AI Strategy and Opportunity

AI leadership course

For businesses at an early or exploratory stage of AI adoption, it is critical to have leaders who can shift the conversation away from simply asking "What is AI?" to focusing strictly on proving a tangible return on investment.

Overview

Acting as "The Revenue Finder" for your business, this course is essential for organisations that need to identify viable AI opportunities. This course shifts the focus from the technology itself to "Where is the return on investment (ROI)?". You will learn how to build hard business cases that prove tangible value before making any critical technology investments. This course provides the crucial "Developer/Planner" governance layer, ensuring your technical teams are working on AI projects that have a strong strategic purpose and align with business goals, rather than building expensive solutions that nobody actually uses.

Duration

30 hours delivered flexibly

Funding

Up to £750 maximum funding

Accreditation

Level 5 Apprenticeship Unit

Who it’s for

This course is designed for individuals at the highest levels of management, specifically Executive Leadership (C-Suite) and Strategic Directors, who are responsible for setting the strategic direction, governance, and oversight for AI use. To be eligible, learners must be employed, aged 19 years or over, and working in a leadership position with the autonomy to deliver technological change and inform investment decisions.

Why choose this course?

This course provides the knowledge and skills required to shift the conversation away from simply asking "What is AI?" to proving tangible ROI and setting strategic direction.

Tangible outputs
You leave with a documented AI Strategy aligned to your business goals, and a hard Business Case that proves tangible value before any technology investments are made.
Peer knowledge and validation
By attending alongside leaders from various industries, you gain the opportunity to validate your strategies against peer experiences and support one another in applying learning.
Formal validation
Earn a Level 5 Achievement in AI Leadership, providing professional authority to lead these initiatives.
Risk mitigation
Access structured methods to evaluate opportunities, balancing potential productivity gains against feasibility, time, cost, and organisational readiness.

Course content

Organisational leadership
Understand the role of leadership in responsible AI adoption, including setting policies and building business cases that detail implications for the workforce, morale, and long-term sustainability.
Organisational development and goals
Learn to set a strategic direction for AI, secure buy-in from key stakeholders, and define an AI strategy that is fully aligned with organisational goals and risk appetite.
Viability
Assess the viability of solutions when making acquisition decisions by evaluating time, cost, data quality, and process maturity. Commission analysis to identify if AI adoption is viable while evaluating the risks and unintended consequences of projects.
Stakeholder engagement
Gain the skills to build support for AI strategy and adoption across the business, particularly focusing on effective communication and engagement with non-technical audiences.
Horizon scanning and implementation
Learn to horizon scan to identify new developments that have implications for AI use. Keep up to date with emerging technologies, critically evaluate vendor solutions, and monitor ongoing implementation.

AI Strategy and Opportunity

Duration

30 hours

Funding

Up to £750

Accreditation

Level 5

Why choose Kaplan?

In today’s fast-changing tech landscape, businesses need more than just tool users - they need adaptable problem-solvers who can unlock technology’s full potential to drive performance. That’s where Kaplan steps in.

Learning excellence

Beyond pure technology, we understand organisational DNA. Backed by global experience in data and tech learning, our industry-trusted experts deliver training shaped around how businesses actually work.

Flexing for the future

Our data and technology courses are flexible, future-facing, and can be tailored to industry to enable even greater relevance and application in the workplace.

Unrivalled support

Kaplan offers a truly holistic support system from industry specialists, encompassing learning, development and a growth mindset.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the AI Strategy and Opportunity apprenticeship course designed for?

This course is practically targeted at the highest levels of management, specifically Executive Leadership (C-Suite) and Strategic Directors who are responsible for setting the strategic direction and oversight of AI use. You must hold a leadership position with the autonomy to inform investment decisions.

I don't have a technical background. Will I be expected to write code?

You will not need to write any code in this unit. It focuses on upskilling leaders in AI literacy to understand business capabilities, limitations, and opportunities. You act as the planner, ensuring technical teams work on strategically viable projects.

How is this course different from the other AI Leadership courses?

This course acts as "The Revenue Finder," specifically designed for businesses at an early or exploratory stage of AI adoption. While our other units focus on delivery or procurement governance, this course is strictly about building foundational business cases, proving ROI, and setting initial strategy.

What is the required time commitment?

The course requires a minimum of 30 hours of compliance. Because it targets busy executives, the delivery is flexible and can be completed over a period of 1 to 16 weeks.

How much does the training cost?

This is an officially recognised Level 5 apprenticeship unit eligible for public funding, with a maximum funding rate of £750.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible, you must not already possess 50% or more of the required knowledge. You will need to complete a mini-skills scan and an initial validation call prior to enrollment to ensure the programme is right for you.

How will my learning be assessed?

To successfully complete the unit, you must pass a mandatory skills test delivered by the training provider, which will then need to be validated by your employer. An extended independent external assessment is also an option if deemed appropriate.

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