UK's Specialist AI Apprenticeship Provider

AI apprenticeships that actually change how work gets done.

Six programmes built for real roles, from foundation practitioners to senior leaders. Up to five industry qualifications embedded in every one. No coding required. 100% levy funded. Delivered live online across England.

Ofsted Good Provider 4.9/5 from 100+ reviews Microsoft AI Industry Leader
See all 6 programmes → Book a discovery call
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The Complete Guide to AI Apprenticeships (2026)
Standards, levels, funding, qualifications, ROI — everything you need in one place. 15 min read.
Read the Guide →
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Upgrading from Team Leader L3 or Ops Manager L5?
Those standards are being defunded from September 2026. Our AI People Leaders & AI Operations Leaders programmes are the natural next step — same audience, CMI qualifications included, plus AI skills your team actually needs. Fully funded.
Explore the Upgrade →

Our AI Programmes

Every programme is fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy — zero cost to your organisation

New for 2026
Level 5 · 3-unit pathway

AI Leadership Pathway · Strategy, Governance, Transformation

Three new Skills England Level 5 apprenticeship units for senior leaders: AI Strategy, AI Governance, and AI Transformation. Up to £2,250 combined funding per leader. No EPA. TESS is one of the first approved providers.

📅 8-12 weeks per unit 🎓 30+ GLH each £2,250 combined
View the AI Leadership Pathway
Foundation
Level 4

AI & Automation Practitioner

The base-level AI apprenticeship for anyone whose job connects to AI — using Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, automating workflows, or working with data. No coding needed. Start here.

📅 15-18 months 🎓 4-5 qualifications ST1512
View Foundation Programme
Level 4

AI for People Leaders

AI-powered team leadership with a CMI Level 3 qualification. Designed for first-line leaders, team leaders, and people managers stepping into AI-ready leadership.

📅 15-18 months 🎓 4 qualifications ST1512
View Programme
Level 4

AI for Operations Leaders

AI-driven operational excellence with a CMI Level 5 leadership qualification. For middle managers leading departments, operations, and process improvement through AI.

📅 15-18 months 🎓 5 qualifications ST1512
View Programme
Level 4

AI for Coaching Professionals

AI-powered coaching with a CMI Level 5 coaching & mentoring qualification. The only AI apprenticeship combining advanced coaching skills with AI tools for deeper client engagement.

📅 15 months 🎓 4 qualifications ST1512
View Programme
Level 6 • Degree-Level

AI & ML Fellowship

Deep learning, NLP, computer vision & MLOps. Degree-level programme for technical AI and machine learning engineering roles.

📅 18+3 months 🎓 3+1 qualifications ST1398
View Programme

Compare Our AI Programmes

Every programme is tailored to your sector — here's exactly what your team walks away with

Programme Level Duration Qualifications Included Tailored For Funding Band
AI Leadership Pathway
Senior leaders, 3 Level 5 units
L5 8-12 wks / unit
AI Strategy AI Governance AI Transformation
CEOs, MDs, COOs, transformation, HR, compliance Up to £2,250
AI & Automation Practitioner
Foundation, start here
L4 15-18 mo
NCFE ×3 Microsoft AB-730 BCS AI
Any team using AI tools, all departments, no coding £18,000
AI for People Leaders L4 15-18 mo
CMI L3 NCFE ×2 Microsoft AB-730
First-line leaders, team leaders, HR & L&D £18,000
AI for Operations Leaders L4 15-18 mo
CMI L5 NCFE ×3 Microsoft AB-730
Middle managers, operations, supply chain, dept heads £18,000
AI for Coaching Professionals L4 15 mo
CMI L5 Coaching NCFE ×2 Microsoft AB-730
Executive coaches, HR practitioners, L&D specialists £18,000
AI & ML Fellowship L6 18+3 mo
BCS L4 Data NVIDIA Deep Learning Azure AI Engineer + EPA
ML engineers, data scientists, technical AI roles £22,000

Why Choose TESS Group for AI?

We don't deliver generic AI training. We build every programme around your sector, your teams, and your business goals.

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Sector-Tailored Delivery

This is what sets us apart. Every AI programme is contextualised to your industry — whether that's healthcare, finance, manufacturing, retail, or public sector. Your team learns AI through real scenarios from their own world, not abstract examples. That's why our learners apply skills from week one.

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Up to 5 Qualifications Per Programme

CMI, BCS, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and NCFE qualifications embedded in every programme — not bolted on. Your team leaves with multiple industry-recognised credentials that hold weight beyond the apprenticeship.

Ofsted Good & 4.9/5 Rating

Ofsted rated Good. 452+ Google reviews averaging 4.9 out of 5. 85%+ achievement rate across all programmes. Our track record speaks for itself.

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100% Levy Funded — Zero Cost

Every programme is fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy — including all qualifications, certifications, and assessment fees. Non-levy employers pay just 5%. No hidden costs.

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Dedicated Employer Partnership

Every learner gets a skills coach, technical mentor, and your organisation gets a dedicated employer liaison. We handle the levy paperwork, DfE compliance, and progress reporting so you don't have to.

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Monthly Starts & Flexible Cohorts

No waiting for term dates. We run monthly starts with flexible cohort sizes — from a single learner to full department rollouts. Most employers are live within 4-6 weeks of first contact.

AI Belongs in Every Function, Not Just IT

Wherever your team spends hours on repeatable work, AI can collapse it into minutes. Here's what an AI-trained apprentice changes across the business.

Executive & Strategy

Replace gut-feel with scenario modelling, competitor intel, and board-ready synthesis. Leaders use AI to pressure-test decisions before they're made, not defend them afterwards.

Board packs in hours, not weeks

HR & People

Screen applicants, analyse engagement surveys, surface retention risks, and draft policy in the voice of your business. Your people team spends the time saved on the humans, not the paperwork.

70% faster time-to-hire

Finance & Accounting

Automate month-end data pulls, flag anomalies before they reach the audit trail, and build rolling forecasts that actually get updated. A practical AI skillset turns the monthly close from a marathon into a dashboard.

3 days saved per close

Sales & Revenue

Research accounts in seconds, auto-draft personalised outreach at scale, and score pipeline by real signal instead of rep optimism. AI-literate sellers book more meetings from the same hours.

2–3× prospecting output

Marketing & Brand

Segment the database properly, write on-brand campaigns in minutes, and test variants before a single pound of media spend. The best marketing teams now ship campaigns in days, not sprints.

5× campaign velocity

Customer Service

Deflect repetitive tickets with well-governed AI agents, summarise cases for the human who takes it from there, and mine every conversation for product signal. Support becomes an intelligence source, not just a cost centre.

40% lower cost per ticket

Operations & Supply Chain

Predict demand, optimise routing and rotas, and catch equipment issues before they stop a line. Operators who understand AI stop firefighting and start preventing.

Up to 40% less downtime

Procurement & Vendor

Run spend analysis across messy ERP exports, compare supplier contracts side-by-side, and benchmark quotes without three weeks of spreadsheet work. Procurement negotiates from evidence, not instinct.

Contract review in minutes

Legal, Risk & Compliance

Review contracts in minutes with flagged deviations, draft policy in your organisation's voice, and track regulatory change without a dedicated analyst. AI handles the reading so counsel can focus on the judgement.

80% faster contract triage

Nine departments. Nine reasons to train. Every TESS programme embeds the tools, governance, and qualifications for the department your learner actually works in.

Real Qualifications. Real Brands. Embedded at No Extra Cost.

Every TESS programme bundles nationally regulated awards and globally recognised vendor certifications into the apprenticeship. Not bolted on. Not chargeable. Built in.

Microsoft
Microsoft
AB-730
AI Business Professional
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
BCS
Foundation & Level 4
Certificates
CMI Chartered Management Institute Approved Centre
CMI
Level 3 & Level 5
Management Awards
NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Deep Learning Institute
Certificate
NCFE
NCFE
Cyber Security, Data
& AI Prompt Mastery

Most providers include zero to one additional certifications. TESS embeds up to five in every programme, at no additional levy spend. See the full comparison →

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

Independent reviews, verified results, and real employer data.

4.9/5
★★★★★
Google Reviews (452+)
59%
Distinction Rate
vs ~20% National Average
97%
Employer Satisfaction
Across All Programmes
10,000+
Learners Trained
Across 100+ Employers
See Why Employers Choose TESS →

What Employers Say

Real feedback from organisations investing in AI apprenticeships with TESS

This programme doesn’t just teach AI — it transforms how our entire team thinks about their work. The results have been immediate and measurable. We’ve seen processes that took hours reduced to minutes.

SM
Sarah Mitchell
L&D Director, National Retailer

We needed something that would actually land with non-technical staff. TESS understood that from day one. The delivery is practical, the support is excellent, and our people are building real automations within weeks — not months.

JC
James Crawford
Head of Digital Transformation, Logistics Provider

The embedded qualifications were the clincher for us. Our team came away with Microsoft Copilot certification, NCFE credentials, and practical skills they’re using every day. That’s genuine value for the levy spend.

RP
Rachel Parsons
HR Director, Financial Services

The Business Case for AI Apprenticeships

Why leading employers are using their levy to build internal AI capability

10+ hrs
Reclaimed Per Learner, Per Week
Learners automate repetitive workflows from month one. The time saved compounds across your team as more staff complete the programme.
£0
Net Cost for Levy Payers
Fully funded through your Apprenticeship Levy — money you’ve already paid. Non-levy employers pay just 5% of the training cost (government covers 95%).
Day 1
ROI Starts Immediately
Learners apply skills directly to their role throughout the programme. No waiting until graduation — your business benefits from week one.
Calculate Your AI Apprenticeship ROI →

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything employers need to know about AI apprenticeships

What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
The Apprenticeship Levy is a 0.5% tax on annual pay bills over £3 million. Funds collected go into a digital account that employers can use to pay for apprenticeship training. Levy-paying employers can use their funds to fully cover the cost of AI apprenticeships. Non-levy paying employers can also access funding — the government covers 95% of the training cost.
Can existing employees do an AI apprenticeship?
Absolutely. In fact, most of our AI apprentices are existing employees being upskilled. There's no requirement to hire new staff. Any employee who will genuinely develop new skills through the programme is eligible, regardless of seniority or experience.
Do learners need coding experience?
Not for our Level 4 programmes. The AI & Automation Practitioner, People Leaders, and Operations Leaders programmes are all designed for non-technical professionals. We build from foundations up. The Level 6 AI & ML Fellowship does require some technical aptitude, but we assess for potential rather than prior experience.
How much time off-the-job is required?
Apprentices spend approximately 20% of their working time on off-the-job training — typically one day per week. This includes workshops, self-directed study, and practical projects. The remaining 80% is spent in their normal role, applying what they learn directly to their work.
What qualifications do learners receive?
It depends on the programme. The AI & Automation Practitioner includes NCFE L3 qualifications in Cyber Security, Data, and AI Prompt Mastery, plus the Microsoft AB-730 AI Business Professional certification (and BCS Foundation for high achievers). The People Leaders programme adds CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership alongside NCFE and Microsoft qualifications. Operations Leaders carries CMI Level 5 plus all five NCFE and Microsoft certifications. The ML Fellowship includes BCS, NVIDIA, and Microsoft certifications. All programmes also lead to the relevant apprenticeship standard completion and EPA.
How is the programme delivered?
All sessions are delivered via live online workshops (Zoom or Microsoft Teams), so your team can learn from their desks — no travel or venue costs required. We deliver nationwide across England, running closed cohorts so your team learns together. Face-to-face delivery can be arranged on request.
Buyer resources: What does an AI apprenticeship cost? → Choosing an AI apprenticeship provider in the UK →

Official Resources & Further Reading

For more information about apprenticeship standards, funding, and regulations, see the official UK government and awarding body sources below.

IfATE — AI & Data Specialist Apprenticeship Standard Gov.uk — Apprenticeship Funding Rules 2025/26 DfE — Find Apprenticeship Training Providers Ofsted — TESS Group Inspection Report CMI — Chartered Management Institute BCS — The Chartered Institute for IT

Why Choose a National AI Apprenticeship Specialist?

Large generalist providers spread themselves across hundreds of standards. We focus on AI, data, and leadership — and deliver nationwide from a single, dedicated team. Here's why that matters.

4.9/5
from 689 verified reviews

One of the highest-rated apprenticeship providers in the country. Our learners rate us because we deliver — not because we're the biggest.

Ofsted Good
independently inspected and rated

Government-verified quality. Ofsted assessed our teaching, coaching, curriculum design, and learner outcomes — and rated us Good across the board.

Nationwide
delivered online across England

All programmes delivered via Zoom and Teams — interactive workshops with breakout rooms, 1:1 coaching, and no travel. From Dorset to Durham, your team gets the same quality.

6
AI programmes across Levels 3–6

From team leaders to ML engineers, we have the right AI programme for every level of your organisation. All on approved standards, all fully levy funded.

Up to 5
qualifications per programme

CMI, BCS, NCFE, and Microsoft certifications embedded. Your people leave with portable, recognised qualifications — not just a certificate of attendance.

Tailored
closed cohorts for your organisation

Got 10–15 learners? Run a private cohort tailored to your sector and challenges. Hybrid delivery available — online plus optional face-to-face workshops.

Trusted by organisations including

Financial Times • EDF Energy • Transport for London • DPD • Sunbelt Rentals • BuyItDirect • DX Logistics • Clarins

Not Ready for a Full Apprenticeship?

Our 1-day AI Prompting Accelerator gives your team practical AI skills in a single session — no funding paperwork, no long-term commitment. CPD-accredited and fully customised to your organisation.

View the 1-Day Accelerator

Manager’s Guides

Enrolling a team member? These guides show you exactly how to support them — module by module — and get the most from the programme.

Manager’s Guide
AI & Automation Practitioner L4
11 modules explained for line managers. Coaching tips for every phase.
Manager’s Guide
AI People Leaders L4
14 modules for people leaders. AI + CMI leadership woven together.
Manager’s Guide
AI Operations Leaders L4
15 modules for ops sponsors. CMI L5 Award + Cyber Security included.
Sponsor’s Guide
AI & ML Fellowship L6
18 modules over 24 months. From Python to production ML systems.

Not sure which provider? Read our 10-point employer checklist →

Book Your Free Discovery Call

Let’s Talk About AI Apprenticeships for Your Team

No commitment — just a 15-minute chat about what AI apprenticeships could look like for your organisation. We’ll cover programme options, funding, timelines, and next steps.

100% funded through the Apprenticeship Levy
6 AI programmes across Levels 3–6
Delivered online nationwide — monthly cohort starts
Ofsted Good • 4.9/5 from 689 reviews
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Prefer to call?
01604 210 500
★★★★★ 4.9/5 from 689 verified reviews

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