Major changes to apprenticeship funding from April 2026. Understand the new rules and what they mean for your organisation.
Learn More →Birmingham is the UK's second city with 8,000+ tech businesses and a 3.5 billion pound digital economy. TESS Group delivers levy-funded AI apprenticeships directly to Birmingham teams, with no travel required.
Birmingham's economy is undergoing a transformation. The city hosts HSBC UK's headquarters, Jaguar Land Rover's global operations, Aston Martin's engineering hub, and hundreds of digital-first businesses in Digbeth and beyond. The West Midlands Combined Authority's devolution powers, backed by significant investment in innovation and green manufacturing, have positioned the region as a leader in AI-enabled industrial transformation.
Manufacturing and logistics leaders are racing to adopt predictive maintenance, autonomous systems, and AI-powered quality control. Financial services teams at HSBC UK need AI-literate talent. Healthcare operations at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University Hospitals Birmingham are implementing AI in clinical workflows. Yet Birmingham's tech talent pool hasn't kept pace with demand.
AI apprenticeships let Birmingham employers build capability using funding they're already paying. Levy-paying employers (annual pay bill over 3 million pounds) use their existing levy pot. Smaller employers access 95% government co-funding, paying just 5% of training costs. Teams across Brindleyplace, Solihull, Longbridge, and beyond can train together online with no travel disruption.
Birmingham's economy spans manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, technology, public sector, and professional services. Here's how AI apprenticeships apply across the city's key industries.
Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, and hundreds of suppliers across Longbridge and the Black Country are adopting AI for predictive maintenance, autonomous systems, and smart manufacturing. Apprenticeships help engineers, production managers, and operations teams lead this transition.
With HSBC UK's headquarters based in Birmingham, alongside regional operations from Barclays, Lloyds, and other major banks, financial services teams need AI capability for compliance, risk, analytics, and customer experience. Apprenticeships build this at scale.
Birmingham's hospital trusts, including the world-leading Queen Elizabeth Hospital, are early adopters of AI in clinical and operational contexts. Apprenticeships help clinicians, managers, and administrators deploy AI responsibly in healthcare settings.
Birmingham's Digbeth tech hub and creative quarter host hundreds of digital-native businesses. AI apprenticeships help product teams, data engineers, and operations leaders scale their companies and build AI-powered offerings.
The West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham City Council are driving regional innovation and public service transformation. Apprenticeships help policy teams, service managers, and administrators adopt AI responsibly in local government.
Birmingham's professional services firms at Colmore Row and across the city are adopting AI for document review, contract analysis, tax compliance, and business intelligence. Apprenticeships build hands-on capability across the sector.
All six TESS AI apprenticeship programmes are available to employers in Birmingham and across the West Midlands. Each one is delivered live and remotely, so your team trains from Brindleyplace, Digbeth, Solihull, or wherever they work.
For first-line managers who need to use data and AI tools to make better decisions, improve team performance, and lead change.
The core hands-on programme. Build, test, and deploy AI and automation solutions using Microsoft Copilot, Power Automate, or Google Workspace AI. No coding required.
Strategic AI capability for senior managers. Covers AI strategy, responsible deployment, change management, and building an AI-ready culture.
For HR, L&D, and people managers. Embed AI into recruitment, performance management, workforce planning, and employee engagement.
Operational excellence through AI. Supply chain optimisation, process automation, quality improvement, and operational analytics.
Advanced programme for technical specialists. Machine learning engineering, neural networks, NLP, and responsible AI at scale.
Interactive training via Zoom or Teams. Your team joins from their desks in Birmingham. No travel, no disruption to the working week.
For employers who prefer face-to-face, we deliver at your Birmingham offices. Same programme, same quality, in-person facilitation.
Every learner gets a dedicated skills coach who understands their role, their industry, and their goals. Regular 1-to-1 progress reviews throughout.
Yes. Any employer paying the Apprenticeship Levy (annual pay bill over 3 million pounds) can use their existing levy funds for AI apprenticeships. This includes major Birmingham employers like Jaguar Land Rover, HSBC UK, Aston Martin, and local healthcare trusts. TESS Group delivers remotely across Birmingham and the West Midlands, so your team trains from your own offices. Non-levy employers access 95% government co-funding, paying just 5% of training costs.
No. Apprenticeship training can be delivered remotely by any ESFA-approved provider in England. TESS Group is Ofsted Good-rated and delivers live, interactive training to Birmingham employers via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. There is no requirement for your provider to have a physical office in Birmingham. What matters is the quality of training, the qualifications included, and the support your learners receive.
For production managers, engineers, and operations teams at Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, and other manufacturers, the AI for Operations Leaders Level 4 and AI & Automation Level 4 are the strongest fits. They cover predictive maintenance, quality analytics, smart automation, and supply chain optimisation, all directly applicable to modern manufacturing. For manufacturing directors, the AI for Leaders & Managers Level 4 builds strategic AI capability.
Absolutely. Because training is delivered live online, team members across Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Dudley, and anywhere else in the West Midlands can join the same cohort. This also works for employers with teams spread across other UK cities and is ideal for large organisations with multiple sites.
Every TESS programme includes up to five qualifications: the apprenticeship standard itself, Microsoft Certifications (AI-900 or MS-900), NCFE Digital Qualifications, vendor-specific credentials (Google AI Essentials, Power Platform), and a portfolio of workplace evidence. Most competitors offer 0-1 additional certifications beyond the standard.
New cohorts start every 4-6 weeks. From initial enquiry to your first learner starting, the typical timeline is 2-4 weeks, depending on your internal sign-off process and DAS (Digital Apprenticeship Service) setup. We handle the ESFA paperwork and make the onboarding process as straightforward as possible.
Whether you want to pilot with one or two people or roll out across a team, we'll build the right approach for your Birmingham operation.
Enrol 1-2 team members to test the programme before scaling. See the impact first-hand with minimal commitment.
Book a Discovery CallEnrol a cohort from across your Birmingham operation. We'll tailor the programme to your sector and business goals.
Book a Discovery CallPart of West Midlands • All Regions