AI Leadership
for Senior Managers.
Fully funded.
Three new Level 5 apprenticeship units — approved by Skills England — giving your leaders the strategy, governance and change capability to lead AI adoption with confidence.
What's changed from AU0002? Skills England has replaced the original single AI Leadership unit with three distinct units — each with its own focus, funding, and assessment. NTG is approved to deliver all three. You can take one unit, two, or the full suite.
Three units. One complete AI leadership capability.
These are not technical courses. No coding, no data science. They're built for people in leadership and management roles who need to make credible, confident decisions about AI — strategy, governance, procurement, workforce transformation, and risk.
Each unit runs for approximately 4–6 weeks, delivered online around a full-time senior role. Each produces real workplace outputs — not generic coursework — that your organisation can actually use.
All three are Growth & Skills Levy funded. For most SMEs, the cost is zero.
Choose one. Choose two. Take the full suite.
Each unit is independently funded and assessed. Learners can take them in sequence or as standalone short courses, depending on what your organisation needs most right now.
For leaders at the early or exploratory stage of AI adoption who need to build foundational understanding, identify viable opportunities, and set a credible strategic direction.
Learning Outcomes
- Organisational leadership in setting AI policy and strategy, including the business case
- Evaluate opportunities for AI-driven improvement using qualitative and quantitative evidence
- Define, document and communicate an AI strategy aligned to organisational goals
- Assess viability and risk through AI use cases and pilots
- Engage stakeholders to build support for AI strategy and adoption
- Critically evaluate and monitor AI, including responses to emerging technologies
For leaders shaping decisions about AI adoption, evaluating options, developing business cases, and establishing governance frameworks. The most KSB-intensive of the three units.
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate AI solutions and vendors using structured criteria (cost, performance, risk, data readiness)
- Make procurement decisions based on testing, benchmarking and user validation
- Assess risks of AI acquisition — vendor lock-in, data, IP, and sustainability
- Design and implement AI governance frameworks including escalation pathways
- Embed ethical, legal and regulatory considerations into AI decision-making
- Design and implement human oversight mechanisms for AI systems
For leaders overseeing AI implementation and organisational change — managing workforce impacts, long-term monitoring, risk management, and communicating AI internally and to regulators.
Learning Outcomes
- Lead delivery of AI-enabled organisational change aligned to long-term objectives
- Assess and manage workforce impacts, including reskilling and role redesign
- Implement organisational AI risk management including monitoring and escalation
- Achieve audit requirements and regulatory compliance, including incident response
- Monitor performance of deployed AI systems including bias, drift and security
- Communicate AI risks and opportunities to technical and non-technical stakeholders
Built for the people who make the decisions.
Not for developers or data scientists. For experienced leaders who need to understand what AI means for their organisation — and be confident making strategic decisions about it.
MDs, CEOs, owners and directors who need to set AI direction with confidence. Best fit: AU0009
Heads of department and operations managers translating AI strategy into their area. Best fit: AU0009 or AU0011
Compliance, legal, and governance leads building frameworks for safe, ethical AI adoption. Best fit: AU0010
Transformation leads who need to bring people with them and change how the organisation works. Best fit: AU0011
HR and L&D leads who need to identify AI skills gaps and make the investment case. Best fit: AU0011
Experienced managers who want to get ahead of AI in their sector. Best starting point: AU0009
Entry requirements: Learners must be 19 or over and currently employed. They must be working in a leadership or management role with autonomy to influence technology decisions or organisational investment. No prior AI or technical knowledge is required.
Your levy pays for this. Or the government does.
All three units are funded through the Growth and Skills Levy. Most employers pay nothing at all. And because each unit is independently funded, you can start with one and add more when the time is right.
- 100% of training costs covered by the government
- No apprenticeship levy account required
- No co-investment from your organisation
- NTG handles all paperwork and compliance
- Available to employers with fewer than 50 staff, or under £3m payroll
- Draw directly from your Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account
- No extra budget required — you're already paying in
- Levy funds expire after 24 months — units are the fastest way to deploy them
- If balance insufficient: 95% government / 5% employer co-investment
- Up to £750 per unit, per learner — £2,250 for the full suite
No End-Point Assessment. No waiting. No bureaucracy.
Apprenticeship units are assessed internally by NTG and validated by the employer. Practical, fast, and grounded in what your leaders have actually done at work.
There is no EPA organisation, no external assessor booking, and no waiting period. NTG assesses, the employer validates, and DWP releases the funding.
Assessment structure for each unit: Mandatory skills test delivered by NTG, followed by employer validation. Employers may also choose extended independent assessment if relevant to a regulated role — but this is optional, not required.
Portfolio of Workplace Evidence
Applied tasks completed across the unit, grounded in the learner's real organisation. Real documents, real context — not generic coursework.
Skills Test (Mandatory)
Delivered by NTG at the end of each unit. Demonstrates that the learner has acquired the knowledge and skills set out in the apprenticeship unit standard. Required for all learners.
Employer Validation (Mandatory)
The learner's line manager or designated employer contact confirms new AI leadership capability has been demonstrated in the workplace. A required sign-off under Growth & Skills Levy rules.
Extended Assessment (Optional)
Where an employer or learner wants independent external assessment — for example, through a non-mandatory qualification — this is available as an additional option. NTG can advise on suitable routes.
The units are a starting point. NTG supports the whole journey.
Credits earned in these units are portable and sit on the learner's personal learning record. They can count as Recognised Prior Learning toward a full apprenticeship standard. Speak to NTG for details.
Everything employers ask us
Skills England has replaced AU0002 with three separate, independently funded units — AU0009, AU0010 and AU0011. The content from the original 12-week programme has been redistributed across the three units, with some significant additions: AU0011 in particular introduces new content around algorithmic impact assessment, model drift monitoring, and incident response planning that wasn't in the original standard. Each unit has its own skills test and employer validation. The good news is that the three units together offer £2,250 of funding versus AU0002's single funding rate.
No. These units are designed for leadership and management roles — not technical ones. Learners will get hands-on experience with AI tools during the programme, but no prior knowledge of AI, data science, or technology is required. The focus is on decision-making, strategy, governance, and change leadership — not building AI systems.
Yes — and for many senior leaders, completing all three in sequence makes sense. The units follow a logical progression: strategy first (AU0009), then governance and procurement (AU0010), then delivery and transformation (AU0011). Each is independently funded, so they can be taken one at a time without committing to the full suite upfront. NTG advisers can help you sequence them to match your organisation's AI maturity and priorities.
Yes. Non-levy employers (broadly, those with a payroll under £3 million) receive 100% government funding for apprenticeship units under the Growth and Skills Levy. There is no co-investment and no hidden cost. NTG handles all compliance and claim paperwork on your behalf. For levy-paying employers, the cost is drawn from your existing DAS balance — you're already paying in.
Three things per unit: designate a line manager or sponsor who will validate workplace tasks, confirm the learner is employed and working primarily in England, and sign off the employer validation at the end. NTG provides guidance and templates. It typically takes less than 30 minutes of management time per week.
Yes — and for many employers, this is the most effective approach. Having multiple senior leaders go through the units together accelerates strategic alignment and builds a consistent internal language around AI. Contact us to discuss a group booking or an exclusive cohort for your organisation.
Yes. NTG Training is registered on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR) and meets the eligibility criteria for delivery of apprenticeship units under the Growth and Skills Levy. All three units (AU0009, AU0010, AU0011) are approved for delivery from 28 April 2026. Register your interest today to be considered for our first cohort.
Ready to give your leaders the AI capability your organisation needs?
First cohorts are forming now. Register today and an NTG adviser will be in touch within one working day to confirm eligibility and answer any questions.
Or call us directly: 01244 678100 · info@ntgtraining.co.uk
