AI Strategy and Opportunity Level 5

A practical programme for leaders who want to make better decisions about AI. AI is full of promise but for many employers, the real challenge is knowing where to start. This programme helps leaders cut through the noise, understand where AI could genuinely add value, and make informed decisions about strategy, risk, governance and adoption. It’s designed for organisations that want to build confidence and capability quickly, without committing staff to a long-form apprenticeship.

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5.0
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Over 16 Weeks
Apprenticeship Achievement Rate

Course Overview

A practical programme for leaders who want to make better decisions about Artificial Intelligence (AI).

AI is full of promise but for many employers, the real challenge is knowing where to start. This programme helps leaders cut through the noise, understand where AI could genuinely add value, and make informed decisions about strategy, risk, governance and adoption. It’s designed for organisations that want to build confidence and capability quickly, without committing staff to a long-form apprenticeship.

How it differs from Apprenticeships

This is an Apprenticeship unit, not a full-length Apprenticeship. That means it is shorter, more focused and designed to help employers respond quickly to a specific skills need. Apprenticeship units are short, flexible training courses created to help employers upskill their workforce in critical skills areas, fit learning around business needs and support growth and productivity.

So while a long-form Apprenticeship builds broader occupational competence over a much longer period, this programme is designed to do something different: give existing leaders targeted, practical capability in a specific area of need. In this case, that means understanding AI opportunity, governance, strategy, risk and adoption in a way that is directly useful to the organisation now.

30 hours completed over 16 weeks of training

Learners will need to pass a skills test to complete the Apprenticeship unit and show the right skills have been attained.

Capstone Skills Test: Presenting an AI Strategy


Maximum funding value of £750 and is eligible for public funding. Funding depends on the employer’s eligibility. Contact Fareport to discuss the funding options available to your business.

It’s a good fit for people such as:

  • senior leaders and heads of department who need to set direction and make sound decisions about AI investment and risk
  • operations, service and delivery managers looking for practical ways AI could improve productivity, quality or responsiveness
  • digital transformation or innovation leads who need to connect AI ideas to organisational priorities, governance and real-world delivery
  • governance, risk, compliance or information security professionals who need to contribute to responsible AI policy and oversight
  • HR and people leaders supporting workforce readiness, communication and adoption where AI may change the way people work

No advanced technical background is needed. This is not a programme for building machine learning models or becoming an AI engineer. It is for decision-makers who need to understand AI in a business setting what it can do, where it fits, what the risks are, and how to move forward responsibly.

This programme is for employers who want to upskill managers and leaders who are expected to shape, influence or oversee decisions about AI. It is especially relevant for organisations that are still exploring AI and need a practical, grounded understanding before making bigger investment or implementation decisions.

No advanced technical background is needed. This is not a programme for building machine learning models or becoming an AI engineer. It is for decision-makers who need to understand AI in a business setting.

To be eligible for an Apprenticeship unit, you (or the apprentice) must:

  • Be living and working in England
  • Be aged 19 or over
  • Be currently employed
  • Have the legal right to work in the UK
  • Have maintained UK residency for the last 3 years
  • Be employed in a real job; they may be an existing employee or a new hire
  • Work towards achieving an approved apprenticeship standard or framework
  • Work at least 30 hours a week
  • Be able to commit to the apprenticeship and its requirements
  • Not hold a prior qualification at the same or higher level in the same subject area
  • Not undertake or benefit from DfE funding during their apprenticeship programme, including Student Loans.
5.0
Based on 119 reviews
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Modules

Learners explore the essentials of AI in a leadership context: what AI is and is not, how to identify worthwhile opportunities, how to assess value and feasibility, how to put sensible guardrails in place, how to evaluate pilots and suppliers, how to bring stakeholders with you, and how to keep reviewing progress as technologies evolve.

The result is a practical learning experience that helps leaders move from curiosity and uncertainty to better judgement, clearer priorities and more confident action.

More information on the Standard is available here.

Begin by exploring the foundations of AI leadership and the role AI can play in achieving business objectives. You’ll gain an understanding of AI and automation concepts, strategic leadership responsibilities, and how to identify opportunities where AI could add value within your business.

Develop an understanding of responsible AI practices, including governance, information security, and workforce considerations. Learn how to establish clear principles and risk boundaries that support safe and ethical AI adoption.

Learn how to assess potential AI initiatives by evaluating business needs, readiness, process maturity, expected benefits, and potential risks. Discover how to prioritise opportunities that will deliver the greatest strategic value.

Explore how to develop a compelling business case for AI investment. Consider strategic drivers, expected return on investment, reputational impact, and sustainability when evaluating potential AI projects.

Create a clear AI vision that aligns with business priorities. Learn how to establish strategic objectives, define implementation priorities, and develop a practical roadmap while maintaining appropriate governance and human oversight.

Understand how to move from strategy into action by selecting suitable AI pilot projects. Learn how to evaluate use cases, design pilot activities, establish success measures, and determine when projects should continue, change direction, or stop.

Explore the different approaches to implementing AI solutions, including supplier selection, procurement considerations, quality assurance, and due diligence. Develop the knowledge to make informed technology purchasing decisions.

Successful AI adoption requires strong leadership and engagement. Learn how to communicate your AI strategy, build stakeholder support, manage change effectively, and encourage collaboration across the business.

Discover how to measure the success of AI initiatives through monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance, and awareness of emerging technologies. Learn how to refine your AI strategy as business needs and technology evolve.

Bring together everything you’ve learned by presenting a complete AI strategy. You’ll produce an AI strategy pack and deliver a presentation with questions and answers, demonstrating your ability to lead AI strategy within your business.

Meet the Trainers

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Frequently Asked Questions

Apprenticeship units consists of short, focused training, based on knowledge and skills taken from an existing Apprenticeship standard. Rather than completing a full Apprenticeship programme, an employee completes one specific unit.

Depending on the unit, programmes typically take between 1 and 16 weeks to complete. Apprenticeship units offer focused, flexible training that can be completed much more quickly than a full apprenticeship.

To complete an Apprenticeship unit, employees must:

  • Be aged 19 or over
  • Be in full time employment
  • Spend at least 50% of their working hours in England
  • Not already be completing an apprenticeship at the same time.

There are 2 approaches to the assessment of Apprenticeship units:

The mandatory assessment will consist of a skills test to assess whether the learner has acquired the skills and knowledge in the Apprenticeship unit, meaning they are competent to take on the relevant tasks and responsibilities in line with the employer’s expectations. There is also an optional extended assessment. This optional assessment may be relevant where a qualification aligns with sector expectations or regulatory requirements.

While a learner can only undertake on qualification at a time, once finished, they can do another unit. However, Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) and experience will be considered in the same way as Apprenticeships. Therefore, the learner may not be eligible if we conclude that there is no substantive new learning.

Why Learn with Fareport Training?

Established in 1983, we’ve been helping people & businesses grow for over 40 years.

40+ Years’ Experience

Ranked in the top 25% of training providers inspected in England by Ofsted. Trusted by employers, councils & learners alike for over 40 years.

Expert Trainers

Our trainers are highly experienced professionals who bring real subject-based knowledge & skills to every session.

Career Support

We don’t just train you – with some of our courses we help you find work with CV support, interview coaching, and employer connections.

Course Reviews

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Fareport more than meet our needs as an employer. A complete range of staff have benefited from the training provided by Fareport relevant to their area of work.

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Kept up to date with progress of employees through the reviews that are carried out. A key strength was the knowledge of assessors.

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A key strength of Fareport is “Flexibility to the individual and us as the employer. A good mix of visiting the workplace and offering some offsite specific training and tests. Good support with a personal touch too”.

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