ACCEPTING APPLICATIONSREF: AU0010APPRENTICESHIP UNITLEVEL 5UNIT 2 OF 330 GUIDED HOURSONLINEAPPLIED ASSESSMENTFUNDING AVAILABLE*

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONSFUNDING AVAILABLE*APPRENTICESHIP UNIT

Level 5 apprenticeship unit · AU0010

AI Leadership: AI Adoption, Procurement & Governance

Choose, approve and govern AI tools with more confidence.

A short, practical Level 5 unit for non-technical leaders and managers involved in AI adoption, procurement, risk, governance or oversight. Learn how to assess AI solutions, challenge supplier claims, make more informed procurement decisions and design practical governance for responsible AI use.

Enquire about AU0010 View the AI Leadership pathway

*Funding may be available, subject to employer and learner eligibility. We’ll confirm your position before any commitment.

30 Hours

Guided Learning

Fully Funded*

Level 5

Unit

Applied

ASSESSMENT

Overview

AI tools are already entering the workplace.
Some are being tested formally. Others may already be used by staff without clear approval, oversight or rules.
For senior leaders, the question is no longer just whether AI could be useful. It is how to evaluate AI tools properly, choose suppliers carefully, manage risk and put the right governance in place before adoption spreads.
This short, practical Level 5 unit is designed for non-technical leaders and managers who are involved in AI adoption, procurement, risk, governance or oversight.

You will consider how AI procurement differs from normal software procurement, and where extra checks may be needed.
You will learn how to assess AI solutions, challenge supplier claims, make more informed procurement decisions and design practical governance for responsible AI use.

The problem this unit solves

AI adoption can move quickly once people start seeing the possibilities.

A team signs up for a tool. A supplier adds AI features to an existing system. Staff use public AI tools to save time. A senior team asks whether the organisation should invest in a larger AI solution.

Before long, the organisation has important questions to answer:

How do we know whether this AI tool is good enough?
What data will it use, store or expose?
Can we trust the supplier’s claims?
What are the risks around bias, error, security or compliance?
Who approves AI use cases?
Who is accountable if something goes wrong?
What oversight is needed once the tool is live?
How do we avoid buying something expensive that does not fit how we actually work?

Traditional software procurement does not always cover these questions properly.

AI tools can introduce new risks around accuracy, transparency, data protection, human oversight, staff behaviour and organisational accountability.

This unit helps leaders build a clearer way to evaluate, approve and govern AI adoption before decisions become rushed, informal or difficult to control.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of the unit, you’ll be better able to:

Evaluate AI tools and suppliers using clear, practical criteria
Compare AI options against cost, performance, risk, data readiness and fit with existing systems
Challenge vendor claims before procurement or adoption decisions are made
Identify procurement-specific risks such as supplier lock-in, IP exposure, weak data-processing terms, vendor viability and long-term cost
Design approval routes, responsibilities and escalation points for AI use
Set practical testing, monitoring and human oversight expectations before tools go live
Document AI decisions clearly enough to support assurance, audit and internal review
Explain AI procurement and governance decisions to senior colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders

The aim is not to turn you into a technical buyer or AI engineer.

The aim is to help you make better decisions about AI tools, suppliers, contracts, risk and oversight before adoption spreads across the organisation.

What the unit covers

The unit is organised around the practical decisions leaders face when AI moves from idea to adoption.

01

Evaluating AI tools and suppliers

You will learn how to assess AI solutions in a structured way.

This includes looking beyond the sales pitch and asking practical questions about:

Business need
Cost
Performance
Data requirements
Security
Supplier maturity
Integration with existing systems
User testing
Support and maintenance
Risks and limitations

02

Testing before you commit

You will look at how to test an AI solution before wider adoption.

This may include pilots, user testing, benchmarking, feedback loops and evidence gathering.

You will consider what needs to be checked before a tool is approved, such as:

Whether it works well enough for the intended task
Whether the output can be trusted
Whether users understand its limits
Whether the organisation has suitable data
Whether the tool creates new risks
Whether the benefits justify the cost and effort

The focus is on making procurement and adoption decisions with evidence, not assumption.

03

Managing AI procurement risk

You will look at the risks that are specific to choosing and buying AI tools.
These may include:

Supplier lock-in
unclear ownership of inputs, outputs or intellectual property
Weak data-processing or data-retention terms
Vendor viability and long-term support
Hidden costs after the pilot stage
Poor integration with existing systems
Security and access-control weaknesses
Third-party dependency
Unclear service levels or support arrangements
Sustainability and long-term operating cost

The focus is on spotting commercial and operational risks early, before the organisation is tied into a tool, contract or supplier relationship that is difficult to unwind.

04

Designing approval and governance routes

You will learn how to put clear decision-making around AI adoption.
This includes defining:

who can propose an AI use case
who reviews it
what evidence is needed before approval
who signs off higher-risk uses
when legal, compliance, IT or information security should be involved
how concerns are escalated
how decisions are recorded

The goal is not to create unnecessary paperwork.
The goal is to make sure AI tools are approved in a consistent, accountable way before they become part of everyday work.

05

Turning legal and ethical duties into practical controls

You will consider the legal, ethical and regulatory issues that may apply when AI tools are selected and used.
This may include data protection, transparency, fairness, accessibility, accountability, staff impact and appropriate human oversight.
Where relevant, the unit may reference recognised AI governance and assurance frameworks.

The focus is on turning these duties into practical checks, records and decision points that leaders can actually use.

06

Evidencing responsible adoption after approval

Good AI governance does not stop when a tool is selected.
You will look at how to keep evidence that the organisation has made a careful, responsible decision.
This includes documenting:

why a tool was chosen
which alternatives were considered
what supplier checks were completed
what data-processing terms were reviewed
what risks were accepted or reduced
what testing took place
what limitations were identified
who approved the decision
what human oversight is required
how the tool will be monitored after adoption

The aim is to make AI adoption easier to explain, review and defend if questions are raised later.

07

Supporting adoption across the organisation

AI governance only works if people understand it.
You will consider how to communicate AI rules and responsibilities to staff, managers and senior stakeholders.

This includes helping non-technical colleagues understand:

what AI can and cannot be used for
what information should not be entered into AI tools
when human review is needed
how to raise concerns
how to follow the organisation’s approval process

The aim is to make responsible AI use practical for the people who have to follow it.

Who this unit is for

This unit is for senior staff who need to shape, approve, manage or oversee AI adoption.

COOs and operations leaders

For leaders responsible for making sure AI tools fit real workflows, processes and business needs.

Procurement and commercial leads

For people involved in assessing suppliers, comparing solutions, managing contracts or supporting investment decisions.

Compliance, governance, legal and risk leads

For people responsible for ensuring AI adoption is lawful, controlled, documented and accountable.

Information-security and IT leaders

For leaders who need to understand AI-related risks around data, access, systems, suppliers and security.

HR & L&D leaders

For leaders involved in staff guidance, workforce impact, training needs, policy adoption and responsible use.

Transformation, digital and programme leads

For people responsible for moving AI from early interest into managed adoption across teams or departments.

Senior managers sponsoring AI projects

For managers who do not build AI systems, but need to approve, challenge or oversee how they are selected and used.

You do not need to be a technical specialist.

You do need to be someone whose decisions affect how AI tools are chosen, used or governed.

How the unit is delivered

The unit is designed for busy senior staff.
It is delivered online and structured around practical workplace tasks.
The work is linked to your own organisation, so learners can apply the training to real AI tools, suppliers, risks or adoption decisions they are considering.

Practical workplace outputs

Depending on the confirmed delivery and assessment model, learners may produce practical outputs such as:

an AI supplier evaluation checklist
a vendor comparison framework
a pilot or testing plan
an AI risk register
an AI governance framework
an approval and escalation process
a human oversight plan
an assurance and documentation checklist
a staff guidance summary for responsible AI use

The purpose of these outputs is to help learners take useful, practical material back into work.

Assessment

Learners complete a practical skills test linked to the knowledge and skills covered in the unit. Employer involvement may be required to confirm that the learning has been applied in the workplace.

Funding & eligibility

Funding may be available for eligible employers and learners, subject to current rules.

Depending on the employer and learner circumstances, the unit may be funded through the relevant apprenticeship funding route.
Global Skills Training Ltd can discuss eligibility, explain the enrolment process and help employers understand what information is needed before a learner starts.
Funding should always be checked before any commitment is made.

INDICATIVE FUNDING INFORMATION

Funding may be available, subject to employer and learner eligibility.
Levy-paying employers may be able to use apprenticeship funding routes, subject to the rules in place.
Non-levy employers may be able to access government support, subject to eligibility and any required employer contribution.
The unit funding value and any employer contribution should be confirmed before enrolment.

Entry requirements

– Must be employed
– Aged 19+
– Working in a leadership, management or specialist role where you influence AI adoption, procurement, governance or oversight

This may include decisions about supplier selection, procurement, risk, compliance, information security, governance, operations, workforce guidance, digital change, or AI policy and approval processes. No coding, data science or prior AI knowledge is required. A general understanding of your organisation’s systems, processes, risks or decision-making structures will be helpful.

Why choose Global Skills Training Ltd

Plain-English delivery. AI procurement, governance and risk are explained clearly, without assuming technical knowledge.
The focus is on leadership decisions, not technical build.
Practical workplace focus. Learners apply the unit to their own organisation, so the work is linked to real tools, suppliers, risks and adoption decisions.
Support with eligibility and enrolment. We can help employers understand the process, subject to the usual checks and confirmed funding rules.
Useful outputs. The unit is designed so learners can produce practical materials that support AI adoption, procurement and governance conversations at work.
Responsible approach to AI. The training covers risk, governance, accountability, assurance and human oversight, not just opportunity.

Progression

AU0010 is one of three AI Leadership units.
You can take this unit on its own, or combine it with the other units as part of a wider AI Leadership pathway. Many learners may choose AU0010 once they have identified possible AI use cases and need a stronger process for evaluation, approval and oversight.

AU0009

AI Strategy & Opportunity

Identify where AI is worth pursuing and set a clear direction.

AU0010

AI Adoption, Procurement & Governance * THIS UNIT

Assess, select and govern AI tools responsibly.

AU0011

AI Delivery & Organisational Transformation

Plan and manage AI-enabled change across the organisation.

FAQs

No. This unit is designed for non-technical leaders, managers and specialist staff. It is about evaluating, approving and governing AI adoption, not building AI systems.

Yes. The unit is relevant to operations, procurement, compliance, HR, risk, governance, transformation and senior management roles. AI adoption is not only an IT issue. It affects people, data, processes, suppliers, risk and accountability.

You will examine AI adoption decisions in your own organisation, assess risks and supplier considerations, and work towards practical outputs that can support governance and procurement decisions.

Around 30 guided learning hours.

Funding may be available, subject to employer and learner eligibility and the rules in place at the time of enrolment. Global Skills can discuss your circumstances and confirm the position before you commit.

The unit is expected to be assessed through practical work linked to the workplace, rather than a traditional technical exam.

Teams may be able to take the unit together, depending on cohort arrangements and eligibility.

The employer may need to confirm eligibility, support the learner’s time and take part in any required workplace validation.

Intake is ongoing.