In October 2013, in response to the Richard Review of Apprenticeships (2012), the government set out its plans to reform Apprenticeships in England by replacing the existing Apprenticeship frameworks with new employer-defined Apprenticeship standards.

The first Apprenticeship Standards were introduced in England in 2014. 25% of all new Apprenticeship starts were on Standards by 2017/2018, and the government has committed to ensuring all new apprenticeship starts are standards in time for August 2020. This means all frameworks in England will be discontinued by the start of the 2020/21 academic year.

The Federation currently delivers Certification for Frameworks in England through the ACE system, and will continue to do so until the final certificate is issued.

Our ACE360 Apprenticeship Management system was launched in 2018 to support the mandatory End Point Assessment (EPA) process on the new Standards, based on our industry experience with ACE.

The situation in Scotland and Wales remains the same, as education and skills are devolved policy areas, so they are not currently transferring to the new style Apprenticeship standards.

Frameworks in Scotland and Wales

In Scotland and Wales, Apprenticeships will still be delivered through Frameworks.

Modern Apprenticeships are available across a wide range of sectors in Scotland, and the Federation currently manage the MA Online Certification system in Scotland.

In Wales the Federation manage the ACW Apprenticeship Certification system. You can find out more about Apprenticeship Certification here.