Improving maths and English for apprentices

It concluded that sufficient professional development of staff is needed to help them deliver functional skills.

“Some providers are doing this in order to raise staff expertise,” the report said.

“More needs to be done, but there is uncertainty about the future of the LSIS English and maths support programme.

“The Wolf report, quite rightly, pointed to weaknesses in the conception and practicability of functional skills; however, all the evidence for this and previous reports shows the important motivating power of embedding English and maths in vocational programmes.

"It is important not to lose this.”

Dr Jean Kelly, IfL’s director of professional development, said, “The effective provision of functional skills in English and maths is crucial to learners’ ability to progress to level 3 and beyond, so that they can achieve their personal ambitions and gain the skills this country needs.

“The fact that functional skills in English and maths became mandatory for apprenticeships in autumn 2012, with double the government funding, recognises the importance of apprentices acquiring a nationally valid and transportable set of skills.

“Our research shows that successful implementation of functional skills requires committed leadership by senior managers and employers; genuine teamwork between functional skills specialists and vocational tutors; and adequate initial training and in-service professional development of functional skills specialists and of all vocational tutors in functional skills.

“Key to this is promoting a culture in which the development of functional skills is taken seriously, with apprentices and other vocational learners benefiting from discrete provision as well as opportunities to practise and reinforce their functional skills in the vocational context.”

120 IfLmembers contributed to the research for the report.

They were drawn from across the vocational learning spectrum, including teachers, trainers and assessors from colleges, private training providers, prisons, and the military, submitted written evidence.

78 of the respondents also attended one of six regional seminars, where they discussed the key issues and other topics they considered important to improving adult vocational learning.