Policy Manager Apprenticeship

Level 5 | Duration: 18 months

This apprenticeship is designed to upskill policy professionals as they step into more senior roles, often leading policy areas and teams.

It focuses on the specialist competencies essential at this stage and helps professionals develop the unique individual combinations of skills suitable for their career path.

It supports devolution and local government consolidation as well as members of the central government policy profession operating at SEO, G7-G6 grades: the Practitioner stage of the Policy Profession Standards.

Our policy clients include

House of Commons logo
City of Wolverhampton logo
HM Revenue and Customer logo
Logo of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Department for Education logo
Home Office logo.
graphic of person standing on stacked circle

Our apprentices are taught by real practitioners with both experience and enthusiasm. They combine coaching skills with the ability to hold their own in any policy setting.

By the end of the course the apprentice will have strengths understanding policy, using systems thinking to model problems, applying decision making tools to model options, using futures techniques, research methods, data and analytical/technical sources.

They will be able to work with senior stakeholders, manage people and projects, lead change, innovation and build resilience and embed responsible and sustainable practices.

This programme is based on the Operations Manager apprenticeship standard.

Hear from our learners

Drew was my Tutor and Coach and I have found him excellent to work with and feel my cohort were extremely lucky to have him onboard. His attention to detail and constant drive for excellence for both the programme and his students was very noticeable.

I have found JGA as a provider to be excellent and would recommend them to other apprentices.

Policy Apprentice, Department for Transport

A big thanks to all of you at JGA for all of your help…particularly for the support following the break in learning.

I would also like to thank Francis and Co for delivering brilliant seminars, and Paula for always checking in on how I am getting on, and especially to you, Drew, for helping me prepare for the assessments and supporting me through the EPA process.

Policy Apprentice, London Councils

Course content

The course is delivered through regular live online seminars, project work and coaching from experienced policy and management professionals, as well as virtual classroom and pre-recorded lessons.

The training is supported by regular mini-projects which take newly learned knowledge and put it into practice in the workplace, thereby generating value for the employer and work product for the assessment.

The training element of the course takes 14 months, followed by 4 months for apprenticeship assessment. There are 10 core modules, plus dedicated assessment preparation in months 8 & 14.

The assessment components are a project proposal, supported by a presentation with questions and answers and a professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence.

Drew Lindon

The course has been developed by Drew Lindon. A tutor, skills coach & programme lead with 20 years of experience in policy, campaigns, and public affairs within the charity and public sectors.

Core modules

  • Ethical, inclusive, and values-based leadership in public policy
  • Integrity, leading by example, and fostering equitable workplace culture
  • Leadership theories and their practical application
  • UK public sector reform, devolution, and implications for policy managers

  • Recruitment, performance and talent management, and resource planning
  • Motivation techniques and managing policy-specific teams
  • Performance analysis, coaching, and giving constructive feedback

  • Project management tools and techniques from planning and budgeting to managing risks and stakeholders
  • The lifecycle of a policy project, supported by real-life case studies
  • Templates and AI guidance for efficient project management

  • Influencing without direct authority
  • Stakeholder analysis, negotiation techniques, and relationship management
  • Models for influencing diverse stakeholder groups

  • Developing clear, impactful communication as a manager and in communicating complex policy ideas
  • Written and oral communication skills, presentation skills and active listening
  • Constructing evidence-based arguments fit for different audiences
  • Using AI tools

  • Purpose and operations of UK legislatures, regional authorities, and local governments
  • The role of these democratic institutions in shaping and influencing public policy
  • How power is exercised by these institutions and upon them by external actors

  • Developing operational plans aligned with strategic goals
  • Goal setting, resource planning, prioritisation, and success monitoring
  • Systems thinking and business intelligence for long-term planning
  • Practical exercises simulating strategic alignment challenges

  • Budgeting, cost control, and financial decision-making
  • Financial terminology for policy managers
  • Linking financial decisions to operational success

  • Frameworks for analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making
  • Heuristic models and common decision-making pitfalls
  • Analysis and evaluation approaches, including statistics
  • Scenario-based exercises balancing judgement and data-driven approaches

  • Using data and digital tools to analyse performance, inform planning, and support effective operations
  • The impact of generative and agentic AI on daily operations for policy managers
  • AI tools for public policy and their practical and ethical implications
  • Software, dashboards, and reporting tools

  • Change management methodologies and improvement cycles (e.g. PDCA)
  • Supporting teams through change
  • Innovation and embedding a culture of continuous improvement
  • Planning for disruption, risk identification, contingency planning, and disaster recovery
  • Creating business continuity plans

  • Responsible business practices related to social, environmental and economic sustainability
  • Evaluating the impact of work and strategies for sustainable improvement
  • Revisits key leadership themes for reflection and application

Case studies of Policy Officer apprentices

Angela Malik

A passion for adult social care

The Policy Officer apprenticeship programme provided Angela Malik with the skills and knowledge to make the shift from welfare support to policy at Camden Council.

A career in urban regeneration

Michael D’Ambra completed a Level 4 Policy Officer Apprenticeship, which opened new doors for him and led to his current role.

Jamie Lewis-Macgregor

Why I would recommend a policy apprenticeship

Jamie Lewis-Macgregor talks about the skills and expertise he gained from a policy officer apprenticeship at DEFRA.

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Get in touch

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If you are looking for more information or simply want to understand how apprenticeships work? Please complete the form or email us at sales@jga.co.uk

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