Bringing Maths, English & AI Together in Apprenticeships: Why It Matters More Than Ever

There’s a quiet shift happening in the world of apprenticeships—and it’s one we can’t afford to ignore. In Season 3 Episode 3 of AI for the Average Joe, “AI for Functional Skills”, Christine Edwards dropped a truth bomb that should have every apprenticeship provider, employer, and educator sitting up straight: functional skills, specifically maths and English, are no longer mandatory in some apprenticeship frameworks.

At first glance, this might seem like a relief. Fewer hurdles for learners to jump through, right? But Christine, who’s been deep in the apprenticeship space since 2003, sees it differently—and frankly, so should we.

Functional Skills Are Life Skills

Christine’s journey started with a simple assumption: that everyone had the same level of maths and English she did. That illusion was shattered quickly. She discovered that many learners, especially apprentices, were being held back—not because they lacked talent or work ethic, but because they didn’t have the fundamental skills needed to thrive. And not just in their apprenticeships, but in life.

This is about more than passing an exam. Maths and English show up in everything from sending a professional email to interpreting sales data or understanding safety regulations. As Christine put it, the only time you don’t use these skills is if you stay in bed with the covers over your head—and even then, you might still be counting sheep.

The Danger of De-prioritising the Basics

The recent move to make functional skills optional sends the wrong message: that these skills are somehow less valuable. But the reality is that individuals without a solid grasp of maths and English lose out economically—by an estimated £460 a year on average. In a cost-of-living crisis, that’s a real hit.

Removing these requirements doesn’t make the need for these skills go away. It just hides the problem until it resurfaces in the workplace, where it’s harder and more expensive to fix.

Why Employers (and Tutors) Are Struggling

One of the underlying issues is perception. Too many employers and training providers still treat maths and English as school subjects, not essential life skills. If a tutor or provider introduces them with an apology—“Sorry, you’ll need to do your maths and English too”—what message does that send?

To make matters worse, these skills are often funded separately and don’t count as part of “off-the-job” training. That means providers and employers have little incentive to prioritise them, especially if they see them as a burden.

Add to that a growing shortage of functional skills tutors—many of whom are facing redundancy now that these subjects are optional—and you’ve got a perfect storm brewing.

Here’s Where AI Steps In

So what’s the fix? We can’t hire more tutors overnight. But we can empower the tutors we do have—particularly vocational tutors—to integrate maths and English into their everyday teaching. And here’s the kicker: AI makes that easier than ever.

Christine demonstrated how tools like ChatGPT can be used to map functional skills directly onto apprenticeship standards. By simply pasting in a section from the business administration apprenticeship framework, she showed how AI could pull out relevant Level 2 maths and English competencies like data handling, writing for a specific audience, and interpreting charts.

This isn’t about replacing tutors. It’s about giving them a powerful sidekick that helps them find those hidden “functional skills moments” in the training they’re already delivering.

The “Broccoli in the Mash” Approach

Let’s be real—learners often resist maths and English because of bad past experiences. Christine and co-host Erica likened it to sneaking broccoli into mashed potatoes: you blend in the good stuff so learners don’t even realise they’re eating it.

If we position digital and AI skills as the exciting part (which they are), then maths and English become the natural supporting acts. Want to analyse data using AI? You’ll need to understand percentages. Want to prompt effectively? You’ll need clear, purposeful communication.

This blended approach doesn’t just improve skills—it reframes them as relevant and empowering.

What You Can Do Tomorrow

Christine closed the podcast with some practical advice that’s worth repeating:

Acknowledge the value. Don’t dismiss maths and English just because they’re no longer required. They are
Use AI as your assistant. Ask it how to embed maths and English into your curriculum. Use it to build learner-friendly, contextual examples.
Practice what you teach. The more you use AI and seek out functional skills in your own work, the more confident you’ll become—and that confidence is contagious.

We’re at a turning point. Functional skills may be slipping off the official agenda, but that doesn’t mean we let them slide. With the right tools (yes, including AI) and the right mindset, we can make sure every apprentice gets the foundation they need—not just to pass, but to thrive.

Want to know more about how Christine is using AI to reshape functional skills in apprenticeship training? Check out Creating Excellence.

(Blogpost created in collaboration with ChatGPT4o.)