Major changes to apprenticeship funding from April 2026. Understand the new rules and what they mean for your organisation.
Learn More →Leeds is the UK's fastest-growing digital economy outside London with 6,000+ digital businesses and a 2.5 billion pound financial services sector. TESS Group delivers levy-funded AI apprenticeships directly to Leeds teams, with no travel required.
Leeds is reshaping itself as a digital powerhouse. Channel 4 relocated its national headquarters to the city in 2023, doubling down on the city's media credentials. ASDA's head office anchors a major retail and ecommerce presence. First Direct and Yorkshire Building Society lead a thriving financial services sector. Sky Betting and Gaming drives the gaming economy. NHS Digital and Leeds Teaching Hospitals are pioneering AI in healthcare. These organisations aren't just operating in Leeds, they're expanding, investing, and competing for digital talent at scale.
The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership has identified digital skills and AI capability as fundamental to regional growth. Yet talent is tight. Companies report they're scaling faster than they can recruit people who combine domain expertise with AI literacy. A bank needs traders who understand automation. Channel 4 needs producers who can work with generative media tools. ASDA needs logistics teams optimising with predictive AI. The talent isn't waiting, it's being competed for.
AI apprenticeships let Leeds 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 the city centre, South Bank, Leeds Dock, and Yorkshire can train together online with no travel disruption.
Leeds' economy spans financial services, media, retail and ecommerce, healthcare, professional services, and technology. Here's how AI apprenticeships apply across the city's key industries.
First Direct, Yorkshire Building Society, and major bank operations in Leeds drive financial services innovation. AI apprenticeships help trading teams, risk managers, customer operations, and compliance staff automate workflows and deploy AI-powered analytics at scale.
Channel 4's relocation to Leeds in 2023 made the city a major UK media centre. Apprenticeships help content teams, data journalists, producers, and creative staff use generative AI tools, automate post-production workflows, and build AI-enhanced audience engagement strategies.
ASDA's head office anchors Leeds' retail sector. Apprenticeships help merchandising, supply chain, ecommerce, and marketing teams use predictive analytics, automate inventory management, and personalise customer experiences across channels.
Sky Betting and Gaming operates at massive scale from Leeds. Apprenticeships help product teams, data analysts, and operations staff adopt AI for customer personalisation, fraud detection, and business intelligence.
Leeds is a major healthcare hub with NHS Digital headquarters and teaching hospital trust. Apprenticeships help clinicians, managers, and administrators deploy AI responsibly in clinical workflows, diagnostics, and patient administration.
Leeds' professional services sector is adopting AI for contract analysis, legal research, tax compliance, and business intelligence. Apprenticeships build hands-on AI capability across legal, accounting, and consulting firms.
All six TESS AI apprenticeship programmes are available to employers in Leeds and across Yorkshire. Each one is delivered live and remotely, so your team trains from the city centre, South Bank, Kirkstall, 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 Leeds. No travel, no disruption to the working week.
For employers who prefer face-to-face, we deliver at your Leeds 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 Leeds employers like ASDA, First Direct, Yorkshire Building Society, Channel 4, and Sky Betting. TESS Group delivers remotely across Leeds and Yorkshire, 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 Leeds employers via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. There is no requirement for your provider to have a physical office in Leeds. What matters is the quality of training, the qualifications included, and the support your learners receive.
For First Direct, Yorkshire Building Society, and financial operations teams, the AI & Automation Level 4 (ST1512) is ideal for traders, risk managers, and operations staff. For Channel 4 and media organisations, the AI for Leaders & Managers Level 4 builds strategic capability for senior leadership teams overseeing AI transformation in content and production.
Absolutely. Because training is delivered live online, team members across Leeds city centre, South Bank, Kirkstall, Headingley, and anywhere else in Yorkshire can join the same cohort. This is ideal for large employers like ASDA or banks with multiple Leeds locations who want cohort consistency and shared learning.
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 have specific experience delivering to media and broadcasting employers, so we understand the production calendars and content team structures.
Whether you want to pilot with one or two people or roll out across a team, we'll build the right approach for your Leeds 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 Leeds operation. We'll tailor the programme to your sector and business goals.
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