Why this exists
The 2023 NHS Long Term Workforce Plan made a clear commitment: grow the workforce, grow apprenticeships, and grow the digital and AI capability of NHS staff. The 2025 NHS England AI strategy reinforced it: every Trust needs people who can work confidently with AI-augmented systems, interpret data outputs, manage AI-enabled workflows, and govern the use of AI tools responsibly.
None of those skills are clinical. They sit in the management, workforce, BI, digital, and operational roles that already exist in every Trust. The challenge isn't recruitment — it's capability uplift inside the existing headcount.
The apprenticeship levy is the funded route to do that. Levy you've already paid that's sitting idle in your DAS account can pay for it. And apprenticeships count toward the Long Term Workforce Plan growth commitments, so the spend serves two policy objectives at once.
How this fits NHS strategic priorities
Long Term Workforce Plan
Counts as apprenticeship growth and internal-mobility activity. Fits the commitment to expand apprenticeship numbers and broaden skill mix.
NHS AI Strategy
Builds AI literacy in non-clinical and informatics roles — directly addresses the "AI-capable workforce" objective.
Levy efficiency
Spends levy that would otherwise expire under the 24-month rule. Two-Trust ICB-level pooling is also possible.
Federated Data Platform readiness
Equips staff to work with the data, dashboards and AI outputs the FDP rollout produces. Reduces dependence on external consultancy.
Realistic use cases in a Trust
Workforce team
Workforce officers, ESR data analysts and recruitment coordinators using AI to forecast vacancies, parse JD-applicant fit, and automate routine reporting.
AI for Team Leaders L4 →Operations & flow
Patient flow coordinators, bed managers and operational managers using AI-augmented dashboards, predictive demand models, and automated escalation workflows.
AI for Operations Leaders L4 →Business Intelligence
BI analysts moving from descriptive Tableau/Power BI work into predictive analytics and natural-language data interrogation. Federated Data Platform-ready skills.
Data Analyst L4 →L&D & OD
Internal coaches and L&D partners building AI-augmented coaching capacity for the rest of the Trust. Same population the CIPD development pathways target, plus AI fluency.
AI for Coaching Professionals L4 →Service improvement
QI leads, transformation managers and band 7-8 improvement specialists with AI in their toolkit for redesigning pathways and modelling change.
Improvement Specialist L5 →Senior leaders
Band 8a-8d managers and directors stepping into AI-enabled strategy roles. MBA-equivalent senior leader apprenticeship with AI specialism.
Senior Leader L7 →Delivery realities we've already solved
Shift patterns
Off-the-job training is delivered through a mix of live virtual sessions and recorded modules. Live sessions are scheduled across multiple weekly slots including evenings and weekends where rotating-shift cohorts need them. Apprentices on bank or rotating contracts have flexible scheduling baked into their personal plan.
Information governance & data
Our programme materials don't require any patient data to be used. Where apprentices want to apply AI techniques to Trust data, we work with the Trust's IG team to confirm boundaries, and all on-the-job work uses anonymised or non-clinical data sets.
NHS-specific examples
Coursework, case studies and the AI tool exercises are drawn from NHS realities — not generic corporate examples. Our learners report this is one of the most important factors in keeping engagement high.
Reporting that fits ESR
Progress reporting integrates with ESR (the Electronic Staff Record) and the Trust's L&D system. Monthly progress, attendance, and KSB attainment reports are available in formats that go straight into Trust workforce dashboards.
What a 20-minute call with us covers
- Your levy position — what's in your DAS account, what's expiring in the next 12 months, what's spendable.
- Strategic alignment — how AI apprenticeships count toward your Long Term Workforce Plan and AI strategy commitments at Board reporting time.
- Population fit — which staff groups are the best starting cohort and which programmes match their roles.
- Mobilisation timeline — how fast we can have learners on programme. Typically 6–8 weeks for a first cohort.
- Pooling options — if you're part of an ICB or Trust group, whether levy transfer or pooled commissioning would work better than single-Trust delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have current NHS Trust clients?
Yes. We deliver into acute Trusts, mental health Trusts, community providers and ICBs across England. We'll share named references on the discovery call if you'd like to speak to a Trust workforce lead before committing.
Can we run this through existing Trust frameworks?
Yes. TESS Group is on the relevant apprenticeship frameworks. Apprenticeship service commitments go through your DAS account directly so additional procurement isn't usually required.
How does this work alongside our LMS and ESR?
We deliver through our own learning platform with single sign-on options where Trust IT allows it. Progress data exports cleanly into ESR and to whatever LMS your L&D team uses (we've integrated with the main ones).
What if our population is clinical, not management?
The AI apprenticeship route works best for non-clinical and informatics roles. Clinical apprenticeships (e.g. Nursing Associate, Physiotherapy Apprentice) are a different track and we'd direct you to specialist clinical apprenticeship providers for those. If you have clinical staff in informatics or transformation roles, AI apprenticeships fit them well.