Improvement Practitioner (Level 4)

£6,000.

Tuition fee financial support options, and how to apply for most of these, are detailed in our Apprenticeships Process Employer Guide. Please note the following important changes to apprenticeship tuition fee funding options, for August 2026-July 2027 intakes:

• For non-levy paying employers (most SMEs): the tuition fee will now be 100% gov funded if the candidate is aged 16-24 (or turning 16 June-August 2026). The education provider will advise employer how to secure this during programme application stage. For level 2-6 programmes if candidate is aged 25 or over, both the levy transfer (100% funds) and co-investment (95% funds) options will continue to be available for employers to apply for.
• For levy-paying employers: for all level 2-6 programmes, for both apprentices already on programme and future intakes, the co-investment option has changed to 25% employer contribution and 75% gov contribution. However, for future applications, the levy transfer option (100% funds) will continue to be available for employers to apply for.
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• Employer incentives for apprenticeships starting between August 2026-July 2027 (see here for full details):
  • £1,000 if apprentice is aged 16-18 (or turning 16 June-August 2026); or aged between 19-24 and has either an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by their local authority and/or has been, or are, in the care of their local authority.
  • £2,000 for non-levy paying employers only (typically SMEs) if recruit person(s) aged 16-24 (or turning 16 June-August 2026) on to an apprenticeship programme from October 2026, as long as the employment only starts within 90 days before the intake start date.
• £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant - Employer may be able to apply for this if recruits an unemployed person(s) aged 18-24 who has been on universal credit for over 6 months. Full details are available here.
• Employer may not have to pay Class 1 Employer National Insurance if apprentice is under the age of 25. Full details are available here.

Apprenticeships require learners to achieve specific new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs), which are detailed in the Apprenticeship Standard. These are achieved by;
1) Programme Teaching; online coaching sessions , workshops (once a month) and online resources.
2) Independent study; such as assignment/project research and write up
3) Learning in the workplace; shadowing colleagues, completing programme assigned work based projects, day-to-day development within your current role duties/work activities, reflections with mentor, relevant training sessions.

• Employed minimum 30 hours per week in a suitable role for the duration of the apprenticeship (apprenticeship duration may be extended to support staff who work less than this will be looked at on individual basis)
• Preferably, evidence of English and Maths at GCSE C/4 or above / Functional Skills Level 2 / Equivalent. If the candidate does not have evidence of Maths and English at the relevant level, there are two options; 1. via NHSE funded online revision and exams. Or, 2, Education Provider will support the learner through the relevant learning and exams, alongside their apprenticeship. An initial diagnostic assessment will be completed by the Education Provider at application stage to determine suitability for this option. Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.

Full requirement details are found on the course webpage/information.

• Ensure Learner has the support and opportunities to achieve the requirements of the apprenticeship
•Mentor for the apprentice.

• It takes on average 1 month to complete all application stages for this programme.
• If recruiting to this position, additional time will be required for recruitment and advertising stages.

Further Programme and Provider Information

• Check the Provider's latest Ofsted Rating
• Check the Provider's latest Achievement Rates and Reviews

• Apprenticeship Standard
• Capella Website – Improvement Practitioner

If you would like to know anything further about the programme itself, please contact: Teresa Ward on [email protected]

How to Apply

If you would like to apply for an apprenticeship programme or unit, please complete our apprenticeship form. This form is for Primary Care Employers within Lancashire and South Cumbria only.

By completing the form, the Training Hub Apprenticeships Team will be able to complete basic pre-checks, provide you with personalised guidance, and start the application process for you. If you would like to discuss anything first, please email [email protected] or call Olivia, Apprenticeships Manager, on 07735161775. You can find out about the stages of applying for an apprenticeship within our Apprenticeships Process (Employer Guide).