Officer of the Watch (near coastal): retirement consultation open
Not yet a decision — which is exactly why it is worth responding to.
A retirement consultation is open on Officer of the Watch (near coastal) at Level 3. Level 3, 36 months, maximum funding £15,000, reference ST0842, currently at version 1.2.
A retirement consultation means Skills England is asking whether the standard should continue. It is not a decision, and outcomes do vary — some standards emerge revised rather than withdrawn.
What changes today: nothing. The standard remains approved for delivery and you can continue to start apprentices on it while the consultation runs.
What could change: if the outcome is retirement, the standard closes to new starts from a date to be announced, with existing apprentices funded to completion as usual.
What to do about it: respond. Consultation is the only stage at which employer and provider demand is formally counted, and standards on Transport and logistics with quiet consultations are the ones most likely to go. In the meantime, avoid building a new commercial offer on this standard until the outcome is known, and have an alternative identified.