To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10 – 16 February) we’re highlighting the fashion and textile apprenticeship opportunities currently on offer from our Education Partners. We’re also showcasing additional training opportunities available to support students, career changers, parents, schools, colleges and employers in finding the right pathway to develop essential skills and build successful careers in the industry.

As the Sector Skills Body for fashion and textiles, the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) is responsible for apprenticeships in our industry. In England we work with ifATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education) and employer Trailblazer groups to ensure fashion and textile apprenticeships provide the right technical knowledge and practical experience for apprentices to be successful in their immediate job and future career.

UKFT would also like to highlight a number of new announcements about apprenticeships made at the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2025. These include:

• Businesses will now be able to decide whether adult learners over the age of 19 when they start their apprenticeship course will need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification in order to pass it. This will come into effect immediately.
• The minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months, down from the current minimum of 12 months. This will be introduced from August 2025 subject to the legislative timetable. Three trailblazer apprenticeships in key shortage occupations will look to pioneer this approach, with apprentices in green energy, healthcare and film/TV production set to be able to take on these new courses.
• Please note – there are some apprenticeships which would need to be at least 12 months and where there would be safety concerns about reducing the length, for example.

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