All three courses have been developed with Teesside University, an Ofsted Outstanding apprenticeship provider, and include a specific programme for C-suite and senior management focusing on AI leadership.

Grant Thornton said the launch builds on the existing AI & Digital Skills for Business Impact programme and responds to growing demand from organisations seeking structured, practical ways to build AI capability in-house.

Businesses are increasingly clear on the potential of AI and automation, but many are still working out how to build the internal capability to act on it, Grant Thornton said. The challenge is no longer whether to adopt AI – it is finding, developing and deploying the right people to do it effectively at every level.

The three cover distinct workstreams across the business, fully funded through the apprenticeship levy:

1.          AI & Digital Skills for Business Impact – a Level 4 apprenticeship for non-technical roles across operations, finance, customer support, project teams and change functions. Participants develop skills to identify business needs and drive process improvements in their area. Runs over 12 months, with one day per week allocated to programme activity, followed by a six-month assessment period. Already live. Fully funded through apprenticeship levy

2.          AI Leadership Units – new programme of 30-hour modules for senior leaders including C-suite, directors and associate directors. Focused on AI strategy, governance and investment decision-making, these units are designed for leaders who need working knowledge of AI to lead transformation effectively – not to build systems themselves. Not funded.

3.          AI & Automation Practitioner – new Level 4 apprenticeship for technical teams, automation specialists and innovation leads. Participants learn to design, build and deploy AI and automation solutions using low- and no-code tools, systems integration, prompt engineering and data analytics – within robust governance and risk frameworks. Fully funded.

Ruth Walsh, talent solutions partner at Grant Thornton, said: ‘Organisations are moving beyond asking whether to adopt AI to how to make it work – safely and responsibly.

‘One pattern we’re seeing is at board and leadership level: many organisations don’t yet have the AI ethics and governance frameworks to match their ambition. This offering builds that capability, alongside the practical skills to implement and invest well.’

The new apprenticeship agreement builds on private equity backed Grant Thornton’s recently announced GT Augment framework and the firm’s own leadership in AI adoption. It also follows the announcement of a £500m investment in the in-house tech stack to overhaul legacy practices and end silo working with an early rollout of AI tools to all 5,300 staff in the UK.

Useful reading

Grant Thornton invests £500m in tech to overhaul firm | 20 Jan 2026

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