How to bring AI training to your employer
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You’ve found a way to get a degree-level AI qualification that’s government-funded and fits around your job. There’s just one step left: getting your employer on board. The good news is that, for most employers, it’s an easy yes, here’s how to ask.
61% of UK employers still have nobody working with AI. If that sounds like your workplace, you are not behind the curve, you are the person who can put them ahead of it.Source: gov.uk AI Labour Market Survey, 2025.
Why employers usually say yes
This isn’t you asking for an expensive favour. Apprenticeship training is funded by government, so it costs your employer little or nothing, usually fully funded if they pay the apprenticeship levy, and at least 95 per cent funded if they do not. In return they get a more capable, more productive team member, and the work you do during the apprenticeship happens on real tasks inside the business. Many employers see it as a win they’d be daft to turn down, see why it stacks up for employers.
How to raise it
Keep it simple and lead with the benefit to the business. Something like:
“I’ve found a way to get a recognised, degree-level AI qualification that’s government-funded and fits around my job. It would make me more productive and bring more AI know-how into the team, would you be open to me looking into it?”
What to send them
Point your manager to our page for employers and our fully funded AI apprenticeship overview. Both explain the funding, the time commitment (about six hours a week, on real work) and the eligibility in plain terms. If it helps, we’re happy to talk your employer through the options directly, just put us in touch.
The bottom line
A £18,000 qualification, funded by government, that makes you more valuable and your employer more competitive, one of the biggest funded training opportunities in the UK right now. The hardest part is just asking.
Ready to raise it?
We’ll check your eligibility and can explain the options to your employer directly.
Do I qualify?Get in touchAI Skills Training arranges AI apprenticeship training delivered by approved, APAR-registered training partners; the qualification is awarded following independent end-point assessment. Funding is subject to eligibility, confirmed before enrolment. “Degree level” refers to a Level 4 qualification.
How to frame it so your manager says yes
Managers say no to cost and risk, not to growth. So lead with the part that removes both: the training is funded up to £18,000 and potentially costs nothing. Then connect it to a problem they already care about, the reports that take too long, the admin backlog, the work you could take on with sharper tools.
Keep your ask small. You are not asking them to commit today, only to let you check eligibility and bring back the details. That is a low-risk yes, and it is usually the one that gets the ball rolling.
Key takeaways
- Lead with the funding (potentially £0 to employers) to remove the cost objection.
- Tie it to a problem your manager already wants solved.
- Ask only for permission to check eligibility, a small, low-risk yes.
- Bring the numbers: up to £18,000 of training, around 14 months, one recognised qualification.
Register your interest
Two quick questions and we’ll confirm your funding and hold your place.
AI Skills Training arranges places on apprenticeship training delivered by approved, APAR-registered training partners; the qualification is awarded following an independent end-point assessment. Funding is subject to eligibility, confirmed before enrolment. The AI & Automation Practitioner is a Level 4 (degree-level) standard, funded up to £18,000 per learner.
We help UK employers and employees access government-funded AI training. Training is delivered by third-party providers.
We do not guarantee a place, a qualification, a job or any particular outcome. Eligibility and funding rules are set by the funding body and can change. Always check the current position before you commit. See our disclaimer.
Questions people ask
How do I bring AI training to my employer?
This isn’t you asking for an expensive favour. Apprenticeship training is funded by government. It is fully funded if your employer pays the apprenticeship levy and has funds available. If it does not, government funds 95 per cent, and all of it for an apprentice aged 16 to 24, with a levy-transfer pledge able to cover the rest. In return they get a more capable, more productive team member, and the work you do during the apprenticeship happens
Who is the Level 4 AI apprenticeship for?
You need to be employed, aged 16 or over, and have a line manager who can sign off your timesheets. Your employer needs to be happy for you to attend. You also commit to a monthly remote masterclass and to the full 14 month programme.
What does the AI apprenticeship cost?
For levy-paying employers the training is fully funded from the levy they already pay, and a levy transfer can cover the balance if those funds run short. Government funding covers all of the cost for apprentices aged 16 to 24. For those aged 25 and over it covers 95 per cent, and a levy transfer from a larger employer can cover the rest. A larger employer can pledge unused levy funds to cover that share, if you apply and are accepted. The learner never pays anything.
How long does it take and how is it delivered?
It is the Level 4 Artificial Intelligence and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship, a national standard. It runs for around 14 months, is studied online around your job, and has no entry requirements. It ends with an independent End-Point Assessment.