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Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship (Health & Care)

Level 4

Summary

Study level

Undergraduate

Award

Apprenticeship

Part time

15 months, plus end point assessment

Location

Nationwide

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Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.

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We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.

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We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.

Strong focus on employability

You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course Overview

This Level 4 Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship is designed for individuals responsible for project coordination, operational improvement, service redesign, transformation or change activity within health and care settings.

Through real workplace learning, apprentices will develop the skills to plan projects, manage risks, engage stakeholders, support delivery and contribute to measurable improvements in service performance, patient flow and operational outcomes.

The Project Delivery and Improvement in Health and Care Level 4 Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship is a workforce capability programme designed to develop practical project delivery capability across clinical, operational and health and care environments.

Health and care organisations are constantly delivering change, from service redesign and digital implementation to operational improvement, quality improvement and patient flow initiatives. Without clear planning, stakeholder alignment and consistent delivery methods, these projects can become reactive, delayed or difficult to sustain.

This apprenticeship helps turn reactive delivery into structured, measurable and more predictable project outcomes.

The programme supports apprentices to coordinate, plan, support and deliver projects in a structured and effective way. Apprentices will build practical skills in project planning, governance, stakeholder engagement, risk management, operational improvement, communication and leadership.

Through workplace-based application, apprentices will learn how to contribute to successful project outcomes, improve service delivery, strengthen stakeholder engagement and support sustainable transformation across health and care services.

By the end of the apprenticeship, learners will be able to operate as Associate Project Managers within health and care settings, contributing to improved service performance, stronger operational coordination and better outcomes for patients, service users and teams.

This apprenticeship is suitable for individuals working in, or moving into, project coordination, service improvement, operational delivery, transformation or junior project management roles within health and care environments. It is ideal for staff who are already contributing to delivery or improvement activity but have not had formal project management training.

The programme is also suitable for early-career professionals stepping up into project coordination, operational leadership, team leadership or transformation support roles.

It can also support functional specialists who are leading projects as part of their role, such as IT or digital staff supporting system rollouts, HR staff leading change initiatives, medical education coordinators, clinical service improvement staff and operational improvement teams.

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Course details and modules

This apprenticeship is delivered through a structured learning journey, progressing through five defined phases.

The programme builds practical project capability from foundational knowledge through to applied delivery, operational improvement, leadership across systems and End Point Assessment preparation.

Modules

You’ll be introduced to the apprenticeship and begin developing the core professional skills needed to operate effectively in project environments.

This includes understanding programme expectations, building confidence in communication and collaboration, and developing essential professional behaviours.

You’ll also explore how projects support healthcare delivery, service improvement and patient outcomes, gaining an understanding of your role in contributing to safe, effective and efficient services.

Phase 1: Understanding the Project Environment

Months 2–4
You’ll develop a strong understanding of project management fundamentals, including project lifecycles, governance, roles and responsibilities, and stakeholder engagement.
You’ll learn how projects operate within health and care environments, including clinical and operational settings, and how structured approaches support safe, effective service delivery.
You’ll begin applying these approaches in your role, building confidence in contributing to improvement activity.

Phase 2: Building Operational Excellence

Months 5–7
You’ll develop practical project delivery skills, including planning, scheduling, resource coordination, and managing risks and quality.
You’ll apply these skills within health and care settings, supporting service delivery, improving patient flow and contributing to operational efficiency.
This phase focuses on strengthening consistency and control in service improvement activity.

Phase 3: Driving Quality and Transformation

Months 8–10
You’ll learn how to monitor performance, manage risks and issues, and apply structured problem-solving approaches to support service improvement.
You’ll analyse service data, identify opportunities to improve patient outcomes and reduce delays, and support transformation initiatives that enhance quality and performance across health and care services.
This phase develops your confidence to contribute to improvement activity that supports both operational performance and service quality.

Phase 4: Leading Across Systems

Months 11–13
You’ll build your leadership capability, developing skills in communication, collaboration and influencing across multidisciplinary teams.
You’ll learn how to work across clinical and operational boundaries, supporting integrated care delivery and contributing to wider healthcare transformation and service improvement initiatives.
This phase develops your confidence to operate across organisational boundaries and support integrated care delivery.

Phase 5: EPA Success Toolkit / Gateway to Impact

Months 14–15
In the final phase of the taught programme, you’ll consolidate your knowledge, skills and behaviours and apply them within real workplace and assessment contexts.
As part of the assessment preparation, you’ll produce a portfolio of evidence, complete a workplace project and prepare for End Point Assessment.
This phase supports readiness for the professional discussion, written project report, presentation and questioning.

Final Apprenticeship Assessment

At the end of the programme, apprentices complete an End Point Assessment, where they demonstrate their knowledge, skills and behaviours through real workplace application.

The EPA is designed to assess an apprentice’s ability to apply project management principles in a practical health and care context.

The End Point Assessment includes:

A written project report based on a work-based project or initiative
A presentation with questioning, where apprentices communicate their approach, insights and outcomes
A professional discussion, supported by a portfolio of evidence developed throughout the programme

The assessment provides clear evidence that apprentices can operate as Associate Project Managers within health and care settings, contributing to improved service performance.

Study options

Your apprenticeship is supported through four key online platforms, each designed to help you learn, apply, and track your progress effectively:

BUD – The central hub for your learning journey. Here you will follow the Diagnose, Develop, Demonstrate, Debrief cycle, apply your learning in the workplace, and build your portfolio of evidence over time. BUD is also where you will record your off-the-job hours.

iLearn – This platform hosts key learning content and interactive knowledge checks that mark the end of each monthly learning cycle. iLearn helps you consolidate your learning throughout the programme and provides links to live workshops and pre-recorded webinars.

Zoom – All live workshops and Academic Skills sessions are delivered via Zoom, giving you interactive, real-time learning experiences.

Teams – Your orientation, first day of learning, and ongoing coaching sessions take place on Teams, providing a space for collaboration, support, and communication with your coaches.

During your orientation, you will receive a full introduction to each platform, ensuring you know how to access and make the most of the tools available throughout your apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is delivered through online learning, live virtual teaching and workplace-based application.

Delivery includes:
Self-guided online learning
Recorded webinars
Live virtual teaching sessions
1:1 coaching and support
Progress reviews
Workplace-based project application

Apprentices are expected to complete an average of 6 hours of off-the-job learning per week to support completion of the programme requirements.

It’s been absolutely brilliant. The development days allow us to bounce ideas off each other and gain experience from people with different backgrounds. It really brings our online learning to life. I really look forward to attending these.

Rob Wyatt

Senior Leader Masters Degree Apprenticeship

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

What you need to study with us

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.

Eligibility

Be in employment in a job with responsibilities aligned with the apprenticeship standard

Have evidence of funding eligibility from their employer

Hold a GCSE Grade A*-C /9-4; OR a have completed recognised Access Programme or equivalent. Please note:

All applicants will undertake an initial assessment in English and Maths competency
Applicants must achieve a minimum of Level 1 to demonstrate readiness to study and ensure appropriate support to succeed on programme

Meet DfE apprenticeship funding residency requirements

Remain in contracted employment for the duration of the apprenticeship, including EPA

English and Maths Requirements for Apprentices

To help you succeed in your apprenticeship, it's important you have the right level of English and maths. Here’s what you need to know:

If you're aged 16 to 18 and don’t already have, or cannot provide evidence of, a Level 2 qualification (GCSE or equivalent) in English and/or maths, you’ll be required to study these subjects as part of your apprenticeship. This is a mandatory part of your training.

If you're 19 or older and don’t already have, or cannot provide evidence of, a Level 2 qualification in English and/or maths, your employer will decide whether you need to take standalone qualifications during your apprenticeship. This offers more flexibility based on your role and development needs.

Course fees and funding

The apprenticeship funding band for this programme is £7,000.

For levy-paying employers, the full cost of the apprenticeship can be covered through the apprenticeship levy.

For non-levy paying employers, a proportion of the programme cost is paid by the employer, with the majority funded through government co-contribution, subject to the latest apprenticeship funding rules.

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Meet the faculty

Here at Arden University we strive to provide a fresh and unique approach to your business and management education. With ideas and experiences taken from employers and thought leaders across the world, we give you the opportunity to put proven business skills and techniques into practice during your studies. I look forward to welcoming you to the Arden University family.

Professor Dilshad Sheikh

Dean of the Faculty of Business

Career prospects

related courses

This apprenticeship supports progression into project management, service improvement, operational delivery, transformation and leadership roles within health and care environments.

Successful apprentices may progress into roles or development pathways linked to:

Associate Project Manager
Junior Project Manager
Project Coordinator
Project Support Officer
Programme Support Officer
Service Improvement Coordinator
Transformation Support Officer
Operational Support Manager
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Digital Transformation Support
Team leadership roles
Operational leadership roles

The programme provides a strong bridge from operational delivery into formal project and leadership responsibility, helping learners develop the confidence and structure needed to support more complex change and improvement work.

Industry skills

Throughout the apprenticeship, learners will develop practical workplace skills in:

Project planning and delivery
Project governance and controls
Stakeholder communication and engagement
Risk, issue and quality management
Time, cost, scope and resource management
Performance monitoring and reporting
Operational improvement
Service improvement
Problem-solving and decision-making
Change and transformation support
Leadership and collaboration
Multidisciplinary working
Portfolio evidence development

Professional recognition

Successful completion of this apprenticeship demonstrates occupational competence against the Level 4 Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship Standard.

Apprentices will be able to evidence their ability to apply project management principles in a real workplace context and contribute to successful project outcomes, service improvement, operational performance and organisational transformation.