AI apprenticeships in the UK (2026)
AI apprenticeships in England run from Level 4 to Level 7, plus three short AI leadership units. The employer's share depends on the levy and the apprentice's age.
- AI standards
- Level 4 to Level 7
- AI leadership units
- 3, at Level 5
- Where
- England
Is there an AI apprenticeship for me?
Start with your age and your job: each row shows who a standard or unit suits and what the employer pays. The list is the AI standards and units we found on Skills England on 7 Nov 2026; the Software and data foundation apprenticeship is a general entry route rather than an AI standard.
| Apprenticeship | Level | Duration | Maximum funding | Who it suits | What the employer pays | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software and data foundation apprenticeshipFA0005, foundation apprenticeship. Approved for delivery | 2 | Typically 8 months, then assessment | £4,000 | 16 to 21-year-olds starting out in software or data | Nothing at an employer that doesn't pay the levy (the apprentice is normally 16 to 21). Skills England adds: "Under DfE Apprenticeship funding Rules 25/26 the employer qualifies for up to £2,000 per foundation apprentice, subject to retention and progression." | 7 Nov 2026 |
| Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation practitionerST1512, standard. Open for new starts on version 2.1, with no latest start date set | 4 | 18 months | £18,000 | Staff who will automate work with AI, at HNC level (Level 4) | Nothing for an apprentice aged 16 to 24; 5% of the price for 25 and over (computed: £900, 5% of the £18,000 band, if the provider charges the full band) | 7 Nov 2026 |
| AI leadership – AI strategy and opportunityAU0009, unit. Approved for delivery | 5 | At least 30 hours | £750 | Managers and leaders in work, aged 19 or over | Nothing, up to the £750 funding rate | 7 Nov 2026 |
| AI leadership – AI adoption, procurement and governanceAU0010, unit. Approved for delivery | 5 | At least 30 hours | £750 | Managers and leaders in work, aged 19 or over | Nothing, up to the £750 funding rate | 7 Nov 2026 |
| AI leadership – AI delivery and organisational transformationAU0011, unit. Approved for delivery | 5 | At least 30 hours | £750 | Managers and leaders in work, aged 19 or over | Nothing, up to the £750 funding rate | 7 Nov 2026 |
| Machine learning engineerST1398, standard. Version 1.0 open for new starts until 10 December 2026, then a revised version from 11 December 2026 | 6 | 24 months | £22,000 | People building machine learning systems, at degree level (Level 6); the closest standard to an "AI engineer" apprenticeship | Nothing for an apprentice aged 16 to 24; 5% of the price for 25 and over (computed: £1,100, 5% of the £22,000 band, if the provider charges the full band) | 7 Nov 2026 |
| Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialistST0763, standard. Open for new starts, being revised | 7 | 24 months, plus assessment | £17,000 | People analysing large or complex data sets with advanced computational methods; government funding is mainly for under-22s | Nothing for an apprentice aged 16 to 21; most older apprentices get no government funding | 7 Nov 2026 |
What does an AI apprenticeship cost an employer?
It depends on whether the employer pays the apprenticeship levy and how old the apprentice is when training starts. These are England's rules for new starts from 1 August 2026, and they split by age the same way as the units below. They cover the training and assessment price only, up to each standard's funding band maximum.
| Employer | The rule | Employer's cost |
|---|---|---|
| Employer that doesn't pay the levy, apprentice aged 16 to 24 | Government pays all training and assessment, up to the funding band | Nothing up to the band |
| Employer that doesn't pay the levy, apprentice aged 25 or over | Government pays 95% | Employer pays: 5% of the price (computed: 100% minus the 95% government pays) |
| Levy-paying employer with enough in its levy account | The employer spends its levy funds on the apprenticeship | Paid from its levy funds, with no extra cash up to the band |
| Levy-paying employer whose funds run out, apprentice aged 16 to 24 | Government pays all training and assessment, up to the funding band | Nothing up to the band |
| Levy-paying employer whose funds run out, apprentice aged 25 or over | Government pays 75% | Employer pays: 25% of the price (computed: 100% minus the 75% government pays) |
In GOV.UK's words, "for employers who do not pay the levy, where the apprentice is aged 25 or over (at the start of their apprenticeship training) the government will contribute 95%", and "for levy employers who exhaust their funds, where the apprentice is aged 25 or over (at the start of their apprenticeship training) the government will contribute 75%" (source).
Employers that don't pay the levy can also get a hiring payment. GOV.UK says: "Employers who do not pay the levy will receive a hiring payment of up to £2,000 (paid in instalments) if, at the start of the apprenticeship training the apprentice (including those undertaking a foundation apprenticeship):"
- "is aged between 16 and 24 years old (or 15 years of age if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August)"
- "has an apprenticeship agreement containing a practical period start date from 1 October 2026 onwards"
- "is included in the PAYE scheme added to the employer’s apprenticeship service account used to fund the apprenticeship training"
- "has not been employed by that employer for more than 90 days before their practical period start date"
Level 7 is the exception: since 1 January 2026, government funds it only for younger apprentices, so the AI data specialist standard suits under-22s best. The exact rule is in the questions below.
What are the AI leadership apprenticeship units?
They are three short units at Level 5 for people already in a leadership job: AI strategy and opportunity (AU0009), AI adoption, procurement and governance (AU0010) and AI delivery and organisational transformation (AU0011). Each needs at least 30 hours of training and has a £750 funding rate.
Skills England says: "Units are for employed learners aged 19 and over, where their employer has identified that they need to upskill quickly to respond to emerging skills gaps and to support business growth and productivity." Each unit page adds: "Must be working in a leadership position within an organisation with autonomy to deliver technological change and inform investment decisions."
How to find a provider: Find a provider through the "Find apprenticeship training providers" link on each unit's Skills England page.
| Employer | The rule | Employer's cost |
|---|---|---|
| Employer that doesn't pay the apprenticeship levy | Government pays all training and assessment costs, up to the £750 funding rate | Employer pays: £0 (computed: government pays all of the £750 funding rate) |
| Levy-paying employer with too little in its levy account, learner aged 19 to 24 | Government pays all training and assessment costs, based on the funding rate | Employer pays: £0 (computed: government pays all of the £750 funding rate) |
| Levy-paying employer with enough in its levy account | The employer spends its levy funds on the unit | Paid from its levy funds, with no extra cash up to the £750 funding rate |
| Levy-paying employer with too little in its levy account, learner aged 25 or over | Government pays 75% of training and assessment costs, based on the funding rate | Employer pays per learner: £187.50 (computed: the 25% of the £750 funding rate that government doesn't pay) |
Can I do an AI apprenticeship in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
Yes, through each nation's own apprenticeships, though the standards, bands and rules above are England's. GOV.UK says: "Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements for supporting employers to access apprenticeships." None of these pages named an AI apprenticeship when we read them on 7 Nov 2026.
- Scotland: Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships, on apprenticeships.scot (Skills Development Scotland). Of Graduate Apprenticeships it says: "Split your time between working for a wage and learning – and end up with a university degree."
- Wales: apprenticeships from Foundation (Level 2) to Degree (Level 6), on gov.wales (the Welsh Government). It says: "Apprenticeships in Wales are available to anyone 16 and over"
- Northern Ireland: its own Apprenticeships programme, on nidirect (the Northern Ireland government). It says: "The Apprenticeships programme offers training, across a wide range of apprenticeships, to people aged 16 and over."
For other AI training funded where you live, see government-funded AI courses by nation.
Questions people ask
Is there an AI engineer apprenticeship?
We found no Skills England standard called AI engineer on 7 Nov 2026. The closest is Machine learning engineer (ST1398), a Level 6 apprenticeship lasting 24 months, with maximum government funding of £22,000. Version 1.0 is open for new starts until 10 December 2026; a version with a revised assessment plan replaces it from 11 December 2026.
Can I do a Level 7 AI apprenticeship if I am over 21?
Usually not with government funding. Skills England's rule reads: "From 1 January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeships will only be government-funded for apprentices who, at the start of their apprenticeship training, are either aged 16-21, or aged under 25 and have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and/or have been, or are, in the care of their local authority." Lower-level AI apprenticeships don't have this Level 7 rule.
Is there an AI apprenticeship below degree level?
Yes. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation practitioner (ST1512) is Level 4 and lasts 18 months. For 16 to 21-year-olds, the Software and data foundation apprenticeship (FA0005) is Level 2.
How long is an AI apprenticeship unit?
Each AI leadership unit needs at least 30 hours. Across all units, the government's Find employer schemes service says: "They last between 30 and 140 delivery hours and can be delivered over a period of 1 to 16 weeks."
Are AI apprenticeship units free?
For employers who don't pay the levy, yes, up to the funding rate. The funding rules say: "For employers who do not pay the levy, the government will fund all of the apprenticeship unit training and assessment costs based on the funding rate (as stated on the apprenticeship unit)."
Cite this page
AI Course Atlas, "AI apprenticeships in the UK (2026)", https://aicourseatlas.co.uk/apprenticeships/. Standards and funding rules checked on 7 Nov 2026. Editor: Jake Boland.
Sources
- Apprenticeships in Scotland (apprenticeships.scot), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Apprenticeships in Wales (gov.wales), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland (nidirect.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Apprenticeship units (gov.uk): apprenticeship funding, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialist, ST0763 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- AI leadership – AI strategy and opportunity, AU0009 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Apprenticeship units (gov.uk): apprenticeship unit funding rules august 2026 to july 2027, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Apprenticeship units (find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Software and data foundation apprenticeship, FA0005 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation practitioner, ST1512 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation practitioner, ST1512 (findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- AI leadership – AI adoption, procurement and governance, AU0010 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- AI leadership – AI delivery and organisational transformation, AU0011 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Machine learning engineer, ST1398 (skillsengland.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026
- Machine learning engineer, ST1398 (findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk), checked 7 Nov 2026