For employers
Build AI capability with the team you already have
Your best people already understand how your organisation runs. The Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship gives them the skills to automate the repetitive work and lead AI adoption from the inside, with most or all of the training cost covered by government funding.
- Funded through your levy or co-investment
- Upskill existing staff
- Value delivered during the programme
- ✓ Works whether or not you pay the apprenticeship levy
- ✓ Staff stay in role and apply learning to real projects
- ✓ No coding background needed, suits admin, ops, HR, customer service and more
Why train your existing team
Recruiting AI skills from outside is slow and expensive, and new hires still have to learn how your organisation actually works. Training the people you already have flips that: they know your processes, your systems and your customers, and the apprenticeship gives them the AI and automation skills to improve all three.
Capability that stays
You build AI skills inside your own team rather than renting them from contractors who leave with the knowledge.
Value during, not after
Apprentices apply their learning to live projects in your organisation as they go, so improvements land throughout the programme.
Retention and morale
Investing in your people’s development is one of the most reliable ways to keep good staff and grow them into bigger roles.
What it costs your business
The apprenticeship funding system covers most or all of the training cost. What your business contributes depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy and, for smaller employers, the apprentice’s age. These figures reflect the 2026 to 2027 funding rules.
| Your situation | How training is paid for | Your contribution |
|---|---|---|
| You pay the levy, funds available | Paid from your levy account | Covered by your levy |
| You pay the levy, funds used up | Government pays 75%, you co-invest 25% | 25% |
| Non-levy, apprentice under 25 | 100% government funded | Nothing |
| Non-levy, apprentice 25 or over | Government pays 75%, you co-invest 25% | 25% |
Whatever your situation, the training cost is largely or entirely met by funding you either already contribute or can access. For the full detail, see our guide to apprenticeship funding or the government’s apprenticeship funding rules 2026 to 2027.
What your team will be able to do
The Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship produces people who can spot inefficient processes and fix them with AI and automation. By the end, an apprentice can:
- ✓ Identify manual, repetitive work and redesign it as automated workflows
- ✓ Apply AI tools responsibly, with an understanding of data protection and governance
- ✓ Plan, deliver and measure improvement projects that show real business value
- ✓ Help colleagues adopt new tools and ways of working
See the full course breakdown for the syllabus, duration and end-point assessment.
How to get your team started
- Get in touch
Tell us about your organisation and who you’d like to train. An advisor calls to talk it through.
- Confirm funding and eligibility
We work out your funding route, levy, co-investment or a transfer, and check your chosen staff are eligible.
- Set up through the apprenticeship service
A short administrative step. We guide you through the government’s digital apprenticeship service.
- Your team starts
Apprentices begin, staying in role, with dedicated learning time and real workplace projects from the outset.
Not sure where to start?
Whether you have one person in mind or a whole team, an advisor can walk you through funding, eligibility and timelines with no obligation. The quickest way in is a short callback.
Request a callbackEmployer FAQs
Can we use the apprenticeship for existing staff, not just new hires?
Yes. Apprenticeships can be used to upskill current employees, as long as the training gives them substantial new skills relevant to their role and makes up a meaningful part of their working time. Upskilling existing staff is exactly what this programme is designed for.
We don’t pay the levy. Can we still do this?
Yes. If you’re a non-levy employer, the government funds the training through co-investment. For apprentices under 25 that is 100% funded, and for those 25 or over the government pays 75% while you contribute 25%. Either way most or all of the cost is covered.
How much time will staff spend away from their job?
Apprentices are entitled to dedicated learning time, typically around six hours a week, within their working hours. Because their projects are based on real work in your organisation, much of that time produces value for you rather than taking away from it.
What level is the qualification?
It’s a Level 4 apprenticeship (standard ST1512), equivalent to a Higher National Certificate or the first year of university. It typically runs for 14 months plus the end-point assessment.
Do our staff need a technical or coding background?
No. The programme is practical and business-focused, designed for people from backgrounds like administration, operations, HR, customer service and marketing. No coding experience is required.
Train your team in AI and automation
Request a callback and an advisor will talk you through funding, eligibility and next steps. No obligation.
- ✓ Most or all of the cost covered by funding
- ✓ Upskill the people who know your business
- ✓ Value delivered during the programme
Funding figures reflect the apprenticeship funding rules for the 2026 to 2027 year and were last checked against gov.uk in July 2026. Apprenticeship funding policy changes periodically, so always confirm the current position for your organisation using the official guidance linked above.