Hello Kelly,
I am not surprised you didn't know about pathway D or any other pathways, life is just too short
Keep your eye out on here, I will post a thread as soon as I have info.
My gut instinct is that a practical exam of some sort will be required, which will not be a problem for any UK tradespeople, I am sure.
In the meantime, just to reassure you, even if the new Pathway D is not something that works for your husband, there are a couple of other options, so if you do get stuck, feel free to PM me and I will do my best to help.