TESS Group
Programme brochure
2026 / 27 intake
Level 4 Apprenticeship · ST1512 · CMI Level 3 included

AI for Team
Leaders.

The ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship for people who lead teams. Alongside it, TESS includes six first-line leadership workshops and a CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership. A strong option for employers who used the defunded Team Leader Level 3 (ST0384).

3
Premium qualifications
included
15mo
Delivery
+ Gateway & EPA
100%
Apprenticeship
Levy funded
4.9★
776+ verified
reviews
★CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership: chartered, included
86 first-line leadership workshops: included by TESS alongside the apprenticeship
1112 AI & Automation modules: ST1512 curriculum
MMicrosoft AB-730 AI Business Professional
NNCFE Level 3 AI Prompt Mastery: TESS exclusive
AICoachy AI tutor: 24/7, included
★ Book a discovery call
Develop your team leaders for the AI era.
30 minutes to scope your cohort. 100% Levy-funded, no out-of-pocket cost.
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Awarding partners Ofsted Good CMI BCS NCFE Microsoft Copilot
tessgroup.co.uk
0333 0523 003 · info@thetessgroup.com
AI for Team LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L3 · ST1512
Why this · Why now
The AI apprenticeship, with leadership development alongside

AI fluency for team leaders. Leadership workshops alongside.

The funded apprenticeship is the ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4: the AI & automation modules, a workplace project and the end-point assessment. Alongside it, TESS includes six first-line leadership workshops, a formal CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership and Coachy your AI tutor, at no extra cost. The workshops and CMI sit outside the apprenticeship and its off-the-job hours.

Included by TESS alongside the apprenticeship

AI for Team Leaders L4 + CMI L3

6 first-line leadership workshops · delivered across 3 intensive days
  1. First-Line Leadership Foundations
  2. Managing People & Performance
  3. Communication & Difficult Conversations
  4. Supporting Teams Through Change ★ CMI
  5. Decision-Making & Problem-Solving
  6. Building High-Performing Teams
Plus The ST1512 apprenticeship: the AI & automation modules · CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership (included alongside) · Microsoft AB-730 · NCFE Level 3 AI Prompt · Coachy AI tutor

Why this beats a standalone leadership course

01
AI fluency built in: the biggest capability gap in first-line management today.
02
Leadership development continues: six workshops included by TESS alongside the apprenticeship.
03
CMI Level 3 included: chartered, portable, lifetime.
04
Coachy AI tutor 24/7: 1:1 prep & CMI L3 help on demand.
05
Live ST1512 funding: no procurement disruption.
06
72% distinction rate across TESS: measurably stronger team leaders.
AI for Team LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L3 · ST1512
What's included · The stack
The Stack

Three premium qualifications. All included.

The apprenticeship is the ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 standard. On top, TESS includes a curated stack of qualifications, all included. No extra cost. No separate enrolments. No add-on fees.

Leadership extra · Included by TESS

CMI Level 3 Award in Management & Leadership

The gold-standard first-line leadership credential. Apprentices complete the formal CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership assignment: the most natural companion to an AI programme, addressing how to introduce AI into teams and operations. Chartered, portable, lifetime: stays on the CV.

Level 3 Unit 514 · Formally assessed Chartered Mgmt Institute
Included

NCFE Level 3 CQ in AI Prompt Mastery

Bespoke TESS qualification. Master prompt engineering across ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini and Claude. Apply prompts to team performance reviews, 1:1s, rotas and reporting and operational decisions.

Level 3 CQ TESS exclusive
Included

Microsoft AB-730 AI Business Professional

Microsoft's globally recognised credential. Demonstrates proficiency in Copilot, generative AI tools and enterprise AI adoption. The badge that travels with your team leader on LinkedIn and into every boardroom.

Professional AB-730
High Achievers

BCS Foundation Certificate in AI

For top-performing learners. Covers AI ethics, governance, responsible deployment and generative AI: SFIA 3–4 equivalent. Doubles as End Point Assessment preparation.

Foundation Stretch goal
Coachy
Plus · Included with every learner

Coachy, your AI tutor, 24/7.

Scoped to the ST1512 standard, EPA-safe by design. Ask questions about decision frameworks, change models, the CMI L3 assignment or board-prep: any time, mobile or desktop.

AI for Team LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L3 · ST1512
The leadership workshops
Leadership workshops · included alongside the apprenticeship

Six workshops. Three intensive days.

Six first-line leadership workshops delivered live over 3 intensive days, separately from the apprenticeship and outside its off-the-job hours. The newly promoted supervisor's leadership toolkit, with the CMI Level 3 assignment included. Included by TESS at no extra cost.

Day 1 Foundations

Stepping up to lead

From doing to leading
  • W1 · First-Line Leadership Foundations
  • W2 · Managing People & Performance
Day 2 People

Lead the conversations

Communication + change · CMI L3
  • W3 · Communication & Difficult Conversations
  • W4 · Supporting Teams Through Change ★ CMI
Day 3 Delivery

Deliver as a team

Decisions & high-performing teams
  • W5 · Decision-Making & Problem-Solving
  • W6 · Building High-Performing Teams
W1 Day 1 · Foundations

First-Line Leadership Foundations

  • The shift from doing to leading
  • Your leadership style & blind spots
  • Setting expectations that stick
  • Earning authority, not demanding it
  • The first-line leader's daily rhythm
W2 Day 1 · People

Managing People & Performance

  • 1:1s that earn the team's trust
  • SMART goals that compound output
  • Tackling underperformance early
  • Recognition that actually motivates
  • Performance conversations without dread
W3 Day 2 · Communication

Communication & Difficult Conversations

  • Structured feedback that lands
  • Handling conflict on the team
  • Cascading messages without dilution
  • Active listening under pressure
  • The conversation you've been avoiding
W4 Day 2 · ★ CMI L3

Supporting Teams Through Change

  • Why change fails on the frontline
  • Kotter, ADKAR & Bridges' Transitions
  • Spotting resistance early
  • Sustaining change after launch
  • The formal CMI Level 3 assignment
W5 Day 3 · Decisions

Decision-Making & Problem-Solving

  • Root-cause tools that work on the floor
  • Decision gates: act, escalate, wait
  • Data-informed calls, not gut alone
  • Involving the team without dithering
  • Owning the outcome
W6 Day 3 · Teams

Building High-Performing Teams

  • Tuckman + Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions
  • Psychological safety in practice
  • Spotting capability gaps fast
  • Developing your successors
  • Measuring team health holistically
AI for Team LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L3 · ST1512
AI curriculum · Delivery
AI & Automation curriculum

The 11 AI modules. ST1512 standard.

The official ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 curriculum: 11 KSB-aligned modules delivered across 15 months. The six leadership workshops above are delivered separately and included by TESS on top of this, outside the apprenticeship's off-the-job hours.

00

Onboarding & AI Diagnostic

01

AI Foundations

02

Process Discovery

03

Workflow Automation

04

Agentic AI

05

AI Integration & Assurance

06

Data, Decisions & Data Law

07

Designing Responsible AI

08

Pilot, Test & Assure

09

Leading AI Adoption

10

AI Strategy, Scaling & Value

11

Applied AI Mastery

Coachy: included

Your AI tutor, 24/7.

Scoped to the ST1512 standard, EPA-safe by design. Apprentices can ask Coachy about decision frameworks, change models, the CMI L3 assignment or board-prep: any time. Mobile and desktop.

Coachy
1

Named Skills Coach

Fortnightly 1:1 mentoring across 15 months.

2

OneFile Portfolio

Evidence collection & gateway readiness.

3

Peer Cohort

Group learning + EPA prep tutors.

4

Live Workshops

Zoom or Teams · monthly intakes.

77%
Faster workflow cycle times via AI
15%
Operating cost reduction
35%
Forecast accuracy improvement
72%
Distinction rate across TESS
AI for Team LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L3 · ST1512
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How TESS compares

The only programme of its kind in the UK.

The only UK provider combining a CMI Level 3 Award in Management & Leadership with the live ST1512 AI & Automation apprenticeship. First-line leadership and hands-on AI, in one Levy-funded programme.

What you get TESS
AI for Ops Leaders L4 + CMI L3		 Generic management
apprenticeship		 Typical AI
provider
CMI Level 3 Award in Management & Leadership✓Partial✗
8 deep leadership modules across 4 days✓✓✗
AI & Automation curriculum (12 modules)✓✗Partial
Microsoft AB-730 + NCFE L3 AI Prompt✓✗✗
Workplace AI project: board-ready ROI✓Partial✗
Coachy AI tutor: 24/7, included✓✗✗
Levy-funded (Sep 2026 onwards)✓✓✓
Funding band
£18,000
100% drawn from the Apprenticeship Levy. SMEs: 95–100% government co-investment.
  • Levy payers: £0 out-of-pocket. Cost drawn from your monthly Levy.
  • SMEs (under £3M wage bill): 95–100% DfE co-investment.
  • All qualifications included: CMI L3 + NCFE L3 + Microsoft AB-730 + BCS Foundation.
  • No transition cost: moves directly from Ops Manager L5 plans onto a live standard.
Ready when you are

Book a discovery call with TESS.

No obligation. We'll walk you through how the programme works for your teams, your sector and your Levy.

0333 0523 003 · info@thetessgroup.com
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