Who delivers the AI and Automation Practitioner Level 4?
TESS Group has delivered apprenticeships since 2009 and is a Skills England approved provider of the Level 4 AI and Automation Practitioner (ST1512). The programme takes around 15 months, is live online and needs no coding. Across TESS, 72% of apprentices achieve a distinction. 4.9/5 from 791+ reviews (Google and Trustpilot combined).
The 30-minute discovery call is a complimentary AI opportunity review: we map the most repetitive tasks in your team and confirm your funding position before you commit to anything.
The employer call takes 30 minutes: your funding route, who is eligible and your start date. No obligation. See what they’ll learn · Taster day · 8-month fast-track
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship (ST1512) is the Skills England Level 4 standard for building practical AI and automation at work, for non-technical teams across every department. At TESS it is live online, no coding, with Coachy, the AI tutor, and up to five qualifications alongside the apprenticeship. Funded from your levy, or by the government for training and assessment up to the funding band maximum for apprentices aged 16 to 24. Skills England approved, 4.9/5 from 791+ reviews (Google and Trustpilot combined), 10,000+ learners.
Seen it called the AI Automation Specialist or AI Workflow Specialist apprenticeship? Same Skills England standard, ST1512, same Level 4 funding band. This page uses the standard’s official name.
Ofsted Good (supporting). See honest note on results below for ST1512 outcomes.
New to the term? Read our plain-English guide to the agentic AI apprenticeship. Starting after 22 May 2026? Your cohort is enrolled on ST1512 v2.1.
Hands-on with the platforms shaping business today
And more: Lovable · Cursor · Otter.ai · Synthesia · Jasper · we update the toolkit as the AI landscape shifts.
In one sentence: the AI and Automation Practitioner (ST1512) is a Level 4 apprenticeship that teaches staff to use AI and automate work with no coding, 12 months of live online teaching, 15 months in all including assessment.
See our employer guide to Level 4 apprenticeships. Teams who will build and approve agents can start with the AI agent course.
Provider: TESS Group, Ofsted Good. National achievement rate for 2024/25 at Level 4 and above: 67.2% (120 leavers), against 64.9% nationally. Funding rates depend on the start date; see who pays what.
Download the Key Facts PDF (2 pages) to forward to finance or HR.
| Level 4 AI and Automation Practitioner (ST1512) | Level 5 AI leadership units | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Staff who will build and run AI automations | Senior leaders who set strategy, govern and deliver AI |
| Length | 15 months, or an 8 month fast track for closed cohorts | 30 hours per unit |
| Assessment | End point assessment by NQual | No end point assessment |
| Qualifications | Up to five alongside the apprenticeship | A tangible deliverable from each unit |
| Coding | None required | None required |
Many employers combine them: leaders take the units while their teams take the Level 4. Across TESS apprenticeships, 72% of apprentices achieve a distinction.
Join an open cohort, bring a small team on a hybrid cohort, or run it fully private for a larger group: same ST1512 standard, whichever route you choose. Levy or government funded. No premium for tailoring.
Already joining a cohort? Complete the job role duties check with your manager →
Apprenticeships work when the line manager is on side, so we make that easy: no chasing dates, and an AI tutor that helps managers back the coaching at work.
The moment a learner says yes, every session is scheduled and sent to their calendar. Managers can plan cover for the whole programme, not week by week.
Each apprentice’s line manager gets their own sign-in to Coachy, our AI tutor. It explains the standard in plain English, shows which everyday work counts as evidence, and helps them back up the skills coach between sessions.
Managers never see their apprentice’s conversations with Coachy. The learner keeps a safe place to ask questions, and the manager gets what they need to support them.
With every TESS AI apprenticeship, for one nominated manager per apprentice. How Manager Mode works →
Same ST1512 standard, taught entirely through one toolset and run privately for your team (6+). Open monthly cohorts stay on this multi-tool programme; the editions below are closed-cohort only.
Same ST1512 standard and the same qualifications, with every workshop, project and example rebuilt around one function's work. The HR and L&D edition runs as open cohorts (next inductions Tue 12 January 2027 and Tue 23 February 2027) or privately for your people team. The marketing and finance editions run as private cohorts for your team, from six learners, with open cohorts coming soon.
Industry-recognised credentials from Microsoft, BCS and NCFE. Three are included for every learner. Two are optional add-ons: take one, the other, or both. All five come with the programme. No extras. No top-up.
Included
Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional, earned by passing Exam AB-730. Microsoft's own certification for using generative AI at work, on the platform most UK organisations already license.
Connects your apprentice directly to the platform you already license. Their fluency translates to immediate ROI across every Microsoft 365 seat in the business.
Included
Chartered Institute for IT. The professional body’s own foundation certificate in AI.
Signals AI literacy at a chartered industry standard. Defensible to auditors, regulators and customers asking "are your people qualified to do this?"
Included
Turns a generic AI subscription into a daily productivity multiplier across the team.
The lever that turns "we have Copilot licences" into a team that uses them well every day. Most productivity gains from AI come from this skill, not the platform.
Optional add-on
Working with data: cleaning, analysing, visualising and drawing defensible conclusions.
Stops AI being a black box. Your apprentice will be able to show why an AI output is trustworthy (or not), not just hand-wave at the model.
Optional add-on
Workplace cyber security fundamentals. Critical once AI touches customer data.
Lets your apprentice deploy AI tools without quietly opening attack surface. The signal your DPO and security team are looking for before signing off any AI workflow.
All five come with the programme. No extras. No top-up.
Scoped to the ST1512 standard. Your team can ask Coachy about AI tools, automation concepts, or their workplace project, any time of day. It explains the reasoning and never writes the evidence. Mobile and desktop.
Your team don't just learn about AI. By Month 4 they've built a working agent. By Month 8 they've piloted it safely. By Month 11 they've built a real, live AI solution running in your business, with a clear plan that's already approved by leadership.
Before the teaching starts, we find out exactly where each learner sits with AI, so nobody's bored and nobody's left behind. Induction, Coachy and OneFile all set up and ready.
What's set up before day oneStop the shadow-AI risk. Get your team using ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude safely and to genuine effect, with a written position your data protection officer can sign by week 4.
Tools & frameworksFind the hidden hours in your team's week that are quietly waiting to be automated, and rank them by which would actually survive it.
Process mapping methodsShip a a live, no-code automation by end of Month 3 that takes a real repetitive job off your team's plate. Forever.
Automation tools that work with your existing systemsBuild an AI agent that actually does the work, not just answers questions about it. Yours, on your data, by end of Month 4.
Agent platforms & patternsMake the Month 4 agent safe enough to roll out properly. Guardrails, safety controls and a clear audit trail your IT director will happily approve.
Integration & assurance standardsUse customer data in your AI safely and confidently. data protection impact assessments, lawful basis, retention rules: the data law your data protection officer (DPO) has been waiting for someone on the team to actually understand.
Data law & governanceBuild AI that works for every customer and every employee, not just the average one. Bias audited, accessibly designed, defensibly signed off.
Responsible-AI methodsThe moment of truth. Test it for real, on real data, with the trickier situations that come up day-to-day. Show leadership real results before you scale it up, backed by evidence, not just hope.
Pilot & testing methodsThe hardest part of AI isn't the build. It's getting people to actually use it. The adoption module the build-only programmes skip.
Change & adoption frameworksWalk into the meeting with a real, credible AI business case. Costed, risk-assessed, ready to defend. Written from nine months of hands-on experience, not from guesswork.
Strategy & commercial frameworksThe mastery moment. one ambitious AI build, running live in your business, plus a Copilot, Gemini and Claude hands-on day that leaves your team fluent on every leading AI assistant, not just the one you happen to license.
Built on your existing systems · Copilot, Gemini & Claude masterclassThe capstone build. Everything they've learned, applied to one complex AI and automation challenge inside your business. Requirements through to handover, with sophisticated, defended choices about tools, integrations and architecture made after ten months of practice rather than ten months of guesswork.
Scaling responsibly. Sustaining for the long term. The work that distinguishes a one-off demo from a system still running twelve months later: scaling AI responsibly (governance at scale, data management at scale) and sustaining it (monitoring, maintenance, continuous improvement). Governance-aware delivery end to end, not bolted on at the finish.
Portfolio consolidation. Assessment preparation. Multi-tool AI fluency. The month also acts as portfolio consolidation, so the skills are checked against a defended body of work rather than a pile of notes.
Platforms your apprentices build in: Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Google Gemini Gems, AppSheet, Make and Zapier, alongside Microsoft Copilot, Gemini and Claude as assistants. Projects include agentic, multi-agent workflows. No coding is required.
Six stops on the map. Five phases of live delivery. A separate assessor checks the work. 15 months in all. Each stop builds on the last.
Induction · AI diagnostic
Pre-programme AI diagnostic, induction, Coachy & OneFile set up. Every learner benchmarked before Module 1.
Foundations & AI Readiness
Onboarding · skills assessment · AI ethics · digital confidence baseline. Setting the scene for everything that follows.
AI Prompting & Automation
NCFE AI Prompt Mastery, no-code workflow automation, real workflows running in your daily tools.
Responsible AI · pilot & test
GDPR · responsible AI · DPIAs · pilot & test on real workplace data. Workplace project assessed
Adoption & AI champion
Adoption strategy · stakeholder conversations · build the business case · Microsoft AB-730 / Google AI Essentials earned.
Capstone & Gateway
Their AI capstone build, running live in your business. Signed off with the employer
Independent assessment
The project and a professional discussion are assessed by the independent assessment organisation, graded Pass or Distinction. NQual is TESS's assessment partner, with results in an average of five working days.
NQual is our assessment partner for ST1512: Ofqual-recognised, approved for v2.1 of the standard, and Team of the Year at the Federation of Awarding Bodies awards 2025. An independent assessment checks the skills hold up. Your apprentice is assessed in two parts.
A workplace project your apprentice scopes, builds and writes up, drawing on the discovery, build, integration and assurance work. Submitted as a written report, or as a presentation with questions.
A structured conversation with an assessor from the independent assessment organisation about the work and the decisions behind it. Graded Pass or Distinction.
Employers choose the assessment organisation. NQual is our standard partner; 1st for Awarding and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, are also approved for ST1512 and available on open cohorts.
TESS apprentices achieve a 72% distinction rate across our apprenticeships (results from 2024 to 2026). Your TESS skills coach manages the assessment admin behind the scenes, so your team can stay focused on the work.
Every employer has a different appetite for pace. Both routes deliver the same Level 4 apprenticeship and the same standard. Funded from your levy, or by the government for training and assessment up to the funding band maximum for apprentices aged 16 to 24.
Open enrolment, one module a month, with protected off-the-job time. Ideal for employers who want steadier pacing and flexible starts.
Private closed cohort for your team, flexible on size. Committed weekly learning rhythm with live-work AI practice. The workplace project and a professional discussion are what get assessed. The independent assessment organisation checks the skills on this route too.
This is the AI apprenticeship designed for the people who actually run your business, HR, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Admin. No coding. No technical prerequisites. Just real-world impact.
Automate the repetitive, surface the bottlenecks, predict supply issues before they hit. Build real-time dashboards without a data team.
AI-accelerated recruitment screening. Onboarding automated. Policy generation in minutes. Engagement signals surfaced. Bias detected before it shows up.
Invoice processing automated. Reconciliation in one click. Cash-flow forecasts that update themselves. Anomaly detection that catches what reviews miss.
Content at scale, on-brand. Campaign workflows that build themselves. Personalised customer comms. Analytics that actually surface what drove the sale.
Lead scoring on autopilot. AI-drafted customer responses that sound like you. CRM workflows that don't need a Salesforce admin. Highest-value opportunities surfaced.
Repetitive admin gone in a week. Intelligent document processing. Scheduling that handles itself. The PA who becomes the team's AI champion.
Policy drafting and review in hours not weeks. Regulatory horizon-scanning that doesn't miss. Audit-ready evidence trails. DPIAs done right, the first time.
Course builds that take days instead of months. Personalised learning paths per learner. AI-generated assessments that pass quality bar. Coachy-style tutors for any team.
The organisations moving fastest on AI aren't waiting for IT. They're upskilling every department. Here's why your team should start today.
Every workplace project records its own before-and-after measure of the task it automates, so the time returned shows up in your numbers, not ours. The case studies show what named employers have measured.
HR, Finance, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Admin. This programme is built for the people who actually run your business. No technical background needed.
Apprentices apply learning directly to real workplace projects. Employers see productivity gains, cost savings, and process improvements within weeks, not months.
Go beyond basic awareness. Your team masters AI across their daily tools, Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini, then earns an official ecosystem certification.
Ecosystem certification (Microsoft AB-730 or Google AI Essentials) + NCFE AI Prompt Mastery as standard. NCFE Cyber Security and NCFE Data are optional extras, pick one, the other, or both. All bundled at no extra cost.
From 1 August 2026 the government funds training and assessment up to the funding band maximum for apprentices aged 16 to 24. That applies to non-levy employers and to levy payers whose funds run out. Levy-paying employers draw from their Growth and Skills Levy account first. Funds entering your account from 1 August 2026 expire after 12 months; balances held before then keep 24 months. For apprentices aged 25 and over, co-investment applies on new starts the levy does not cover. We will confirm your exact position on the discovery call. We never quote an unused levy balance we cannot see. Your team still gets a premium programme with up to five qualifications.
This programme is specifically designed for non-technical professionals. We use no-code and low-code tools, plain-English AI prompting, and real workplace scenarios from your own role. If you can use email and a spreadsheet, you can do this.
Zero coding · Real resultsDepot leads · fleet supervisors · distribution managers
Route supervisors using AI-assisted scheduling, intralogistics shift leads adapting to automation, distribution leaders responsible for on-time performance, all building the skills to lead AI-augmented operations.
Ward managers · service leads · clinic supervisors
Healthcare leaders adopting AI for patient pathway management, automating clinical admin, and using data-led service delivery. Build the confidence to use AI safely in patient-facing environments.
Shift leads · plant supervisors · quality leads
From precision engineering to large-scale production, manufacturing teams use AI for quality control, predictive maintenance and intelligent scheduling. Equip people to lead AI-driven plants.
Service managers · public-sector team leads
Council and public-sector leaders implementing AI-supported service delivery, managing GDPR compliance, and leading teams through digital transformation across housing, revenues, customer services and highways.
Operations leads · BPO managers · agency leads
Business-process and technology service leaders using AI to streamline distributed teams, automate client work and ship faster. Real AI fluency, not just awareness, applied to client-facing operations.
Production leads · site managers · store supervisors
From multi-site retail to bakery production, leaders in fast-paced consumer environments use AI for schedules, quality and demand forecasting. Lead with confidence in a fast-changing operating model.
Practice managers · compliance leads · lab supervisors
Regulated-sector teams who need to understand what AI can and can't do in compliance-heavy environments, from legal practice to forensic science. Build a culture of responsible AI adoption that holds up to audit.
Programme managers · service leads · curriculum leads
Third-sector and education leaders using AI to extend impact without increasing headcount. Manage volunteers, learners and staff through change, with practical skills and nationally-recognised qualifications.
Working across the UK with: national parcel networks · NHS Trusts · manufacturing & intralogistics groups · local authorities & councils · equipment-hire chains · food & bakery producers · multi-site retail · regulated finance, legal & biotech firms · charity & education trusts. Sector references available on request.
Funded from your levy, or by the government for training and assessment up to the funding band maximum for apprentices aged 16 to 24. What you get back: measurable.
A learner on the programme today, two more speaking unscripted at the SBSA and BCS AI and Future Skills conference, and a co-founder who did our Level 5 AI unit with his leadership team.
“The last couple of tenders we put together, I think they’ve just absolutely shot up in quality.”
Alex, AI & Automation Level 4 apprentice
Instead of spending hours on the foundations of a tender, he now spends his time on evidence, best stories and people.
"I reckon it saves me 30% of my time a week, if not more. That means I can spend more time doing the people-based stuff: nurturing my network partners, coaching my management team."
"Sometimes people think apprenticeships are a little bit entry level. But I've certainly learned stuff. I think it's a quality course."
"No matter what your business type, this is a course for everybody. Evolve or die. If you don't embrace it, somebody else will."
A few sessions in, Fi has automated her six-monthly HR review process, built an agent that analyses talent contracts, and is saving half a day every week.
"I have set up an entire payroll system, covering multiple countries’ payroll. It cannot have taken me more than an hour to build."
Jack did the Level 5 AI Delivery & Transformation unit with his team. He now runs an assistant that reports on his inbox twice a day. Read the case study →
They were honest about the hard parts too. Read the full write-up →
We set the gold standard for AI apprenticeship training.
Independently verified quality. Our training meets the highest standards of delivery, learner support, and outcomes.
Our learners rate us 4.9/5 from 791+ reviews (Google and Trustpilot combined).
No other provider includes this calibre of accredited qualifications. Every one at Level 3 or above. A qualification stack no competitor can match.
Designed for HR, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and every department. No coding. No tech background required. Just real-world impact.
Including a globally recognised ecosystem certification (Microsoft AB-730 or Google AI Essentials), connecting your people directly to the platform they use every day.
Available 24/7 inside OneFile, scoped specifically to ST1512. Your team has an AI study partner whenever they need one, not just on session days.
The same ST1512 standard. Very different delivery. Here is what to look for when comparing AI & Automation Apprenticeship Level 4 providers in the UK.
An honest note on results. ST1512 was only approved in December 2025, so no provider anywhere has completion or distinction data for it yet. Be cautious of any provider quoting ST1512 outcomes. The 72% distinction rate across TESS (results from 2024 to 2026) and the Ofsted Good grade above are across our whole apprenticeship portfolio, the most honest proxy you will find for how your team is likely to do.
A 60-second look inside a live workshop from the AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship: what it actually looks like, no sales pitch.
60-second snapshot · plays on click
Nine short clips from live TESS AI workshops: practical tips, governance thinking and the skills employers are hiring for next.
Short lessons from a live TESS AI workshop. Captions are burned in.
Every clip under 45 seconds · plays on click
Co-Founder and COO Jack Waley-Cohen built a multi-country payroll checker in about an hour.
“The confidence to say, we could just replicate that, we could just automate that. What else can we get it to do?”
Jack Waley-Cohen, Co-Founder and COO, what3words
Read the case study“I am currently preparing an executive pack to present some of our findings from this module, and I am going to our executive team with a recommendation that, if you will have us, we roll this out further to a wider senior leadership community.”
Lisa Brindle, Covea Insurance
See the AI Strategy unitTwo learner projects delivered six-figure combined annual savings through levy-funded apprenticeships.
“I have been able to apply all of the course material to my day-to-day job and I have always got a real-world example to use which makes it even more meaningful.”
Harrison Stephens, DPD
Read the case studyPick a 30-minute slot that suits you. We'll walk you through cohort dates, funding routes and how the AI & Automation Practitioner L4 fits your team. No prep needed.
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Everything employers and apprentices ask before signing up. The full set, with sources, is on the AI apprenticeship FAQ. Don't see your question? Drop us a line.
Update, June 2026: ST1512 moved to version 2.1 for all starts from 22 May. Read what changed.
Funding and eligibility, checked October 2026: who pays what from 1 August 2026, the 420 off-the-job hours and who can enrol are answered in the ST1512 funding, length and eligibility FAQ. New to prompting? Start with our plain-English prompt engineering guide.
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We work with the awarding bodies and platform vendors that matter, Skills England, NQual, BCS, NCFE, ILM, Microsoft and Google. CMI is a complimentary add-on.
Skills EnglandApprenticeship regulatorNQualIndependent assessment · Ofqual-recognisedBCSChartered Institute for IT · Foundation Certificate in AINCFEAwarding body
CMIComplimentary add-on
matrix StandardInformation & advice quality markMicrosoftAI Industry Leader · AB-730
GoogleAI Essentials partner
OfstedGood Provider
Cyber EssentialsCertified💡 Not ready for a full apprenticeship? Our AI Workshops get teams confident on Copilot, ChatGPT, and Power Automate in a single day.
Join the UK organisations using the AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 apprenticeship (ST1512) to turn every department into an AI-confident team. Funded from your levy, or by the government for training and assessment up to the funding band maximum for apprentices aged 16 to 24. No coding required. Up to five qualifications. Ofsted Good.
Prefer the phone? 0333 0523 003 · Or email info@thetessgroup.com
