The ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship, built for middle managers, heads of function and newly promoted senior leaders: process discovery, building automations and measuring their impact, no coding. Alongside it, TESS adds eight leadership workshops and a CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership as a complimentary add-on. A strong option for employers who used the Operations / Departmental Manager Level 5. 100% levy-funded.
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The Operations or Departmental Manager Level 5 apprenticeship lost its funding for new starts in September 2026. TESS Group, which achieved a 90% achievement rate on it in 2024/25 (DfE published figure, 18 of 20 learners, against 66.4% nationally), now offers AI for Operations Leaders to the same employers: the Level 4 AI and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship (ST1512), with a CMI Level 5 Award in Management and Leadership as a complimentary add-on, for middle managers, heads of function and newly promoted leaders.
Source for the 90% figure: Department for Education National Achievement Rate Tables 2024/25, as republished on Find Apprenticeship Training.
It's among the standards that lost apprenticeship funding in September 2026, and no direct successor has been announced. Middle and senior operations leadership isn't going anywhere, but the way you fund it needs to change.
The good news: there is a funded route for the same people. AI for Operations Leaders is the live ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4, and TESS adds eight leadership workshops, Coachy your AI tutor alongside the apprenticeship, plus a CMI Level 5 Award as a complimentary add-on. See what is in it →
The funded apprenticeship is the Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner (ST1512): 12 AI & automation modules, a workplace AI project and an end-point assessment, all against that standard. Alongside it, TESS adds eight leadership workshops across four days and a formal CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership as a complimentary add-on. For employers who used the Operations / Departmental Manager Level 5, it is a strong next option: your managers still get serious leadership development, and they leave able to build and govern AI in their own operation.
| Feature | Operations Manager L5 (ST0385) | AI for Operations Leaders L4 (ST1512) |
|---|---|---|
| Funding status (2026) | Closed to new starts from September 2026 | Live, levy-funded (the apprenticeship is ST1512) |
| Apprenticeship level | Level 5 | Level 4, with a CMI Level 5 Award as a complimentary add-on |
| Funding band | £9,000 | £18,000 |
| Duration | 18 months | 15 months |
| Leadership qualification | CMI Level 5 Diploma (separate cost) | CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership as a complimentary add-on |
| AI & automation content | None | 12 AI & automation modules covering operations-specific use cases: the funded apprenticeship |
| AI tutor | None | Coachy (Claude-powered), 24/7, included |
| End Point Assessment | Various EPAOs | NQual, integrated EPA preparation throughout |
| Distinction rate | Fewer than 4 in 10 nationally | A 72% distinction rate across TESS |
The apprenticeship is the ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 standard. On top, TESS adds eight leadership workshops and Coachy, your 24/7 AI tutor, with NCFE Level 3 AI Prompt Mastery and Microsoft AB-730 at no cost to your business, plus a CMI Level 5 qualification as a complimentary add-on. No separate enrolments, no add-on fees for you to arrange.
Where the funding line sits. Your apprenticeship is the ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4: the training plan, off-the-job hours and end-point assessment are all against that standard. The eight leadership workshops are delivered by TESS on top, plus a CMI Level 5 Award as a complimentary add-on. They sit outside the apprenticeship’s off-the-job hours, are delivered separately, and contain no AI content.
Leadership extra
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. Portable, lifetime, stays on the CV.
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.
Microsoft's globally recognised credential. Demonstrates proficiency in Copilot, generative AI tools and enterprise AI adoption frameworks. The badge that travels with your operations leader on LinkedIn and into every boardroom.
Two paired leadership workshops per day, immersive, themed, efficient: eight sessions across 4 dedicated leadership days. Maximum depth, minimum time off the desk. Included by TESS for every Operations Leaders apprentice, outside the funded apprenticeship and its off-the-job hours.
Know yourself before you lead anyone else. The mindset, reflection and CPD habits that distinguish a senior leader from a competent middle manager.
Set the direction, prioritise what matters, and make defensible decisions under pressure. The capability that turns a manager into a leader your sponsor trusts.
The two skills middle managers are paid for but rarely formally trained in. Master coaching conversations and goal-setting that genuinely move performance.
Build a team that performs whether you're in the room or not. The team-leadership skills that transfer to every job you'll hold.
Communicate upward to boards, downward to teams, sideways to peers. Build the culture that makes change stick. The skill that turns a smart manager into a respected leader.
Plan, implement and sustain organisational change, whatever the change actually is. The CMI Level 5 Award assignment unit. Complete it and walk out with a chartered qualification on top of the apprenticeship.
Get projects across the line, on time, on budget, and built to last. Project management frameworks plus the sustainability and risk lens every board now expects.
Lead with one eye on the horizon. Professional ethics, governance, regulatory compliance, plus the PESTLE-level external factors reshaping your sector right now.
The ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship curriculum, 12 KSB-aligned modules delivered across the programme: this is the funded apprenticeship. The eight leadership workshops above are delivered separately and included by TESS on top of it, outside the apprenticeship's off-the-job hours.
Induction, AI diagnostic, Coachy & OneFile set up. Every learner benchmarked before Module 1.
Get the team using ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude and Gemini safely and to genuine effect. Shadow-AI risk closed off, plus a working introduction to agentic AI and the autonomous, multi-step AI agents now entering the workplace.
Find the hidden hours across your operation, map them and rank them by which would actually survive automation.
Ship a live, no-code automation that takes a real repetitive job off the operation. Power Automate, Make, Zapier.
Build an AI agent that actually does the work, on your data. Copilot Studio, multi-agent workflows, RAG.
Make the agent safe enough to roll out properly. Guardrails, safety controls, an audit trail IT will approve.
Use operational data safely. UK GDPR, lawful basis, DPIAs, retention rules. The data law your DPO has been waiting for.
Build AI that works for every customer and employee, not just the average one. Bias audited, accessibly designed.
Test it for real, on real data, with the trickier day-to-day situations. Prove results to the board before scaling.
The hardest part of AI is getting people to actually use it. The adoption module the build-only programmes skip.
Walk into the board with a real, credible AI business case. Costed, risk-assessed, ready to defend.
One ambitious AI build, running live across your operation. Plus a Copilot, Gemini & Claude hands-on day. Gateway readiness.
Your operations leaders won't just learn about AI, they'll get hands-on with the exact tools transforming middle management. From Microsoft Copilot and Power BI to Copilot Studio and Power Automate. Plain English, no coding, real operational scenarios.
AI assistant across M365, Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook
OpenAI's flagship model, drafting, analysis, research
Anthropic, deep reasoning, long-context analysis
Google's multimodal AI, Workspace, Sheets, NotebookLM
AI-powered research with cited sources
Google's knowledge-base AI, your docs become an expert
Microsoft's no-code workflow engine
Live operational dashboards, KPIs, forecasts, board reporting
Build custom AI agents for your operations team
Connect 6,000+ apps with no-code automations
Visual scenario builder for complex automations
Self-hostable workflow automation
Enterprise RPA, robotic process automation
Google's no-code app builder for ops teams
AI inside your team's knowledge base
And more: GitHub Copilot · ElevenLabs · Midjourney · Adobe Firefly · Otter.ai · Tableau, we update the toolkit as the AI landscape shifts.
Scoped to the ST1512 standard, EPA-safe by design. Your operations leaders can ask Coachy questions about decision frameworks, change models, the CMI 514 assignment or board-prep, any time of day. Mobile and desktop.
Lead with risk-adjusted ROI, not capability. CFOs respond to downside protection, frame the AI investment as "what happens if our competitors deploy this and we don't." Then bring the upside case with conservative payback. Want me to draft the opening slide?Designed for any leader between experienced first-line and new senior, whatever your job title, if you lead people and deliver outcomes, this fits. Middle managers running functions, heads of service, operations leaders being asked to lead the AI transition, and newly-promoted directors building strategic muscle.
Councils · NHS trusts · housing associations · public sector
Public-sector leaders using AI to streamline service delivery, reduce backlogs, and make better use of constrained public resources. Build the CMI L5 credential and the AI fluency to lead change across your service area, with the boardroom-ready language to defend the investment.
Across any sector · the heart of every operation
Managers of managers, heads of function, the people running the bit between strategy and delivery. Automate workflows, improve scheduling, use data to drive performance, and hit KPIs consistently, while leading your team through the change.
Private sector · finance · commercial leadership
Use AI for forecasting, customer insights, supply chain efficiency and competitive advantage. Build the strategic frameworks (OGSM, scenario planning) and the executive-communication skills that get your investment cases over the line at board level.
Health · care · community services
Health, care and community service leaders improving outcomes through AI-assisted triage, capacity planning and performance monitoring. Build a CMI-credentialled approach to service redesign, with AI fluency that translates directly into reduced waits, smarter rota planning and tighter governance.
Distribution · fulfilment · transport · planning
Heads of supply chain, logistics directors and distribution managers using AI for demand forecasting, route optimisation, predictive maintenance and quality control. Real ROI on cost reduction (15%+), forecast accuracy (35%+) and cycle time (77% improvement).
Plant managers · production directors · quality leads
Plant managers and production directors overseeing AI-driven quality control, predictive maintenance and OEE improvement. This programme equips you to lead the people side of Industry 4.0, not just the technology, but the team transition that determines whether it sticks.
Operations leads · service directors · BPO managers
Service operations leaders in tech, BPO and professional services using AI to streamline workflows, manage distributed teams and drive utilisation. Build real AI fluency at middle-manager level, not awareness, but the practical skills to apply it confidently in client work.
Network operations · field service · asset management
Energy, utilities and infrastructure leaders managing AI-driven asset performance, predictive maintenance and field workforce optimisation. Lead your function through net-zero, AI and skills transitions, with CMI L5 credibility and the strategic frameworks senior leaders expect.
Working across the UK with: FTSE-listed enterprises · NHS Trusts · local authorities & councils · energy & utilities · manufacturing & logistics · financial services · professional services & consultancies · housing associations · transport operators, sector references available on request.
Real moments from live TESS leadership sessions with trainer Jamie Chambers. These clips come from live sessions that feed into the CMI Managing Change unit our learners complete.
Every clip under 2 minutes · plays on click
The ST1512 AI & Automation apprenticeship with a CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership as a complimentary add-on, beside the defunded Operations / Departmental Manager L5 and a typical AI provider.
| What you get | TESS AI for Ops Leaders L4 + CMI L5 |
Operations Manager L5 (defunded Sep 2026) |
Typical AI provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership | ✓ | Partial | ✕ |
| Operations-specific content (supply chain, ops ROI) | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| 12 AI & automation modules, with 8 leadership workshops included alongside | ✓ | ✕ | Partial |
| Microsoft AB-730 + NCFE Level 3 AI Prompt | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Chartered, lifetime, portable credential | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Workplace AI project, real board-ready ROI | ✓ | Partial | ✕ |
| Coachy AI tutor,24/7, included | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Levy-funded from September 2026 onwards | ✓ | Defunded | ✓ |
| No coding · senior-leader-ready content | ✓ | ✓ | Often required |
100% funded through the Apprenticeship Levy · Non-levy employers pay just 5%. What you get back: measurable. Real outcomes from AI-ready operations leaders.
The CMI Level 5 sealed it for our procurement team. We needed a chartered credential for our middle managers, and the AI fluency on top is what's actually driving the operational performance. Three of our heads of service have completed it now.
I was promoted from team leader to head of department mid-programme. The strategic planning half-day genuinely got me ready for that step. My CMI 514 change project is now the playbook our exec team uses for every transformation.
My workplace AI project saved us £340k in the first 12 months on forecast accuracy alone. The board now treats AI as core ops budget, not innovation. I wouldn't have got there without the structured strategic thinking the programme drilled into me.
776 verified reviews averaging 4.9/5, exceptional learner satisfaction across every programme.
Independently verified quality. Highest standards of delivery, learner support and outcomes.
Delivered by TESS outside the apprenticeship. Eight leadership workshops paired across 4 intensive days, with CMI 514 Managing Change as the assessed unit and a CMI Level 5 Award as a complimentary add-on.
NCFE Level 3 AI Prompt Mastery and Microsoft AB-730, plus a CMI Level 5 Award as a complimentary add-on. Coachy, the TESS AI tutor, sits with every learner.
Workplace AI projects that genuinely move ops KPIs, so the board sees the ROI.
No coding. No tech background. OGSM, RACI, RAPID, Kotter, ADKAR, the frameworks middle and senior managers genuinely use in board rooms.
Designed for executive sharing. Covers the full programme: the 12 ST1512 modules, the leadership workshops and CMI Level 5 Award as a complimentary add-on, qualifications stack, investment summary and next steps. Plus a QR code straight to a Teams chat with TESS.
Everything HR Directors, L&D Managers and operations leaders need to know about AI for Operations Leaders Level 4 + CMI Level 5.
Yes. The Operations / Departmental Manager Level 5 apprenticeship (ST0385) is among the standards that lost apprenticeship funding in September 2026. No direct successor has been announced. For employers who used it, AI for Operations Leaders Level 4 is a strong option: a levy-funded AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship (ST1512) for operations managers, with a chartered CMI Level 5 Award and leadership workshops as a complimentary add-on.
Anyone leading between experienced first-line and new senior. Specifically: middle managers running functions, heads of service, operations managers, service delivery managers, departmental leads. Also experienced team leaders stepping up, and newly-promoted directors and Heads of building strategic muscle with AI fluency from day one. Job title matters less than what you actually do, if you lead people and deliver outcomes, the programme fits.
Paired into four intensive leadership days, two themed leadership workshops per day, roughly one full day per quarter, delivered separately from the apprenticeship. Day 1 (Foundations) covers LM1 + LM2, self-awareness and strategy. Day 2 (People) covers LM3 + LM4, coaching and high-performing teams. Day 3 (Mastery) covers LM5 + LM6, communication, culture and the formal CMI 514 Managing Change assignment. Day 4 (Delivery) covers LM7 + LM8, project delivery and governance. Just 4 dedicated leadership days alongside the 15-month apprenticeship. Closed cohorts can flex to face-to-face.
One unit is formally assessed by the Chartered Management Institute,Unit 514 Managing Change, the most natural companion to an AI programme. It covers planning, implementing and sustaining organisational change as you introduce AI into teams and operations. The other leadership workshops are delivered by the TESS leadership team but are not CMI assessed, giving learners the full breadth of senior-leadership skills without the assessment burden. None of the leadership workshops count towards the apprenticeship's off-the-job hours.
Yes. The programme falls within the £18,000 apprenticeship funding band and is 100% levy-funded through the Apprenticeship Levy. SMEs without a levy account access 95–100% government co-investment. The NCFE and Microsoft qualifications and the Coachy AI tutor come at no cost to your business, and the CMI Level 5 is a complimentary add-on.
Three premium qualifications alongside the apprenticeship: NCFE Level 3 CQ in AI Prompt Mastery (exclusive to TESS, covering ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and Claude) and Microsoft AB-730 AI Business Professional, at no cost to your business, plus a CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership (unit 514 Managing Change, formally assessed) as a complimentary add-on.
All sessions are delivered via live online workshops (Zoom or Microsoft Teams), so your operations leaders can learn from anywhere in England. Face-to-face delivery available for closed cohorts. Monthly starts, flexible cohort sizes, from a single learner to 30+.
This programme is designed for middle to senior managers, the people running functions and being asked to lead the AI transition. The apprenticeship is the ST1512 AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4; TESS adds the CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership and four leadership days alongside it as a complimentary add-on. For first-line managers and supervisors, see AI for Team Leaders L4 + CMI L3. For coaches and L&D professionals, see AI for Coaching Professionals L4 + CMI L5.
Levy-funded through the Apprenticeship Levy or government co-investment for SMEs. Give your operations leaders the chartered CMI Level 5 Award, the AI fluency, and the strategic frameworks they need to lead the next decade of work.
Opens our team booking page with a 60-second recommender quiz to match you to the right cohort.
This is the route for operations leaders who need both: the AI and automation skills of the Level 4 standard, and the CMI Level 5 management qualification UK employers recognise. The apprenticeship is fully levy-funded; the CMI Level 5 is a complimentary add-on, outside the funded programme. Nothing extra to buy.
The same ST1512 apprenticeship with a different set of extras alongside it. Pick the one that matches your team.
The apprenticeship is the Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner (ST1512). Alongside it, TESS adds eight leadership workshops, NCFE Level 3 AI Prompt Mastery and Microsoft AB-730, plus the CMI Level 5 Award in Management & Leadership as a complimentary add-on.
