ST1512 apprenticeship FAQ: funding, length, eligibility and who it suits.

Every figure checked on 14 October 2026 against the GOV.UK funding policy (29 July 2026), the 2026 to 2027 funding rules (version 3) and the Skills England standard page.

For the full programme, modules, qualifications and booking, go to the main AI and Automation Practitioner Level 4 page. For what the standard contains and how to choose a provider, read the definitive guide. This page is for the questions that come after those: how long, how much, who, and when.

ST1512 at a glance: the key facts

What is ST1512? The basics

What is ST1512?

ST1512 is the reference code for the Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation practitioner apprenticeship standard, published by Skills England. It is a Level 4 standard. Skills England describes the occupation as "identifying, designing, and delivering practical improvements in how work gets done across business functions, using AI and automation". If you want to know what the person doing that job looks like, our role guide covers it.

Which version is current?

Version 2.1. The Skills England version log shows v2.1 ("Assessment plan revised") applying to starts from 22 May 2026, with version 2.0 covering starts from 10 December 2025 to 21 May 2026. The change was to the assessment plan; we wrote up what changed in ST1512 v2.1 if you want the detail.

How long is the AI automation apprenticeship?

How long does ST1512 take at TESS?

Our standard route is 12 months of live online training, then a 3-month end-point assessment (EPA) window: 15 months in all. There is also an 8-month fast-track, run as a closed cohort for an employer's own team, followed by the same 3-month EPA window.

Why does Skills England say 18 months?

Skills England lists a typical duration of 18 months for the standard. That is a guide for the standard as a whole, not a fixed length for every provider. The funding rules set the floor: the practical period must last at least 8 months after relevant prior learning and experience have been taken into account, and the EPA can only be taken once that minimum has been met.

How many off-the-job training hours are required?

From August 2026 the minimum volume of off-the-job training is published on the front of each standard rather than calculated from duration. For ST1512, Skills England publishes 420 hours for an apprentice with no relevant prior learning. A provider can plan more, and can only plan fewer where the initial assessment evidences prior learning. At TESS that time is made up of one live online workshop a month, project work in the apprentice's own role, and support from Coachy, our Claude-powered AI tutor, between sessions. Standalone English and maths, where required, sit on top of the 420.

When is the next start?

The next open cohort inductions are Monday 26 October 2026, Friday 20 November 2026, Monday 14 December 2026 and Monday 25 January 2027, all online, with one live workshop a month after induction. Allow around four weeks before an induction for the enrolment form, skills scan, apprenticeship agreement and employer approval. Places are held by booking a call, and the programme page carries the latest dates as further cohorts are confirmed.

ST1512 apprenticeship funding: who pays what from 1 August 2026

This is where most of the questions come in, because the rules changed for starts from 1 August 2026. All of the figures below come from the GOV.UK apprenticeship funding policy for starts from 1 August 2026 (updated 29 July 2026) and the 2026 to 2027 funding rules. They apply in England.

What is the ST1512 funding band?

£18,000. That is the maximum government will contribute, or a levy payer can spend from their account, towards training and assessment for one apprentice. The band includes end-point assessment. Any agreed cost above the band is paid by the employer, but at TESS the programme sits within the band.

We pay the levy. What do we pay?

If you have enough funds in your apprenticeship service account, the cost comes from your levy funds, so there is no cash contribution from you. Two things changed from August 2026: levy funds now expire after 12 months rather than 24, for new funds entering accounts from August 2026 (funds already in accounts before then keep the 24-month expiry), and the automatic 10% top-up to levy funds has been removed. If you have been sitting on a balance, the clock is shorter than it was; our levy underspend guide explains what to do about it.

What if our levy funds run out?

For apprentices aged 25 or over at the start, government pays 75% and you pay 25% of the agreed price, up to the band. On the full £18,000 band that is £4,500. For apprentices aged 16 to 24 at the start, government now funds all of the training and assessment cost, up to the band. This was announced in June and July 2026 and applies to starts from 1 August 2026.

We do not pay the levy. What do we pay?

For apprentices aged 25 or over at the start, government pays 95% and you pay 5%. On the full £18,000 band that is £900. For apprentices aged 16 to 24 at the start, government pays all of it, up to the band. You pay nothing.

Is there any extra money for employers?

Possibly, and the payments stack. From the GOV.UK policy:

• Hiring payment (non-levy employers): up to £2,000, paid in instalments, for a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 whose practical period starts on or after 1 October 2026, who is on the PAYE scheme linked to your apprenticeship service account, and who has not been employed by you for more than 90 days before the start.
• £1,000 additional employer payment for apprentices aged 16 to 18, or 19 to 24 with an education, health and care plan or who are or have been in care. Paid in two equal instalments.

These are paid through the training provider and do not come out of your levy account. The full picture of what can be claimed together, including the DWP Youth Jobs Grant, is in our £8,000 stack guide. Check eligibility for your apprentice before planning around any of them.

Can we use levy transfer funds?

Yes. Levy payers can transfer up to 50% of their annual funds to other employers, and a receiving employer can use those funds for ST1512 up to the band. If you are a smaller business, a larger employer in your supply chain or a local pledge may be able to fund it.

Does the apprentice ever pay?

No. Apprenticeship funding is for the employer and provider. The apprentice does not pay for their training.

Do you need to code? No. What ST1512 apprentices actually learn

Do apprentices need to code?

No. At TESS, apprentices build with no-code and low-code tools such as Copilot Studio, Gemini, Power Automate, Make and Zapier. The programme is designed for people in HR, finance, operations, marketing, sales, admin and similar roles.

So what do they actually learn?

Prompting, process mapping, workflow automation, building AI agents, integration and safety, data protection, responsible AI, piloting and testing, and leading adoption. Each stage produces something real in the apprentice's own job. The full module list is on the programme page.

How is it assessed?

At TESS, end-point assessment is with NQual, an Ofqual-recognised assessment organisation approved for ST1512, with 1st for Awarding and BCS also available if an employer prefers. There are two parts: a workplace project (a written report, or a presentation with questions) and a professional discussion with the assessor. It is graded Pass or Distinction.

ST1512 eligibility: who can do it

Who is eligible for ST1512 funding?

From the GOV.UK policy and funding rules, the main conditions are that the apprentice is employed, with an apprenticeship agreement in place for the full duration; their main place of work is in England, meaning they spend 50% or more of their time there, wherever they live; they have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration; and the apprenticeship gives them significant new skills, with content materially different from anything they have already done. People with existing degrees or other qualifications can still be eligible on that test. The provider checks all of this through an initial assessment.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own apprenticeship arrangements, so the funding above applies to apprentices working in England.

Are there entry requirements?

The ST1512 standard itself sets none. Skills England's entry for the standard leaves the entry requirements field blank, so there is no prior qualification you have to hold. What the standard does say is that English and maths must be handled in line with the funding rules, and those rules depend on age. An apprentice aged 16 to 18 at the start who does not already hold GCSE grade 4 (or equivalent) in English and maths must study towards them as part of the programme. An apprentice aged 19 or over without them can study towards them, funded, if the employer agrees, but it is optional. Most ST1512 apprentices are adults already in work, so for most employers this is not a factor.

Can existing staff do it, or only new hires?

Existing staff can do it. Most of our apprentices are already employed in the role where they will use the skills. The non-levy hiring payment is only for new hires aged 16 to 24, but the apprenticeship itself is open to existing staff.

Is there an age limit?

There is no upper age limit for apprenticeships. Age matters for funding, because it changes the employer contribution, as set out above.

How much time do apprentices need away from their day job?

Apprentices get protected off-the-job training time, at least the 420 hours Skills England publishes for the standard across the practical period. At TESS that includes one live online workshop a month, with project work and support from Coachy between sessions. The funding rules also require the employer to allow the apprentice to complete the apprenticeship within their normal working hours.

Who ST1512 suits, and who it does not

Who is ST1512 best for?

It suits people who work in a non-technical role and want to use AI properly, not just occasionally; who are already the "AI person" in their team, informally; who can see repetitive processes that should be automated; and who have a manager who will back them with time and a real problem to work on. It is less suited to someone who wants to become a software developer or data scientist. ST1512 is about applying AI and automation to business work, not building AI models.

Which teams use it?

Every department. We run it for operations, HR and L&D, finance, marketing, sales and customer service, admin and PAs, and compliance. There are also editions focused on HR and L&D, marketing and finance, and on Claude, Copilot and Gemini.

Sources: GOV.UK, Apprenticeship funding, policy for new starts from 1 August 2026, updated 29 July 2026 (co-investment rates, levy expiry, top-up removal, transfers, additional and hiring payments, eligibility); GOV.UK, Apprenticeship funding rules 2026 to 2027, version 3 (paragraphs 47 on English and maths, 77 on the 8-month minimum practical period, 85 and 86 on off-the-job hours); Skills England, Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation practitioner, ST1512 v2.1 (version log, typical duration, funding band, 420 minimum off-the-job hours, no entry requirements set). Cohort dates and assessment arrangements from the TESS Group programme page, checked 14 October 2026. TESS Group delivers ST1512 and has a commercial interest in employers choosing it.