TESS Group
Programme brochure
2026 / 27 intake
Level 4 Apprenticeship · ST1512 · CMI Level 5 included

AI for Operations
Leaders.

The ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship for people who run functions. Alongside it, TESS includes eight leadership workshops and a CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership. A strong option for employers who used the defunded Operations / Departmental Manager Level 5 (ST0385).

3
Premium qualifications
included
15mo
Delivery
+ Gateway & EPA
100%
Apprenticeship
Levy funded
4.9★
776+ verified
reviews
★CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership: Unit 514 Managing Change
88 leadership workshops across 4 intensive days: 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 operations 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 Operations LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L5 · ST1512
Why this · Why now
The AI apprenticeship, with leadership development alongside

AI fluency for operations 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 eight leadership workshops across 4 intensive days, a formal CMI Level 5 Award 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 Operations Leaders L4 + CMI L5

8 leadership workshops · delivered separately across 4 intensive days
  1. Managing Professional Development & Self-Awareness
  2. Strategic Planning & Decision Making
  3. Coaching, Mentoring & Performance
  4. Leading & Developing High-Performing Teams
  5. Communication, Culture & Stakeholder Influence
  6. Managing Change: CMI 514 ★ CMI
  7. Project Delivery & Sustainability
  8. Governance, Sector Awareness & External Factors
Plus 12 AI modules · CMI Level 5 Award · Microsoft AB-730 · NCFE Level 3 AI Prompt · Coachy AI tutor

Why employers who used Operations Manager L5 choose this

01
AI fluency built in: the biggest capability gap in middle management today.
02
Leadership development continues: eight workshops included by TESS alongside the apprenticeship.
03
CMI Level 5 Award included: chartered, portable, lifetime.
04
Coachy AI tutor 24/7: board-prep & CMI 514 help on demand.
05
Live ST1512 funding: no procurement disruption.
06
72% distinction rate across TESS: measurably stronger managers.
AI for Operations LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L5 · 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 5 Award in Management & Leadership

The gold-standard credential for middle managers. Apprentices complete the formal CMI assignment for unit 514 Managing Change: 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 5 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 forecasting, supply-chain analysis, board reporting and operational decisions.

Level 3 CQ TESS exclusive
Included

Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional

Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional, earned by passing Exam AB-730. It shows proficiency in Copilot, generative AI tools and enterprise AI adoption. The badge that travels with your operations 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 514 assignment or board-prep: any time, mobile or desktop.

AI for Operations LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L5 · ST1512
The leadership workshops
Leadership workshops · included alongside the apprenticeship

Eight workshops. Four intensive days.

Two paired leadership workshops per day: immersive, themed, efficient. Eight leadership workshops delivered across 4 dedicated leadership days, separately from the apprenticeship and outside its off-the-job hours. Maximum depth, minimum time off the desk.

Day 1 Foundations

Who you are as a leader

Self-awareness, CPD & strategy
  • LM1 · Professional Development & Self-Awareness
  • LM2 · Strategic Planning & Decision Making
Day 2 People

Build the team that delivers

Coaching, mentoring & succession
  • LM3 · Coaching, Mentoring & Performance
  • LM4 · Leading High-Performing Teams
Day 3 Mastery ★ CMI

Influence & change

Stakeholders + CMI 514 assignment
  • LM5 · Communication, Culture & Influence
  • LM6 · Managing Change: CMI 514
Day 4 Delivery

Deliver through complexity

Projects, sustainability & governance
  • LM7 · Project Delivery & Sustainability
  • LM8 · Governance, Sector & External Factors
LM1 Day 1 · Foundations

Professional Development & Self-Awareness

  • Strengths, blind spots, derailers
  • Johari Window & 360° feedback
  • CPD that compounds over time
  • Energy, focus, resilience
  • Reflective practice that drives change
LM2 Day 1 · Strategy

Strategic Planning & Decision Making

  • OGSM framework for ops planning
  • RACI, RAPID, OODA, Eisenhower
  • Defensible business cases
  • Pilot, scale, kill: decision gates
  • Leave with: your 90-day plan
LM3 Day 2 · People

Coaching, Mentoring & Performance

  • Coaching vs mentoring vs managing
  • GROW model in practice
  • SMART goals that compound output
  • 1:1s that earn the team's trust
  • Tackle underperformance early
LM4 Day 2 · People

Leading High-Performing Teams

  • Tuckman + Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions
  • Psychological safety in practice
  • Spot capability gaps in 60 seconds
  • Identify 3 successors, stretch plan
  • Measure team health holistically
LM5 Day 3 · Influence

Communication, Culture & Influence

  • 7-slide executive briefing
  • Frame for CEO/CFO/COO/CHRO
  • Manager cascade that doesn't dilute
  • Influence without formal authority
  • Shape culture deliberately
LM6 Day 3 · ★ CMI 514

Managing Change: CMI 514

  • Kotter, ADKAR, Bridges' Transitions
  • Map change impact across stakeholders
  • Resistance signals managers miss
  • Sustain change after launch
  • Earn the CMI L5 Award credential
LM7 Day 4 · Delivery

Project Delivery & Sustainability

  • Waterfall, Agile, hybrid: when each
  • Estimating & stage-gating
  • Risk heat-maps & mitigation
  • ESG & sustainability in delivery
  • Benefits realisation post-close
LM8 Day 4 · Delivery

Governance, Sector & External Factors

  • Professional ethics & accountability
  • Governance frameworks across sectors
  • PESTLE + Porter's 5 Forces
  • Sector AI maturity & regulation
  • Horizon-scan briefing for your CEO
AI for Operations LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L5 · 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 eight 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 514 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 Operations LeadersLevel 4 + CMI L5 · ST1512
Compare · Invest · Book
How TESS compares

The only programme of its kind in the UK.

The only UK provider combining a CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership with the live ST1512 AI & Automation apprenticeship. Operations leadership and hands-on AI, in one Levy-funded programme.

What you get TESS
AI for Ops Leaders L4 + CMI L5		 Generic management
apprenticeship		 Typical AI
provider
CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership✓Partial✗
8 leadership workshops across 4 days, included alongside✓✓✗
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 L5 + 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 30-min Teams chat with TESS.

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

0333 0523 003 · info@thetessgroup.com
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