insights for the UK
This report is the first in a series of three publications supported by the Nuffield Foundation that present the findings from multi-year research into employer investment in upskilling and reskilling in a changing economy.
