Artificial intelligence (AI) data specialist
Level 7 · Degree (Master’s)Digital 2 yr typical
About this apprenticeship
What it involves
An artificial intelligence (AI) data specialist designs, builds, and maintains the data pipelines, datasets, and infrastructure that underpin AI and machine learning systems, ensuring data quality, governance, and availability at scale. This master's-level apprenticeship is aimed at experienced data professionals who want to specialise in AI-focused data engineering and strategy. Graduates can progress to AI architect, data science lead, or chief data officer roles.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Advanced data engineering and pipeline architecture for AI systems
Machine learning data requirements and feature store design
Data governance, quality frameworks, and lineage management
Cloud platforms and distributed computing for large-scale data processing
Ethical data use, bias mitigation, and responsible AI data practices
Statistical methods and mathematical foundations for AI data work
Leading data strategy and influencing AI architecture decisions
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Design and build scalable data pipelines to feed AI and ML models
Define and implement data governance frameworks for AI projects
Monitor data quality and resolve issues affecting model performance
Collaborate with data scientists to engineer features for ML models
Evaluate and recommend cloud data infrastructure for AI workloads
Lead data strategy discussions with senior technical and business stakeholders
Ensure AI data practices comply with ethical and regulatory standards
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 7 (Degree (Master’s)) - roughly Master’s-degree level. Usually needs a relevant degree or Level 6 qualification, or significant experience.
What’s next: Leads into senior and chartered professional roles.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
Hear from employers
What it’s really like
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