Masterclasses
Twelve 3-hour live sessions: short teaching, a live demo and hands-on building with real tools.
PEAK Digital / Level 4 / ST1512
AI & Automation Practitioner
Become the person in your organisation who finds the work worth changing, then builds the AI and automation that changes it. Fifteen months of live, remote learning on a real problem from your own workplace, with no day release.
15months of learning
Plus end-point assessment
Plus end-point assessment
- live masterclasses
- 12
- build clinics
- 15
- 1:1 coaching sessions
- 15
- sprint reviews
- 12
- sponsor reviews
- 5
- observations
- 3
How the programme works
Learn it. Put it to work.
Live and remote, with no day release. About 7 hours of learning each week in paid working time.
Clinics
A live clinic every month, two weeks after each masterclass where scheduled. Bring a broken build and fix it with your trainer and cohort.
Coaching
A monthly 1:1 with your named coach to plan your next sprint, check progress and build evidence.
Your Challenge
One real workplace workflow, agreed before you start. Apply your learning to it in about 7 hours a week.
What makes PEAK different
Safe from day one
Responsible AI and GDPR essentials in induction, before building on live data.
A quick win by week 6
Your first automation is live within six weeks so you and your employer see value early.
Build it, break it, fix it
Twelve sprint reviews to demonstrate work, defend decisions and agree actions.
Impact you can measure
Baseline the process in month 2 and measure the change by month 15.
From first steps to gateway
Your 15-month journey
15 months of learning; end-point assessment within 3 months of gateway. A 1:1 with your coach and a build clinic every month.
Getting startedWeeks 0–2
- Initial assessment, skills scan and Challenge agreed with your employer.
- Training plan signed with a planned end date at month 15; end-point assessor engaged.
- Responsible AI and GDPR induction before using live data.
- Registration meeting with your coach.
Your sponsorAgree the Challenge, sign the plan and arrange approved tool and data access.
Month 1 · FindAI foundations and the business case
- AI foundations and the business case.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Week 6: first quick win live.
Your sponsorRead the coach’s update and unblock access when needed.
Month 2 · FindProcess discovery and opportunity mapping
- Process discovery and opportunity mapping.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 1: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Process mapped and baselined.
Your sponsorSee the process map and baseline.
Month 3 · BuildAutomation fundamentals and low-code tools
- Automation fundamentals and low-code tools.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 2: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Sponsor review 1.
Your sponsorJoin review 1 and agree next steps.
Month 4 · BuildPrompt engineering and LLMs
- Prompt engineering and LLMs.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 3: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
Your sponsorRead the coach’s update and unblock access when needed.
Month 5 · BuildData foundations
- Data foundations.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 4: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Observation 1.
- Main build running on live work.
Your sponsorSee the main build running.
Month 6 · BreakBuilding your first AI agent
- Building your first AI agent.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 5: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Sponsor review 2.
Your sponsorJoin review 2 and agree what to stress test.
Month 7 · BreakTest, refine and evidence your work
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 6: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Failure modes known.
Your sponsorHear the failure modes found.
Month 8 · FixMulti-agent workflows
- Multi-agent workflows.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 7: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
Your sponsorRead the coach’s update and unblock access when needed.
Month 9 · FixRAG and knowledge assistants
- RAG and knowledge assistants.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 8: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Sponsor review 3.
Your sponsorJoin review 3 and review progress against the standard.
Month 10 · FixTest, refine and evidence your work
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 9: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Observation 2.
- Stable and adopted by the team.
Your sponsorConfirm the team is using the solution.
Month 11 · AssureResponsible AI governance and GDPR
- Responsible AI governance and GDPR.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 10: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
Your sponsorBring in IT, risk and the Data Protection Officer.
Month 12 · AssureChange management, adoption and wellbeing
- Change management, adoption and wellbeing.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 11: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Sponsor review 4.
Your sponsorJoin review 4; plan sign-off and adoption.
Month 13 · AssureTest, refine and evidence your work
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sprint review 12: demo your work, explain decisions and agree actions.
- Observation 3.
- Data, risk and adoption signed off.
Your sponsorSign off data, risk and adoption.
Month 14 · ProveMeasuring value, vendor evaluation and horizon scanning
- Measuring value, vendor evaluation and horizon scanning.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Mock assessment and impact measured against the baseline.
Your sponsorDiscuss the predicted outcome with the coach.
Month 15 · ProveAI strategy project and EPA showcase
- AI strategy project and EPA showcase.
- Monthly 1:1 coaching and live build clinic.
- Sponsor review 5.
- Handover complete, readiness confirmed and gateway.
Your sponsorConfirm impact and gateway; protect assessment time and name the next Challenge.
The next step
End-point assessment
Within 3 months of gateway, your Challenge project is assessed by an independent assessor. Month 14 includes mock assessment; month 15 brings the EPA showcase, final readiness review and handover.
What you will learn
Practical skills. Real progress.
Induction and safe use
Your Challenge charter, responsible AI and GDPR essentials, and access to tools and data.
AI foundations and the business case
Where AI helps and fails, costing a process and making the case for change.
Process discovery and opportunity mapping
Map a process, baseline its cost and judge when automation is not the answer.
Automation fundamentals and low-code tools
Build triggers, actions and workflows on your own live work.
Prompt engineering and LLMs
Write, test and improve prompts, and add AI steps to a workflow safely.
Data foundations
Prepare, clean and quality-check the data behind automation.
Building your first AI agent
Design an agent, give it the right tools and test against real edge cases.
Multi-agent workflows
Connect agents and automations, handle failure and keep a person in the loop.
RAG and knowledge assistants
Build assistants using your organisation’s documents with controlled access.
Responsible AI governance and GDPR
Data protection, fairness, transparency, risk assessment and decision documentation.
Change management, adoption and wellbeing
Support colleagues and users, and manage the workforce impact of change.
Measuring value, vendor evaluation and horizon scanning
Measure impact against your baseline, choose tools well and keep up with change.
AI strategy project and EPA showcase
Bring your Challenge evidence together and present it with confidence.
A leader alongside you
The sponsor’s part
Learners progress fastest when a leader at work unblocks and adopts what they build. Allow about an hour a month for updates, reviews, observations and assessment readiness.
For employers
- A working solution live in your operation by month 15.
- A practitioner who can maintain the solution and find the next opportunity.
- Governance, risk and data handling evidenced and signed off.
- A named sponsor for about an hour a month, including reviews in months 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15.
- Approved system and data access, with IT and your Data Protection Officer involved early.
- A named Account Manager for your organisation.
Your next qualification
What you’ll achieve
Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship (ST1512), plus a process map, baseline, governance evidence, handover documentation and impact report.
For learners
- A named coach and monthly 1:1.
- About 7 hours of learning each week in working hours, mostly on your own Challenge.
- Live, remote delivery with no day release.
- A Level 4 apprenticeship and a working solution you built yourself.
Funding for employers
Make the investment clear.
Maximum funding: £18,000. For eligible apprenticeship starts in England from 1 August 2026.
| Your situation | Apprentice aged 16–24 | Apprentice aged 25+ |
|---|---|---|
| You don’t pay the levy | Fully funded | You pay 5% |
| You pay the levy | From your levy funds | From your levy funds |
| Levy payer, funds used up | Fully funded | You pay 25% |
Non-levy employers may also qualify for a hiring payment of up to £2,000 for eligible new apprentices aged 16–24 starting from 1 October 2026. Eligibility conditions apply.
Levy funds expire after 12 months under the current funding rules. A levy transfer may cover eligible training and assessment costs.
We confirm eligibility, costs and any contribution before enrolment. Employers meet any agreed costs above the funding band. Read the government’s funding guidance ↗
Your next step
Name the problem. Let’s scope your Challenge.
We’ll check eligibility, recommend the right plan and share our employer guide.
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