Information for Staff

There is a tendency to associate the term ‘apprenticeship’ with training for younger people who are new to the workplace. While this remains an important activity, apprenticeships are also available to individuals at any stage of their career and at a variety of levels, right through to Masters, allowing staff to gain new skills and qualifications on the job. More than 700 apprenticeships have been approved for delivery nationally, across a range of professions.

An apprenticeship combines hands-on, workplace experience with formal, off-the-job training. An apprenticeship should last for a minimum of 12 months and a learner must spend at least 6 hours a week on development related to their programme. To attract apprenticeship funding, training must be delivered by an accredited training provider, and the learner must work towards an approved Apprenticeship Standard. An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification and involves an end-point assessment of the learner’s knowledge and practical capabilities.

Apprenticeship training and assessment are funded centrally through a mechanism called the Apprenticeship Levy, an initiative introduced in 2017 to increase the level of investment by large employers in skills and training. Imperial pays a substantial Apprenticeship Levy, which we can draw on to fund training and assessment for apprentices, who may be new entrants or existing employees. People and Organisational Development (POD) manage Imperial's Apprenticeship Levy on behalf of the University. Reforms to the Levy have been announced and are expected to take effect later in 2025.

To be eligible for an apprenticeship, learners should:

• Be in a role that will allow you to meet the learning objectives of the programme (i.e. the apprenticeship needs to be relevant to your job).
• Have approval from your line manager.
• Be ready to commit to the minimum study requirement (6 hours a week on average, in work time) and have agreed with your manager that this can be balanced with operational demands.
• Have Maths and English at Level 2 (i.e. GCSE grade A* - C / 9 – 4 or equivalent). If you do not have this, there will usually be an opportunity to complete it as part of the programme. Imperial also provides support to have overseas equivalents accredited, where necessary.
• Have long enough remaining on your contract of employment to complete the programme.
• Have the right to work in the UK and an eligible residency status (please refer to Education and Skills Funding Agency rules, Annex A, for further information).
• Training providers may also specify additional requirements.

The following apprenticeship programmes are currently available to Imperial staff:

Executive Development Programme (launching April 2025)

Data-Driven Professional (launching June 2025)

Data-Driven Leader (launching June 2025)

Data Analyst (launching June 2025)

Data Engineer (launching June 2025)

Certificate in Leadership and Supervision (launching Summer 2025)

Yes, we will be adding to our apprenticeship offer for staff in the months ahead so please check back for updates and subscribe to the People and Organisational Development Newsletter.

Explore our case studies of Imperial staff who have completed an apprenticeship to support their professional development.

Staff should attend an Information Session to find out more. Please contact us to register.

Executive Development Programme Information Sessions:

Thursday, 13 February 2025, 10.00 – 11.00

Thursday, 27 February 2025, 10.00 – 11.00

Data Academy Information Sessions:

Wednesday 2 April 2025, 11.00 – 12.00

Wednesday 9 April 2025, 11.00 – 12.00