The move, which has been discussed in England but only introduced in isolated areas, is aimed at removing an “artificial barrier” which excludes adults from on-the-job learning, said Welsh Assembly education minister Jane Davidson.

Education and Learning Wales, knows as ELWa, the equivalent of the Learning and Skills Council which funds post-16 education, has been asked to take charge of implementation.

“I made a start on this last year by launching the Modern Skills Diploma for Adults, which allowed people aged 25 and over, including those already in a job, to upgrade their skills. Because of the success and popularity of this programme, I am now asking ELWa to allow people aged 25 and over entry to modern apprenticeships and other programmes which in the past were the exclusive domain of young people,” said Ms Davidson.

The chairman of ELWa, Enid Rowlands, said: “We warmly welcome the minister’s proposals to relax the eligibility criteria for a range of our key training programmes. These developments will drive forward our vision of making learning more accessible and encouraging people to build up their skills portfolio.”