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★
791+ verified
reviews
★CMI Level 3 in Management & Leadership: chartered, included
86 first-line leadership workshops: included by TESS alongside the apprenticeship
1111 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. Levy or government 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 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 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 (11 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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