TESS Group named a double finalist at the British Training Awards 2026.

TESS Group has been named a finalist in two categories at the British Training Awards 2026, one of the UK’s most competitive celebrations of workplace learning and development.

We have been shortlisted for Retraining/Upskilling Initiative of the Year and AI in Learning Initiative of the Year — the latter sponsored by Multiverse. Both nominations recognise our flagship AI & Automation Level 4 Apprenticeship, a fully levy-funded programme that turns working professionals into confident, productive users of AI and automation.

The double shortlisting comes in a record-breaking year for the awards, which received 423 entries from organisations across the UK — the highest in the programme’s history. Winners will be announced on Wednesday 15 July 2026 at the Grand Hall of the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, London.

Plenty of providers added an “AI module” in 2026. The AI in Learning judges were looking for something harder to copy: a programme that changes how people actually work, with outcomes to prove it. That is where our AI & Automation Level 4 Apprenticeship earned its place.

Three things separate it from a generic AI course:

The proof is in the grades. 72% of our learners achieve a Distinction — more than double the UK national apprenticeship average of around 33%. That gap, on a programme built entirely around applied AI, is the substance behind both nominations.

The nominations did not come from a pilot. They come from delivering this programme to the kind of organisations that demand evidence — including Trinity College, Papa Johns, what3words and Sunbelt Rentals. You can read more on our client results page.

Every employer is facing the same question in 2026: how do you get a workforce that is genuinely capable with AI, fast, without losing the people you already have? Generic short courses create awareness but rarely change behaviour. Hiring specialists is slow and expensive. Retraining and upskilling existing staff through a funded, high-success apprenticeship is the route that actually moves the needle — and the clock is ticking, with levy funds now expiring 12 months after they land.

That is the bigger story behind this shortlisting: a practical, high-distinction programme that turns the AI shift from a threat into capability. Rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted (June 2025) and among the first approved providers for the new wave of AI apprenticeships and AI Leadership Units, TESS Group was built for exactly this moment.

Nate Harwood, Founder of New Possible and the British Training Awards, said: “Investment in learning and development is non-negotiable for organisations to succeed in 2026. As we navigate a profound industrial shift, those equipping their people with new skills are actively building tomorrow’s economy. The British Training Awards celebrate the visionary teams and individuals driving this transformation. Congratulations to all our Finalists.”

Lisa O’Reilly, Director and Co-owner of TESS Group, added: “What makes this special is that the results are real — learners applying AI to live business problems from week one, and employers seeing productivity gains they can measure. To be named a finalist alongside some of the biggest names in British business shows what a specialist, ambitious provider can achieve.”

The full finalist list is published by New Possible, and the release also features on Pressat.