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ANS adds AI to Academy offering
Channel player gets the chance to add more AI and automation skills courses to its existing Academy
ANS is adding more artificial intelligence (AI) education to its apprenticeship programme, as the firm continues to take steps to ensure it is preparing the next generation for channel careers.
The channel player, which has been running its Academy and working with apprentices for more than 13 years, has been approved by the Department for Education (DfE) as a provider of the Level 5 AI Leadership Apprenticeship Unit.
An apprenticeship unit is shorter and offers more flexibility than traditional courses, and should appeal to those in leadership positions looking to bolster their existing skills with greater knowledge of AI. The course covers innovation management, governance and responsible implementation.
At the same time, the Academy is also introducing the Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship standard, which will ensure students gain the skills needed to support the design and deployment of AI systems.
Toria Walters, chief people officer at ANS, said the firm was keen to expand its educational offerings and ensure it was covering a wide range of skills.
“As AI moves from experimentation into everyday business operations, organisations need people with the skills to adopt it strategically and responsibly at scale,” she said. “Expanding our Academy offering with these programmes is an important part of how we support that transition.
“They have been designed to make AI skills development far more accessible and practical for organisations at every stage of their AI journey,” said Walters. “Together, they provide a flexible pathway for organisations looking to build confidence and capability around AI quickly and responsibly.”
Next generation
Walters recently spoke to MicroScope about the Academy, and the commitment from the firm to bringing in talent not only for its own organisation, but increasingly with other partners keen to train up the next generation.
“We are quite excited about seeing people come through, because I think once you’ve gone through it, and you can see what it’s given back and the talent that comes out the other side, and you see the actual reward from the effort that goes in, then you get the buy-in,” she said. “It’s also about seeing somebody who should be a senior manager in a technology business but would never have had that opportunity if they hadn’t come through this route. There’s not a bad thing about [ANS Academy].”
The Academy and apprenticeship activities at ANS have the backing from the top, and Richard Thompson, CEO at ANS, said it was part of its efforts to become a leading force in the market.
“At ANS, we talk about becoming a Frontier Firm – organisations that embed AI across workflows to augment people, improve productivity and unlock new ways of working,” he said. “But achieving that transformation requires more than access to technology alone. The right skills, governance and leadership capabilities are required to embed AI effectively, and these programmes are going to be an important part of helping businesses build that foundation with confidence.”
ANS has open registrations for those looking to get involved with both courses, with the programmes starting later this year.
