New Level 5 Apprenticeship Unit (AU0002)

Build AI strategy capability in your leadership team

Give managers and decision-makers a structured way to approach AI strategy, governance, risk and adoption — without committing to a full apprenticeship.

Proposed model: 50 hours over 10 weeks, shaped with employer input
Level 5
For employed leaders
Built around workplace application
Level 5
Qualification level
50 hrs
Guided learning
10 wks
Proposed duration
AU0002
Unit reference

Why it matters

Why AI leadership is now a business priority

Many organisations are already exploring AI tools, but far fewer have a clear leadership approach behind them.

That often leaves senior staff making decisions on AI use, investment, governance, policy and implementation without a structured framework to guide them — hesitation in some areas, risk in others.

01

01

Create clearer priorities

Help leaders decide where AI can add value, what to focus on first, and what good looks like in practice.

02

02

Strengthen governance and judgement

Support better decisions around accountability, policy, procurement, risk and responsible adoption.

03

03

Lead change more confidently

Give managers a more practical way to move from discussion to implementation.

04

04

Build capability inside the business

Develop internal confidence and leadership capacity rather than relying only on external advice.

This unit is designed to help leaders move from interest and uncertainty to a more confident, strategic approach.

For employers

A focused route to developing AI leadership capability

This is not about teaching someone to code.

It is about helping the right people in your organisation develop the strategic thinking, governance awareness and practical leadership skills needed to guide AI adoption well.

For employers, that means a more targeted way to upskill existing staff in an area that is becoming increasingly important, without needing to commit to a broader apprenticeship.

Programme structure

What is an apprenticeship unit?

A shorter, more focused training programme designed to build capability in a specific area of practice — narrower in scope than a full apprenticeship.

In simple terms

Recommended for this need

Apprenticeship unit

  • Shorter and more focused
  • Designed around a specific skills need
  • Suitable for targeted upskilling
  • Lower overall learning commitment
  • Well suited to existing staff in defined leadership or operational roles

Best suited for

Existing staff in leadership or operational roles who need targeted AI strategy capability now.

For comparison

Full apprenticeship

  • Broader occupational scope
  • Longer duration
  • Designed for full occupational competence
  • Greater learning commitment
  • Better suited where fuller role development is needed

Best suited for

Programmes where broader occupational competence is needed from the start.

The AI Leadership – Developing AI Strategy Apprenticeship Unit is aimed at leaders and decision-makers who need strategic AI capability, not technical delivery training.

Funding

Funding and eligibility

This unit offers employers a focused way to build AI leadership capability without the cost of a full commercial training programme.

Levy-paying employers

Existing levy funds may be used to cover the delivery of this unit for eligible staff.

Non-levy employers

For eligible non-levy employers, this training may be fully funded.

Typical learner profile

This unit is likely to suit employed adults who:

  • Work in leadership, strategy or operational roles
  • Contribute to organisational decision-making
  • Need AI strategy and implementation awareness rather than technical coding skills
  • Live and work in England, subject to funding rules

Delivery model

Designed to work around busy leaders

Our current proposed model is 50 hours over 10 weeks, designed to give leaders meaningful development without making the programme difficult to manage operationally.

The final structure is still being shaped with employer input, but the intention is clear: delivery should be practical, realistic and built around the pressures senior staff already face.

We are particularly interested in employer views on:

  • Whether 10 weeks feels right
  • Whether a shorter, more intensive model would work better
  • Whether virtual, in-person or blended delivery would be most effective

The goal is not just to deliver training. It is to build a format that busy organisations can actually use.

Proposed length
10weeks
Guided learning
50hours
Employer input
Required

The structure is still being shaped. Your input directly influences the final model.

Share your preferences

Consultation

Help shape the final delivery model

If this is relevant to your business, register your interest and tell us what would make the programme work for your team.

Your input will help shape the final structure, and we will use it to understand the delivery preferences, priorities and operational realities of employers considering the unit.

Consultation Phase

What would matter most to your organisation?

Choose the factor that would have the biggest impact on whether this programme works for your leaders.

About us

Why employers partner with Solveway

We design training around real workplace priorities, so employers build capability that is practical, relevant and commercially useful.

01

Employer-led approach

We shape delivery around operational reality, not just theory. Employers are active partners in how programmes are designed and delivered.

02

Practical delivery

Programmes are designed to be useful in the workplace from day one — not detached from it. Application over theory.

03

Trusted for new provision

We are actively helping shape the delivery of this new Level 5 unit with an employer-first mindset and a focus on real outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a shorter, focused training programme designed to help employed leaders build capability in AI strategy, governance, decision-making and adoption.

No. It is a more targeted unit, intended for specific upskilling rather than full occupational competence.

It is aimed at employed adults in leadership, strategic or operational roles who need to make informed decisions about AI in the workplace.

No. The focus is on leadership, strategy, governance and implementation rather than coding or technical build work.

Funding may be available through levy funding or government co-investment, depending on employer status and learner eligibility.

No. That is the current proposed structure, but employer feedback will help shape the final delivery model.

Registering interest allows you to influence the final structure and helps us understand whether the unit is a good fit for your organisation.

Get involved

Register early interest in the AI Leadership Unit

Register your interest to discuss whether this unit is right for your organisation and help shape the final delivery model.

Solveway Apprenticeships

Solveway delivers high-quality, practical apprenticeship training. This consultation page supports the development of the AI Leadership – Developing AI Strategy Apprenticeship Unit (AU0002).