GOV.UK Science and Technology · Updated 28 Sept 2026
Official updateWORKFORCEAI ADOPTION
All standardsDiscuss this route
AI TECHNICALAI-ADJACENT
ST0116 · Version 1.2
Software developer
Start with the work someone needs to become competent in and the capability they need to develop.
Builds and tests software from defined requirements; relevant to AI when the workplace role includes AI-enabled applications or automation.
Overview
What this apprenticeship develops
Builds and tests software from defined requirements; relevant to AI when the workplace role includes AI-enabled applications or automation. It is designed around the occupation in the official standard, not simply access to AI tools.
AI TECHNICAL: People building, integrating or maintaining AI and data solutions.
Role fit
Who it is designed for
- Employees whose substantive occupation is software development
- Developers working on AI-enabled products or integrations
Where AI genuinely fits
AI-ADJACENT: The standard can support AI adoption in the right role, but its occupational scope is broader than AI.
- Software development
- AI-enabled application development
- Automation engineering foundations
Learning
What someone will learn and apply
Outcomes
Roles and business value
Recognition
Qualification and professional recognition
Practicalities
Entry and delivery considerations
Funding
Funding and eligibility
£18,000
Maximum funding band
The funding band is the maximum government funding available for eligible training and assessment. The actual funding route and employer contribution depend on the learner, role, employer circumstances and rules in force at the start date.
- Funding and learner eligibility depend on the rules in force on the apprentice's start date.
- The apprentice must have an eligible job in England that allows them to develop and demonstrate the standard's occupational competence.
- Prior learning, residency, employment status, age and employer circumstances can affect eligibility or the amount funded.
Decision check
When another route may fit better
Programme selection
What to investigate next
National apprenticeship standard
The national occupational framework: the duties and required knowledge, skills and behaviours, together with the assessment plan, level and maximum funding band.
Provider programme
How a provider teaches and supports that standard. Curriculum emphasis, sequencing, projects, practical application, technology exposure, delivery and assessment preparation can differ.
More tools, certificates or features do not automatically make a programme more appropriate. The useful question is how well the delivery fits the occupation, learner and workplace.
Ask how the provider connects the curriculum to real work, which projects and approved tools are used, how feedback and assessment preparation work, and what support the learner and line manager receive.
Provider-specific guidance
Review delivery options without a public ranking
Provider delivery can vary by structure, duration, qualifications, technology and support. Provider identities and comparisons remain within the advisory process so the evidence can be considered against the role and practical context.
Provider-specific review available
Evidence
Sources and verification
- Last verified
- 23 September 2026
- Official last reviewed
- Not published