Skills England's three approved Level 5 AI leadership units separate the leadership journey into strategy and opportunity, adoption and governance, and delivery and organisational transformation. This guide compares them using their current specifications and the published unit rules.
Each unit was approved on 21 April 2026, has an earliest start date of 28 April 2026, requires at least 30 delivery hours and has maximum funding of £750.
For leaders who set direction, explore adoption opportunities and need to make evidence-based recommendations.
For leaders who evaluate AI options and suppliers or shape adoption, governance and assurance decisions.
For leaders overseeing safe delivery, workforce change, operational risk and the ongoing performance of AI-enabled transformation.
| Unit | Primary decision scope | Typical leadership evidence | Official learning aim |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU0009 | Where and why the organisation should use AI | Strategy, opportunity assessment, viable use case or pilot recommendation | ZSC00009 |
| AU0010 | What to adopt and how to govern the decision | Vendor evaluation, procurement recommendation, governance or assurance approach | ZSC00010 |
| AU0011 | How to deliver change and control ongoing outcomes | Transformation plan, workforce response, risk control or monitoring approach | ZSC00011 |
The learner must be employed and aged at least 19 at the start.
The role must provide autonomy to apply technology-enabled change or inform investment decisions.
The provider must identify new knowledge and skills. For April–July starts, overlap of 50% or more makes the learner ineligible.
Job title alone is not enough. A provider should record the learner's actual decision scope, existing competence and opportunity to apply the selected unit at work.
Thirty hours is the minimum for each current AI leadership unit. A provider may plan more. Funded delivery hours build new, directly relevant knowledge and skills with tutor and learner present together in a physical or virtual space. They occur during normal working hours but outside productive job activity, and all hours must fall within the recorded unit start and end dates.
Government funds the agreed price up to the £750 published maximum.
The employer uses available apprenticeship service account funds up to the agreed price and maximum.
Government pays 95% up to the maximum and the employer pays 5%. The employer also pays any amount above £750.
These rules apply to starts from 28 April through 31 July 2026. Later starts must use the funding rules in force on their actual start date.
AU0009, AU0010 and AU0011. Each is Level 5, requires at least 30 delivery hours and has maximum funding of £750.
No. It is withdrawn and has no earliest start date. It should not be promoted or used for a new enrolment.
Employed learners aged 19 or over in qualifying leadership roles, with enough autonomy to apply the learning and a genuine gap confirmed through initial assessment.
For April–July starts, government funds non-levy employers to the rate. Levy employers use account funds; when those are insufficient, government funds 95% to the rate and the employer pays 5%. Check start-date rules.
Through a mandatory provider skills test and three-way completion sign-off, including employer validation. Any extended assessment is optional and additional.
Compare the current course pages or use the employer guide to structure the decision.