Apprenticeship units
Training providerThis page explains what apprenticeships units are, who can deliver them and how eligibility will be confirmed.
What are apprenticeship units?
Apprenticeship units are short flexible training courses designed to support employers to upskill their workforce in critical skill shortage areas.
Launching in April, apprenticeship units will be funded through the Growth and Skills Levy.
The content for apprenticeship units comes from the knowledge and skills from existing apprenticeship occupational standards.
They include the key knowledge and skills needed to address specific critical skills gaps.
From April 2026, apprenticeship units will be available for delivery in:
- AI leadership – developing AI strategy
- Electric vehicle charging point installation and maintenance
- Electrical fitting and assembly
- Mechanical fitting and assembly
- Permanent modular building assembly
- Solar PV installation and maintenance
- Welding - mechanised
This initial release aligns with the Industrial Strategy and reflects evidence and advice from Skills England on where demand, impact and need are greatest.
We will continue working with Skills England to identify further skills gaps which could benefit from apprenticeship units, while ensuring affordability.
Who apprenticeship units are for
Apprenticeship units are for employed learners aged 19 and over whose employer has identified a need to upskill them quickly to meet business needs and remain competitive.
Apprenticeship units are not designed for learners seeking to start a new career or occupation.
Delivery requirements
Apprenticeship units:
- last between 30 and 140 delivery hours
- can be delivered over a period of 1 to 16 weeks
- offer flexibility in the delivery model to best suit the needs of the employer and learner, in negotiation with their training provider
There are no standalone English or maths requirements, beyond what is needed for the skill being developed.
Assessment
Learners will need to pass a skills test, delivered by the training provider, to demonstrate they have acquired the skills and knowledge set out in the apprenticeship unit. Employers will need to validate the result to confirm the learner has been successful.
If an employer or learner feels external independent assessment is needed, for example to meet regulatory requirements, they can work with their training provider to arrange this.
Details of the assessment process for each unit will be set out on the apprenticeship unit on the Skills England website.
Progression to apprenticeships
Where someone has taken an apprenticeship unit and progresses onto the linked apprenticeship, it will count as prior learning. All apprenticeships must still have a remaining duration of at least 8 months and comply with off-the-job training requirements.
Who can deliver apprenticeship units
For the initial launch, delivery is limited to a targeted group of existing apprenticeship training providers who already demonstrate strong performance in the occupational standards from which the units are drawn.
To be eligible, training providers must:
- deliver the standards or sector subject areas (Tier 2) from which apprenticeship units are drawn (based on 2024/25 delivery data)
- be on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR) and actively delivering apprenticeships
- not have any indicators rated as ‘at risk’ on the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework
- be free from contractual funding restrictions
How eligibility will be confirmed
The Department will carry out a verification check against the published eligibility criteria. Once this check is complete, eligibility to deliver apprenticeship units be confirmed.
As part of the verification process, the Department will contact eligible training providers at the end of March and invite them to indicate their interest in delivering apprenticeship units.
If you believe you meet the criteria but have not received an invitation by the start of April, please contact the helpdesk.
If you’re eligible and have been verified by the Department to offer apprenticeship units in England, update your listing on Find apprenticeship training through your apprenticeship service account.
Why eligibility is limited initially
For the initial launch, the Department is taking a phased approach.
Apprenticeship units will first be delivered by training providers who already meet a clear set of quality and performance thresholds in the standards and sectors the units are drawn from.
This approach allows the Department to:
- introduce the new offer in a controlled way
- ensure consistent implementation
- gather early insights before scaling up
If a training providers performance or rating improves, they may become eligible during the year, we will provide more details on how training providers can express interest if this happens.
Accountability and monitoring
Apprenticeship units are a new, shorter form of apprenticeship training, and we recognise that training providers may need time to adapt their delivery models before commencing delivery.
Apprenticeship units will be reflected in the Apprenticeship training provider accountability framework, with monitoring through existing funding agreement arrangements.
Initially, this will include tracking the ratio of starts to completion and average durations, without setting thresholds while the offer is in its early development phase.
We will publish more information on how units will be incorporated into the framework during the initial phase as the model is refined.
Funding
Apprenticeship units will be fully funded for non-levy paying employers.
Levy payers can use their levy funds to pay for apprenticeship units. This is the first time levy funds can be used for non-apprenticeship training.
We will be carrying out further testing with critical stakeholders to confirm the funding rates and delivery hours are set at the right level. We want to ensure the final figures are robust and reflect sector needs. The details will be made available on the Skills England website from 1 April.
Further information
Details of each apprenticeship unit, including content and assessment requirements, will be available on Skills England website.
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