Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has considered removing the requirement for employment candidates to have education, health and care plans in order to obtain flexibility in apprenticeships.

All education and training providers (including apprenticeships), and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010.

Disability Rights UK have information available which describes how reasonable adjustments can be provided for students with disabilities.

We want all learners and apprentices to feel comfortable and confident to disclose and discuss their individual needs. The recent Post-16 Education and Skills white paper sets out how we aim to remove barriers to participation and progression for all learners, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD), by ensuring flexible pathways and tailored support.

The government provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been in care.

Additional Learning Support funding is available to training providers to make reasonable adjustments which support apprentices who have LDD. Training providers can claim £150 per month where there is a cost involved in making adjustments to support their learning.

Where an apprentice has a LDD which is a barrier to them achieving the standard English and maths requirements there is the flexibility for them to achieve the lower Entry Level 3 qualification in the adjusted subject. From August 2024, this has been extended to apprentices with an LDD but no EHCP.