If you’re in the position where you want to provide training for your employees, but committing to an apprenticeship isn’t quite what your team needs, this article is for you. 


We’re going to cover what Apprenticeship Units are and why businesses should care about these new changes in a quick read. As the government releases new information about Apprentice Units, we will add and summarise updates in this article, helping you stay up to date with the latest announcements.

What Are Apprenticeship Units? 

Apprenticeship Units are bite-sized sections of existing apprenticeship standards. 


They were introduced by the UK government in October 2025, with the plan to start providing them in April 2026. 
Instead of signing up someone for an apprenticeship, the Apprenticeship Units are smaller and focus on a particular skill. They can be used for training in high-demand areas such as AI, digital, engineering and construction. 

Why Should Businesses Care About Apprenticeship Units? 

1. Upskill Your Team Quickly 


Apprenticeship Units are shorter than an apprenticeship. They take between 1 week and 3 months to complete instead of 15 – 48 months. 

2. Targeted Training for Employees 


Training is on specific areas where there are common skill gaps, so training is practical and immediately useful. 

3. Lower Commitment for Training

An employee doesn’t need to commit to a full apprenticeship to be able to get their training funding from the Growth and Skills Levy. It can now be spent on an Apprenticeship Unit, which can take 1 week-3 months to complete. 

 
Apprenticeship vs Apprenticeship Unit: What’s the Difference? 

Apprenticeships Apprenticeship Units
Duration: 15-48 months Duration: 1 week – 3 months 
Full occupational qualification  Focused on specific high-demand skills 
Designed for long-term role development  Ideal for rapid upskilling of experienced staff 

 

What’s Changed with the Growth and Skills Levy?  

Before Apprentice Units were introduced, businesses could only spend their Growth and Skills levy on apprenticeships. If a business wanted to upskill an employee who wasn’t an apprentice, the budget would need to come from a separate training pot. 


These changes provide businesses with more flexibility. They can use their levy funding for shorter modular training for staff.

 

Will Cambridge Marketing College Be Offering Apprenticeship Units? 

The government has announced that training providers will need to apply to be able to offer Apprenticeship Units. As more information is released about the application process, we will update this article.  

If you are interested in finding out more about Apprenticeship Units, please fill out the form below, and we will be in touch with more information.