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AI & Automation Practitioner · Level 4 · Government-funded

Build real AI and automation skills — inside your own business

Elvante trains your team to design and build practical automations around your actual workflows, guided one-to-one by two specialist tutors. You don't just learn AI — you leave with working systems your business owns and keeps.

🎯 One-to-one, tailored to your business 👥 Two specialist tutors 🔑 You keep everything you build
What makes Elvante different Presented by Elvante · 60–90 seconds · captions included

A short welcome introducing the programme and what's unique about how we deliver it — practical, one-to-one, and built around your business. A written summary appears beneath the video.

Start here

Which situation best describes you?

Pick one and we'll highlight the most relevant path as you scroll.

👤I'm the sole directorand I want to do the programme myself
👥Upskill an employeeenrol someone already on my team
🧑‍💼Recruit someone newbring in a new employee to train
🤔I'm not sure yetshow me everything
The programme

What would the programme involve?

1

One-to-one and online

Delivered individually and remotely, not through generic group classes.

2

Tailored to the business

Projects connect to the employee's real role, responsibilities and workflows.

3

Two specialist tutors

A Business Tutor connects learning to commercial outcomes; a Technical Tutor helps design, build and test solutions.

4

Typical duration

Normally designed to be completed over approximately 12 months.

5

Monthly tutor support

Four hours of one-to-one sessions each month — two hours with each tutor.

6

Real business projects

Every skill is applied to genuine automations your business needs — learning by building.

How the programme works2–3 minutes · captions · written summary below
The key step

What must be in place before you can start?

A quick, honest check. It's initial guidance — the final details are always confirmed with you at consultation.

Email me my result and a personalised checklist
See next steps

Guidance rate: apprentice minimum wage £8.00/hr (first-year). The correct rate depends on age and stage and is confirmed before enrolment.

Most people land here for this reason

Can a sole director or one-person company take part?

Being the only person in the company today doesn't rule you out. Apprenticeship funding is based on genuine employment and real workplace support — so a few things need to be true first.

Pathway 1 — Bring in a new employee

You recruit or employ another person who completes the programme, while you (the owner or director) act as their workplace mentor.

Pathway 2 — You become the employee

The company needs another suitable person who can genuinely fulfil the employer-support and mentor role. Adding a name to paperwork isn't enough — they must really support and review the employee.

General guidance only — Elvante is a training provider, not an accountant or tax adviser. Please confirm the details with your accountant or the official GOV.UK pages before acting.

Sole trader? How to set up a limited company so you can be the employee

A quick clarification first: as a sole trader you can register as an employer and run PAYE for someone you hire — so if you want to enrol an employee, you may not need a company at all. You only need to incorporate if you want to be the paid employee, because you can't be an employee of your own sole-trader business.

The usual route to set up a limited company:

  1. Register online with Companies House (currently £100 as of 1 Feb 2026) — you'll need a company name, a registered office address, at least one director and shareholder, and a SIC code. Online applications are typically approved within 24 hours.
  2. Register the company for Corporation Tax with HMRC.
  3. Set up a PAYE scheme (see the panel below) so you can be paid a salary through payroll.

Bear in mind the ongoing admin — annual accounts and a confirmation statement — so it's worth a short chat with an accountant on whether incorporating is right for you. Official guidance: gov.uk/limited-company-formation.

If you're not ready yet

Your practical route towards eligibility

1

Confirm who will do the programme

Owner/director, an existing employee, or a new recruit?

2

Put the employment arrangement in place

Set up PAYE where required and prepare an appropriate employment contract.

3

Confirm hours and pay

Ensure at least the required weekly hours and payment at the applicable minimum wage.

4

Appoint a genuine workplace mentor

Someone who understands the role, can support development, attend reviews and give employer feedback.

5

Review the arrangement with Elvante

Once these are in place — or there's a realistic plan — book a one-to-one consultation.

What the mentor or supervisor is expected to do
Support the employee's development at work, give feedback on progress, take part in periodic progress reviews, help create opportunities to apply the learning, and contribute to the Gateway readiness decision where required. They don't need to be an AI expert — the tutors provide the specialist support.

General guidance only — Elvante is a training provider, not an accountant or tax adviser. Please confirm the details with your accountant or the official GOV.UK pages before acting.

No PAYE yet? How to register as an employer

You register with HMRC to open a PAYE scheme. In outline:

  1. Sign in to (or create) a HMRC business tax account using Government Gateway.
  2. Complete the online "register as an employer" form on GOV.UK.
  3. HMRC issues a PAYE reference and Accounts Office reference, usually within about five working days.
  4. Choose payroll software and start submitting your real-time (RTI) returns each payday.

Timing matters: register before your first payday, you can't register more than two months ahead, and HMRC won't backdate it. Registration is required once anyone is paid at or above the secondary threshold (around £96/week for 2026/27) — an apprentice on £8.00/hr for 16 hours is above this, so it will apply. Official page: gov.uk/register-employer.

Running PAYE efficiently — HMRC's free Basic PAYE Tools

HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools is free software aimed at businesses with fewer than 10 employees — well suited to a single apprentice or director. It works out tax and National Insurance and files the RTI submissions HMRC requires.

Two things to know: it's a desktop app with no payslips and, importantly, no pension auto-enrolment — which becomes a legal duty once you employ staff. If you'd rather have payslips and auto-enrolment handled, low-cost commercial payroll software (several have free tiers for small employers) covers this, or a small payroll bureau can run it for you. Download and guidance: gov.uk/basic-paye-tools.

The outcome

What your employees will actually build

This isn't a few online AI lessons. By the end, your team has delivered working automations — and earned a nationally recognised Level 4 qualification.

Automated quote & invoice workflow
Cut a two-hour manual job to minutes.~6 hrs/week saved
AI-assisted customer enquiry triage
Incoming emails sorted, drafted and routed automatically.Faster response times
Reporting dashboard automation
Weekly reports that used to be built by hand, now generated on a schedule.~4 hrs/week saved

Illustrative examples — replace with your own case studies.

See what our employees have built2 minutes · real projects · captions included

A short showcase reel of automations built by real learners on the programme.

Initial assessment→ Training plan→ Business & technical learning→ Workplace automation projects→ Portfolio & reviews→ Gateway→ End-Point Assessment→ 🎓 Level 4 qualification
Cost & funding

How much will it cost your business?

£0

Many small employers pay nothing. For SMEs taking on an employee under 22, the government funds 100% of the training — up to the £18,000 funding band.

🎁 Plus a £2,000 hiring incentive for employees aged 16–24

In plain terms

Under-22 employee → £0 to you.
Other employees → government funds 95%, you contribute roughly £900 (5% of an £18k band).
Levy-paying employers → funded from your levy balance.

Fully-funded SMEs

Employee under 22 at a smaller business — 100% government-funded training, nothing to pay.

Non-levy employers

Government funds 95%; you contribute around 5% (approx £900 on an £18k band), plus the £2,000 incentive where eligible.

Levy-paying employers

Training funded directly from your apprenticeship levy balance.

Funding depends on the employee's age, your company size and current government rules — the fully-funded route and £2,000 incentive apply under 2026 rules and dates. Final funding is confirmed before enrolment. Figures are updated centrally.
Common questions

Questions we hear most

Can I do the programme if I'm the only person in my company?
Potentially — but not while acting as the employee, sole employer representative and your own workplace mentor at once. A suitable separate person and a valid employment arrangement would need to be assessed.
Can I pay myself through dividends?
Dividends don't normally replace the requirement for formal employment and payroll where PAYE is required.
Does the mentor have to be an AI expert?
No. The mentor supports the employee in the workplace. The technical and business tutors provide the specialist support.
How much time does the employee need each week?
The employee needs dedicated time during paid working hours for learning and applied project work — including tutor sessions, research and building automations. We'll confirm the exact commitment with you, and the projects are real work for your business.
Can the employee work fewer than 16 hours?
This programme pathway requires at least 16 hours per week. Different working patterns should be discussed before any commitment.
Can I start immediately after setting up PAYE?
Not automatically. The employment must be genuine, the role suitable, the mentor available, and all employee and funding conditions checked.
Can you help us recruit someone?
Yes. Where you need a new employee rather than upskilling an existing one, we can discuss this at consultation.
Can you guarantee we'll be eligible?
No. This page is initial guidance only. Final eligibility depends on the full employer, employee and funding assessment.
Next step

Ready to explore the next step?

Everything's already in place

You meet the core requirements and want to move forward.

Book a one-to-one consultation

I know what needs to change

A shorter call to sanity-check your plan before you commit.

Request a 15-minute prep call

I'm not ready yet

Keep the checklist and come back when arrangements are realistic.

Email me the eligibility checklist
Check my eligibility pathway