AI apprenticeship cost
AI apprenticeship cost & the levy, explained.
The Level 4 AI apprenticeship is worth around £18,000 per person — but most people pay a fraction of that, or nothing at all. Here’s exactly how the funding works and what it costs you.
See your cost →What's involved →Fully funded from the levy you already pay.
~£900; the government funds the other 95%.
How apprenticeship funding works
Apprenticeships are funded through the apprenticeship levy and government co-investment. Larger employers (with an annual pay bill over £3 million) pay the levy — a pot of money set aside for training. For them, this apprenticeship is funded straight from that pot, so there’s nothing extra to pay. Smaller, non-levy employers don’t pay the levy; instead the government funds 95% of the cost and the employer contributes the remaining 5%. The individual learner never pays.
What it costs, in each case
Levy-paying employer
£0 out of pocket — funded from the levy you already contribute.
Non-levy employer
5% of the cost — around £900 on an £18,000 programme. The government funds the rest.
The learner
Nothing, ever. You earn while you learn, with no student debt.
A degree-level AI qualification is worth £18,000 per person — yet most employers pay nothing towards it, and those who do typically pay just 5%.
What is the apprenticeship levy? (in plain English)
The apprenticeship levy is just a training fund. Larger employers — those with a wage bill over £3 million a year — automatically pay a small amount into it through payroll. That money can only ever be spent on training, so it makes sense to actually use it. What this means for you:
- If you pay the levy — you have already paid in. This simply puts your own money to work, so the training costs you nothing.
- If you do not pay the levy — the government covers 95% and you add just 5%. For staff under 25 at a smaller business it is often fully funded, so you pay nothing.
- A bigger business can fund a smaller one. A levy payer can pass up to half of their unused levy to another employer (a "levy transfer"), which covers 100% of the cost — so a smaller business can be trained completely free.
Figures reflect current government apprenticeship funding rules. We confirm exactly what applies to you before anything goes ahead.
What would it cost you? Quick estimate
Drag the slider and pick your situation — your indicative cost updates instantly.
Indicative only, based on the published £18,000 funding band and current government funding rules. Your exact cost is confirmed in writing before enrolment. Non-levy co-investment is 5%; under-25 and levy-transfer routes can reduce this to £0.
Common questions
- How much does the AI apprenticeship cost?
- For levy-paying employers it is fully funded (£0). For non-levy businesses the government funds 95% and you pay 5% — around £900 on an £18,000 programme. The learner pays nothing.
- What is the apprenticeship levy?
- A fund that larger employers (annual pay bill over £3m) pay into and can use for apprenticeship training. If your business pays it, this training comes from that pot at no extra cost.
- Do I need to pay anything as the learner?
- No. The cost is met by the employer and government funding; the learner never pays.
See exactly what it would cost you
Tell us about you or your business and we’ll confirm your funding — no obligation.
Check your funding →Talk to us →AI Skills Training arranges AI apprenticeship training delivered by our approved, RoATP-registered training partners; the qualification is awarded following independent end-point assessment. Funding is provided through the apprenticeship levy and government co-investment and is subject to eligibility and funding-body rules, confirmed before enrolment. Figures are indicative; £18,000 is the funded value of the programme and the non-levy contribution is 5%. "Degree level" refers to a Level 4 qualification.
Official sources & further reading
The facts on this page come from official UK government guidance. Check the funding and the apprenticeship standard for yourself:
AI Skills Training — future-proofing the UK workforce. We arrange AI apprenticeship training delivered by approved, RoATP-registered training partners; funding is subject to eligibility and confirmed before enrolment.