Leading Change Apprenticeship Programme

Would you like to improve your skills in communication, leadership, management and influencing? Our Leading Change apprenticeship will enable you to develop and run a successful campaign or project.

This programme designed for campaigners, change agents, leaders and managers. You will develop your confidence, skills and knowledge in a supportive learning community over 12-20 months. On completion of the programme, you will receive a nationally recognised Level 3 or Level 5 Apprenticeship qualification, accredited by the Institute of Leadership and provides access to Chartered Manager status.

Happy is delighted to run this programme in partnership with the Democracy Network.

Course Overview

What you will learn

The Leading Change Apprenticeship Programme is designed for professionals who want to drive positive transformation within their organisations. Whether you’re leading teams through change, developing innovative strategies, or ensuring smooth transitions, this programme equips you with practical leadership skills, change management strategies, and stakeholder engagement techniques to influence, implement, and sustain change effectively.

Through a combination of interactive workshops, real-world projects, and coaching support, participants will gain the confidence to lead with resilience, inspire their teams, and navigate organisational change successfully

Benefit Of This Programme

The Level 5 programme needs to be completed within 24 months, requiring a commitment of 450 hours learning in work time (6 hours per week).

This includes at least 12 in-person training days, plus online mutual support sessions and 1-1 coaching/review meetings. Learning at work means using methods covered in the course, such as working on a project, coaching colleagues, giving presentations, facilitating meetings, as well as relevant reading, TED talks and workshops.

The Level 3 programme needs to be completed within 14 months, requiring a commitment of 6 hours a week learning (in work time) for 12 months.

Our Level 3 is for new managers and team leaders. Level 5 is for more experienced managers and heads of departments.

Both Levels cover similar topics, but Level 5 covers a wider range of knowledge and skills, involves more time learning at work, and enables learners to develop and carry out a substantial change project or campaign at work.
So far all of our learners have opted for Level 5.

Duration

14- 20 Months

Level

Level 3/Level 5

Location

Online| Classroom

Certificate

1 Certification | 1 Diploma

Experience

Managers and open to all

Who Is This Programme For?

Senior level — a CEO, Director or Head of Department

Prepared to spend 20% of your work time on the programme, over two years

Individuals looking to enhance their leadership effectiveness

Key Outcomes From This Apprenticeship

Programme Curriculum & Key Themes Covered

Module 1: Management of Self

You will have the insights and tools required to effectively plan and manage your own personal development and develop key skills to improve your effectiveness through prioritising and planning.

 

  • Identify your own personal development needs
  • Create a personal development plan & SWOT Analysis
  • Address your Continuous Professional Development
  • Apply time management tools and techniques to manage your workload
  • Identify and work with your own and others’ learning styles

You will understand who you are as a leader and identify what enables you and what stops you reaching your leadership potential.

  • Explore and use self-awareness tools
  • Identify the potential impact of your behaviour on others
  • Evaluate your own leadership and communication style
  • Obtain feedback re: performance and leadership style
  • Unconscious bias & Inclusivity, including Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
  • Develop your emotional intelligence

You will be excited about your leadership role, with a clear understanding of how to improve your personal effectiveness and build strong relationships.

  • Communicate your organisation’s strategy, individual and team purpose effectively
  • Use coaching to support the development of others
  • Practicing coaching with feedback
  • Organisational culture and psychological safety for your team
  • Explore how to manage your own team through change

You will have the skills needed to build and maintain a high performing team in which members are empowered to take full accountability.

  • Play to your strengths
  • Understanding The Happy Manifesto principles
  • Appraising the Happy way and effective 1:1’s
  • How to give freedom within clear guidelines
  • Motivation
  • Have conversations that matter
  • Delegation and RACI
  • Team dynamics
  • Select Managers who are good at managing

You will learn how to create a project, from developing an idea through to writing the final evaluation. You will learn about a range of practical project planning and management tools.

  • Life cycle and roles
  • Aims and objectives
  • Assessing benefits to the organisation
  • Managing resources risks and issues
  • Managing time and stakeholders

You will be able to monitor budgets to ensure value for money and understand the key principles of organisational governance and compliance.

  • Creating and monitoring budgets
  • Value for money
  • Organisational governance and compliance

You will be able to improve your communication in the workplace by considering the different people you communicate with and the appropriate method to use. You will be given a chance to give a presentation on how you have applied a principle from the modules to date.

  • Adapt your communication style and method to suit your message and audience
  • Chair meetings effectively
  • Learn how to create engaging presentations that involve the audience
  • Practice using body language to show credibility and approachability
  • Deliver your presentation and receive feedback in preparation for EPA

You will develop practical skills in order to build effective working relationships.

  • Cross team working
  • Manage conflict
  • Negotiation and Influencing skills
  • Build and manage customer and stakeholder relationships
  • Building resilience and managing stress
  • Make your people feel good
  • Love work, get a life
  • Creating Trust within the workplace

You will be able to effectively lead your team in line with organisational strategy and operational plans. You will also be able to work with data and create reports.

  • Strategy development
  • Implementing operational plans
  • Managing resources
  • Managing change within your team
  • Data management and use of technology
  • Community: create mutual benefit

You will understand the process of identifying and solving problems in creative ways and evaluating options to decide on the best solutions.

  • Explore and use problem solving tools
  • Apply decision making techniques
  • Escalate issues appropriately
  • Pre-Approval, being open and transparent

Why Choose Happy for Your Apprenticeship?

Why Choose happy?

Multi-award-winning provider

Delivering people-focused training that gets results.

Designed for real impact

Practical, hands-on learning, not just theory.

Personalised support

1:1 coaching, mentorship, and interactive workshops.

Fully funded

Apprenticeships are government-funded with no cost for eligible learners.

How much does it cost?

We offer three different pricing options depending on your organisation’s funding eligibility.

Option 1

Fully Funded (Levy-Paying Organisations)

£7,000

£60

Per Person

If your organisation pays the Apprenticeship Levy (i.e., has an annual payroll of over £3 million), the full cost of the programme is covered by your Levy payments. The only additional charge is a £60 + VAT per person for membership of the Institute of Leadership.

Option 2

95% Funded (Non-Levy Organisations)

£5,000

£450

Per Person(+VAT)

For organisations that do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy (i.e., have a payroll below £3 million), the government covers 95% of the programme’s cost, leaving your organisation to contribute just £250 per person (+ VAT).

Option 3

Self-Funded / Private Option

£9,000

Per Person(+VAT)

For individuals or organisations looking to fund the programme independently, the full cost is £5,000 per person. Flexible payment plans may be available upon request. This option is ideal for those who wish to invest in professional development outside of the apprenticeship funding system.

Certificate Upon Completion

We offer three different pricing options depending on your organisation’s funding eligibility.

Operations or Departmental Manager Level 5 apprenticeship qualification

Issued by IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

Departmental Manager Diploma Digital Certificate of Achievement

Issued by the Institute of Leadership

Automatic route to CMI Chartered Manager status (CMgr MCMI) or CMI Chartered Fellow status (CMgr FCMI)

Ready to take the next step?

We are here to help!

Find out more about our management apprenticeship schemes and which one is right for you. Our team can talk you through the funding options and how it can work for your organisation.

Or call our Happy team

Speak to our team who are there to help with discussing options!

Experience Our Apprenticeships With a Free Taster Session!

Not sure which apprenticeship level is right for you or your team? Join our free taster session to explore our wide range of apprenticeship programmes.

Happy Testimonials

Don’t just take it from us

“... One thing that stands out is that I am more team and people centred now. … My communication has improved. The course taught us a lot about prioritisation and how to get the 'important' things done. [It] has given me a suite of tools I hold in my back pocket for when new situations arise [and] helped me enormously with my own personal development and growth.”

JT head of UNISON in Wales