Realise and ICS Learn Group have announced an exciting new partnership which will combine their respective learning content for the Business Partner/Consultant Level 5 Apprenticeships and relevant CIPD courses in HR and L&D.

The qualifications, which will be delivered by Realise trainers with ICS Learn Group providing CIPD content, will be targeted at HR and L&D professionals who have experience in management roles and are looking to take the next step in their careers.

Realise is one of the UK’s leading apprenticeship providers while ICS Learn Group – which comprises ICS Learn, DPG and Acacia Learning – has been a CIPD accredited centre for more than three decades.

Gregg Scott, managing director of Realise which supports more than 7,000 apprentices every year, said: “This is an extremely exciting partnership and will provide qualifications which meet all the needs of both the employer seeking to take their HR or L&D offering to the next level and the learner aiming to progress their career further.

“ICS Learn Group has built up an outstanding reputation and its CIPD credentials are second to none.

“Being able to complement our apprenticeship offering with the CIPD content from ICS will be of huge benefit to our employers and learners and provide the perfect all-round training solution.

“We have ambitious plans for the partnership and are confident we can grow our offering to become a major player in the marketplace of apprenticeships for HR and L&D.”

ICS Learn Group is a global training provider with headquarters in the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and offers a wide range of professional qualifications including finance, management, marketing and procurement.

Gerwyn House, director of education & skills at ICS Learn Group, said “We expect these courses and qualifications to become the standard-bearer for the HR and L&D sectors.

“Realise is a major player in the apprenticeship market in England and we are thrilled to be providing the content for the CIPD elements of the course.

“This is a perfect combination of the theoretical and practical elements required for HR and L&D professionals to excel and for employers to reap the rewards of the qualification.”

The two-year courses can be funded by employers through the Apprenticeship Levy or be part-funded by the government for non-levy paying employers.

Targeted at professionals with management experience and seeking to progress a career as a consultant or business partner, the HR apprenticeship will cover a range of learning topics including business understanding, HR technical excellence, relationship management and building HR capacity.

The L&D apprenticeship is aimed at those in an L&D management role working with stakeholders across the business and focuses on technical knowledge, business needs and developing a learning culture.

As well as completing the apprenticeship, successful learners will achieve the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management for the HR course and the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning & Development in L&D.