In seven days, the new Growth and Skills Levy rules go live. Your levy pot now expires in 12 months — half the time you had before. The 10% top-up is gone. And if your funds run out mid-year, co-investment jumps from 5% to 25%.
If you're an HR director, L&D manager, or finance lead sitting on unspent levy, this is the week to act. Not next quarter. This week.
Here's why AI apprenticeships are the single best way to deploy your levy right now — and the real ROI employers are seeing.
Your Levy Is Real Money. And It's Disappearing.
Let's make this concrete. If your payroll is £5 million, you're paying roughly £10,000 per year into the levy. At £10 million payroll, that's £35,000. At £50 million, it's £235,000.
Under the old rules, you had 24 months to spend it. Under the new Growth and Skills Levy, you have 12. That's half the runway to deploy funds before they vanish back to the Treasury.
£3.3 billion in levy funds went unspent in 2024/25 — that's real employer money returned to the Treasury unused. Under the new 12-month expiry, employers who don't plan ahead will lose funds even faster. Don't be part of that statistic.
The good news: you don't need to spend months planning. AI apprenticeships start within 4-6 weeks, they're fully funded, and they deliver measurable business impact from month one.
Why AI Apprenticeships? The ROI Case.
AI apprenticeships aren't about turning your finance team into software engineers. They're about teaching every department to work smarter using AI tools that already exist — Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, automation platforms, data analysis tools.
The results are measurable and they come fast:
| Metric | Typical Impact | Where It Shows Up |
|---|---|---|
| Task completion speed | Up to 77% faster | Report writing, data analysis, email drafting |
| Overall productivity | 30-40% improvement | Cross-department workflow efficiency |
| Error reduction | Significant decrease | Data handling, compliance documentation |
| Decision speed | Faster, data-informed | Strategy meetings, resource allocation |
| Employee confidence | Measurable uplift | Adoption of AI tools, reduced resistance to change |
An operations team of 8 people completes a Level 4 AI apprenticeship. Within 3 months, they've automated weekly reporting (saving 6 hours per person per week), improved forecasting accuracy, and reduced manual data entry errors by over 60%. Total levy cost: £0. Total productivity gain: measurable from quarter one.
This isn't theory. These are the outcomes employers are seeing when their teams learn practical, no-code AI skills through structured apprenticeship programmes — not a one-day workshop that gets forgotten by Friday.
Which AI Apprenticeships Should You Start With?
TESS Group delivers five AI apprenticeship programmes, all 100% levy-funded, all delivered via live online sessions nationwide across England. No need to release staff to travel — they learn from their desks.
| Programme | Level | Funding Band | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI & Automation Practitioner | Level 4 | £15,000 | Any department — HR, Finance, Ops, Marketing |
| AI for Operations Leaders | Level 4 | £12,000 | Operations managers and team leads |
| AI for People Leaders | Level 4 | £12,000 | HR directors, people managers, L&D leads |
| AI for Leaders & Managers | Level 4 | £12,000 | Senior leaders driving AI strategy |
| Data Analyst | Level 4 | £15,000 | Analysts, BI teams, data-curious roles |
Every programme includes multiple qualifications (BCS, Microsoft, NCFE), is Ofsted-inspected, and runs as closed cohorts so your team learns together. No coding required for any of them.
Most employers start with the AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 — it's the broadest programme, suits any department, and delivers 4-5 industry qualifications. If you have a specific team in mind (HR, Ops, Senior Leadership), the role-specific programmes give a more tailored curriculum.
The 5 Departments That Benefit Most
AI apprenticeships work across every function, but five departments typically see the fastest, most measurable returns:
HR & People: Automate onboarding workflows, draft policies with AI assistance, analyse workforce data for retention patterns, and streamline recruitment screening. The AI for People Leaders programme is built specifically for this.
Finance: Accelerate month-end reporting, automate invoice reconciliation, build AI-powered forecasting models, and reduce manual data entry. Finance teams typically see the fastest measurable time savings.
Operations: Optimise scheduling, predict maintenance requirements, automate supplier communications, and use AI for quality control analysis. The AI for Operations Leaders programme targets these exact use cases.
Marketing & Communications: Generate content drafts, analyse campaign performance with AI, personalise customer communications at scale, and automate social media scheduling.
Customer Service: Build AI-assisted response templates, analyse complaint patterns, automate routine enquiries, and use sentiment analysis to prioritise escalations.
How It Works: From Discovery Call to Day One
Getting started is straightforward. Here's the typical timeline:
- Week 1: Discovery call. We assess your team's needs, identify the right programme, and confirm levy funding eligibility. Takes 30 minutes.
- Week 2-3: Enrolment. We handle the paperwork — DAS commitments, learner registration, and programme setup. Your HR team provides basic learner details.
- Week 4-6: Programme starts. Your team joins a live online cohort. Sessions run via Zoom or Teams, typically one session per week alongside normal work.
- Ongoing: Measurable progress. Monthly check-ins, practical workplace projects, and qualification milestones throughout the programme.
Total time from first call to your team learning AI skills: 4-6 weeks. Total additional cost to your business: £0 (fully levy-funded).
Your Levy Expires in 12 Months. Let's Use It.
TESS Group is Ofsted Good, rated 4.9/5 from 682+ reviews, and delivers 27+ programmes nationwide via live online sessions. We specialise in AI, data, leadership, and digital skills — all 100% levy-funded.
Book a Free Discovery CallCalculate your levy & see how many apprentices you can fund →
What Makes TESS Group Different
There are plenty of training providers. Here's why employers choose TESS for AI apprenticeships:
Ofsted Good — independently inspected and rated. Not all providers can say this.
100% live online delivery — your staff learn from their desks, anywhere in England. No travel, no venue costs, no disruption. We deliver nationwide via Zoom and Teams.
Multiple qualifications per programme — the AI & Automation Practitioner includes up to 5 qualifications (BCS, Microsoft, NCFE). Your staff don't just learn — they earn recognised certifications.
Practical, not theoretical — every module includes workplace projects. Your team applies what they learn to real business problems in your organisation, not abstract case studies.
Closed cohorts — your team learns together, building shared language and capability. This accelerates adoption across the business far faster than sending individuals to separate courses.
4.9/5 from 682+ reviews — our learners and employers rate us consistently as one of the top apprenticeship providers in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much levy am I losing if I don't use it?
If your payroll exceeds £3 million, you're paying at least £15,000 per year into the levy. Under the new 12-month expiry, any unspent funds disappear after 12 months. That's £15,000+ vanishing every year you don't deploy it — money that could fully fund AI apprenticeships at zero additional cost.
Can I use my levy to fund AI apprenticeships?
Yes. AI apprenticeships are fully levy-eligible at every level. The AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 is funded at up to £15,000 per learner, and the role-specific AI programmes (Operations Leaders, People Leaders, Leaders & Managers) are funded at up to £12,000 each.
Do my staff need technical backgrounds?
No. TESS Group's AI apprenticeships are specifically designed for non-technical professionals. The AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 teaches practical AI skills — prompt engineering, workflow automation, responsible AI — without any coding. It's built for people in HR, finance, operations, marketing, and customer service.
How quickly can I get started?
Most AI apprenticeships can start within 4-6 weeks of commitment. TESS Group runs monthly cohorts delivered via live online sessions nationwide across England. Book a discovery call this week, and your team could be learning by May.
What if I'm not a levy payer?
If your payroll is under £3 million, you can still access AI apprenticeships. The government funds 95% of the cost (rising to 100% for employers with fewer than 50 employees enrolling 16-18 year olds). Your co-investment is just 5% — that's £750 for a £15,000 programme. Read our full levy funding guide for details.
7 Days Until the New Rules Go Live
The Growth and Skills Levy launches on 1 April. Your 12-month countdown starts then. Don't let another quarter pass without deploying your training budget.
Book a Discovery Call TodayFurther Reading
- Apprenticeship Levy Funding Explained: The Complete 2026 Guide
- How to Use Your Levy to Fund AI Training
- Growth and Skills Levy 2026: What's Changed
- 5 Departments That Benefit Most from AI Apprenticeships
- AI Apprenticeships: No Coding Required
- AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 — Full Programme Details