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L3Apprenticeship4071 approved provider
The Level 3 Cultural Learning And Participation Officer, and the 1 provider delivering it.
Planning, organising and co-ordinating artistic and cultural education community engagement projects.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
This apprenticeship trains people to plan, organise and coordinate artistic and cultural education projects aimed at community engagement. Apprentices develop skills in project coordination, working with artists and cultural organisations, communicating with community groups, and supporting participation in cultural activities. They also build knowledge of safeguarding, equality and inclusion, and how to evaluate the impact of engagement work. The role sits at the intersection of arts practice and community development, requiring both organisational ability and sensitivity to diverse audiences.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Week to week, an apprentice in this role might coordinate bookings for workshops or events, liaise with artists, schools, or community groups, and handle logistics such as venue arrangements and materials. They would support the delivery of participation programmes, keep accurate records of attendance and outcomes, draft communications for participants, and assist with monitoring and evaluation. Digital tools for scheduling, communications, and basic data recording are typical parts of the job.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into roles such as Participation Officer, Community Engagement Coordinator, Arts Education Officer, or Learning and Outreach Assistant. With experience, progression to senior coordinator or programme manager level is common. Employers include museums, galleries, theatres, arts centres, libraries, local authorities, and funded arts organisations. Housing associations, NHS trusts, and charities with arts-in-health or creative-wellbeing programmes also hire for these roles. The cultural and voluntary sector is the primary employer base, though some roles sit within education settings.
1 approved provider
Sorted by achievement rate.
Access Creative College
Access Creative College is a national independent training provider specialising in creative educati...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completers typically move into Cultural Learning Officer, Community Engagement Officer, or Participation Coordinator roles within arts and cultural organisations. Some step into Education Officer positions, working directly with schools, community groups, or families. Others take on programme administration roles that sit alongside creative delivery, supporting learning managers with scheduling, communications, and reporting on funded projects.
Progression paths
With three to five years of experience, officers commonly progress to Senior Cultural Learning Officer, Participation Manager, or Community Engagement Manager, taking on line management and holding budgets. The longer-term split tends to follow two tracks: those who move into Head of Learning or Director of Engagement roles, shaping organisational strategy, and those who specialise deeply in a particular audience, such as early years, young people at risk, or disabled communities, building practice-led expertise that carries weight with funders and commissioners.
Where these roles sit
Most hiring comes from museums, galleries, theatres, arts centres, and orchestras, ranging from small regional venues to large national institutions. Local authorities with cultural services teams also recruit for these roles, as do arts charities, heritage organisations, and funded community arts companies. The sector is predominantly not-for-profit, with project-based funding cycles common, so employers tend to value people who can plan across multiple workstreams and report against outcomes for Arts Council England and similar funders.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, learners develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to plan, organise and coordinate artistic and cultural education and community engagement projects, all while working in a real role. Before final assessment, the apprentice and employer confirm readiness through a gateway process, which checks that the required learning and workplace experience are in place. Final assessment then determines whether the apprentice can genuinely perform the role to the required standard. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated as part of ongoing reforms, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Building a strong body of workplace evidence from early in the apprenticeship is the most practical step a learner can take. This means keeping records of projects coordinated, community engagement activities supported, and decisions made throughout the role, rather than trying to reconstruct events near the end. Regular conversations with the employer and training provider about progress against the standard's requirements will make the gateway process more straightforward. Organised, ongoing record-keeping reflects the planning and coordination skills the standard itself is designed to develop.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile and strong apprentice satisfaction scores, since this standard relies on sustained mentoring through live project work rather than classroom instruction alone. Providers worth considering will have direct relationships with arts organisations, local authorities, cultural venues, or community groups, so apprentices gain real experience planning and delivering engagement activity. Ask to see evidence that off-the-job training includes actual community projects, not just observation. Employer satisfaction scores above 70% suggest the provider is genuinely responsive to the organisations hosting these apprentices.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers whose FATP profile shows a high volume of learners but a declining achievement rate, particularly if reviews mention limited contact from tutors between visits. For this standard, vague descriptions of "creative projects" as learning evidence are a warning sign. If a provider cannot explain how apprentices practise project coordination, budgeting, or community outreach in a structured way, the programme is likely to be thin. Providers unable to name the kinds of cultural organisations their alumni now work in deserve further scrutiny.
Questions to ask before you commit
- How do apprentices gain hands-on experience coordinating actual community engagement projects, not just supporting someone else's?
- What relationships do you have with arts or cultural organisations that feed into the programme?
- What does your current achievement rate reflect, and has it changed over the past two years?
- How is off-the-job training structured for apprentices who are already working inside a cultural or community setting?
- Can you share examples of the kinds of roles your alumni have moved into after completing this standard?
- How do you support apprentices whose employer organisation is small or has limited project capacity?
- What does the assessment end-point involve, and how do you prepare apprentices for it practically?
Common questions
What entry requirements do employers and learners need to meet for this apprenticeship?
There are no nationally set entry requirements, so individual employers and training providers set their own. Candidates typically need good literacy and numeracy skills and some experience or genuine interest in arts, culture, or community work. English and maths qualifications at Level 2 are usually expected before the end-point assessment if not already held. Check with your chosen training provider for the specific conditions they apply.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how is the learning structured?
The typical duration is 15 months, though the actual length depends on prior learning and employer agreement. The apprentice remains employed throughout, applying learning directly in their day-to-day role. Off-the-job training is built in alongside work. Requirements around minimum duration and off-the-job training hours are subject to ongoing reform, so check the current specification on the gov.uk apprenticeship standard page for up-to-date details.
How is the apprentice assessed at the end of the programme?
Before assessment can begin, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, confirming they have met all the requirements of the standard and that both employer and training provider are satisfied with their readiness. The end-point assessment tests occupational competence, though assessment models for many standards are currently being reviewed under Skills England reforms. Visit the gov.uk page for this standard to see the current assessment method in full.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £8,000. Levy-paying employers draw the cost from their Digital Apprenticeship Service account. Non-levy employers pay 5% of the training cost and the government covers the remaining 95%. If you employ fewer than 50 people and take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18, the government pays the full training cost. Costs are paid directly to the training provider, not given as a lump sum.
What does a Cultural Learning and Participation Officer apprentice actually do at work?
Day-to-day work centres on planning, organising, and co-ordinating arts and cultural education projects within communities. That means liaising with community groups, schools, artists, and venues; managing project logistics such as scheduling and budgets; and supporting audience or participant engagement. The apprentice might work for a museum, theatre, arts charity, local authority cultural team, or similar organisation, helping to design and deliver programmes that connect communities with creative activity.
What can an apprentice do after completing this qualification?
Completing at Level 3 provides a recognised occupational qualification and practical experience that supports progression into more senior roles within arts education, cultural engagement, or community development. Some graduates move into project management or audience development positions. Others use it as a foundation to pursue a Level 4 or Level 6 qualification in arts administration, cultural leadership, or a related discipline. Career paths exist across the funded and commercial arts sectors, as well as local government cultural services.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 407.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.