Major changes to apprenticeship funding from April 2026. Understand the new rules and what they mean for your organisation.
Learn More →Liverpool is the fastest-growing tech economy in the North West with 3,500+ digital businesses and a 2 billion pound creative and digital sector. TESS Group delivers levy-funded AI apprenticeships directly to Liverpool teams, with no travel required.
Liverpool is experiencing a digital renaissance. The Port of Liverpool is undergoing AI-enabled automation of cargo handling and supply chain operations. Peel Ports operates cutting-edge maritime logistics infrastructure. Manufacturing hasn't left Liverpool, it's evolved, with Unilever at Port Sunlight and Jaguar Land Rover at Halewood integrating AI into production. The Baltic Triangle is home to hundreds of creative and digital startups. Liverpool ONE and Knowledge Quarter are attracting talent and capital. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's devolution powers are fuelling innovation investment.
The Freeport status accelerates this transition. Maritime and logistics leaders are racing to adopt AI for vessel tracking, predictive maintenance, autonomous handling, and supply chain optimisation. Manufacturing teams need engineers who understand ML for quality control and process optimisation. Retail and leisure operators at Liverpool ONE need analytics and customer AI. Healthcare trusts and creative studios need staff who can work with AI tools confidently. Yet Liverpool's talent pool hasn't scaled to match this demand.
AI apprenticeships let Liverpool 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 Baltic Triangle, Pier Head, Speke, Birkenhead, and beyond can train together online with no travel disruption.
Liverpool's economy spans maritime and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and leisure, creative and digital. Here's how AI apprenticeships apply across the city's key industries.
Liverpool's Freeport status and maritime heritage are driving AI adoption in vessel tracking, autonomous cargo handling, and supply chain optimisation. Apprenticeships help logistics managers, operations teams, and maritime planners deploy AI for efficiency and automation.
Liverpool remains a manufacturing centre with Unilever at Port Sunlight and JLR at Halewood leading AI adoption. Apprenticeships help production managers, engineers, and quality teams use predictive maintenance, AI-powered analytics, and smart automation.
Liverpool's hospitals and health trusts are early adopters of AI in clinical and operational contexts. Apprenticeships help clinicians, managers, and administrators deploy AI responsibly for diagnostics, patient administration, and healthcare delivery.
Liverpool ONE and the retail sector need teams who can use AI for customer analytics, inventory optimisation, and experience personalisation. Apprenticeships help retail managers, merchandisers, and customer operations teams leverage AI at scale.
Liverpool's Baltic Triangle and creative quarter host hundreds of digital-native and creative companies. Apprenticeships help product teams, designers, content creators, and operations staff use generative AI tools and build AI-powered offerings.
Liverpool's financial services sector is adopting AI for customer engagement, risk assessment, and operations optimisation. Apprenticeships help banking teams, analysts, and managers deploy AI for compliance, customer experience, and business intelligence.
All six TESS AI apprenticeship programmes are available to employers in Liverpool and across Merseyside. Each one is delivered live and remotely, so your team trains from Baltic Triangle, Pier Head, Liverpool ONE, 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 Liverpool. No travel, no disruption to the working week.
For employers who prefer face-to-face, we deliver at your Liverpool 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 Liverpool employers like Unilever, Jaguar Land Rover Halewood, and Peel Ports. TESS Group delivers remotely across Liverpool and Merseyside, 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 Liverpool employers via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. There is no requirement for your provider to have a physical office in Liverpool. What matters is the quality of training, the qualifications included, and the support your learners receive.
For Port of Liverpool, Peel Ports, and maritime logistics teams, the AI for Operations Leaders Level 4 and AI & Automation Level 4 are the strongest fits. They cover supply chain optimisation, process automation, logistics analytics, and autonomous systems. For port directors and maritime leaders, the AI for Leaders & Managers Level 4 builds strategic capability for Freeport AI adoption.
Absolutely. Because training is delivered live online, team members across Liverpool city centre, Speke, Halewood, Birkenhead, and anywhere else in Merseyside can join the same cohort. This is ideal for large employers like Unilever and JLR with multiple Liverpool and regional locations.
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 maritime and logistics employers, so we understand Freeport dynamics and port operations.
Whether you want to pilot with one or two people or roll out across a team, we'll build the right approach for your Liverpool 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 Liverpool operation. We'll tailor the programme to your sector and business goals.
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