Provide regulatory and technical advice providing assurance to key stakeholders and regulators.
Apprentices learn how to apply UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, Freedom of Information legislation, and related regulations in an organisational setting. The programme covers risk assessment, privacy by design, data subject rights handling, records of processing activities, data breach investigation, and third-party due diligence. Apprentices also develop skills in translating complex legal requirements into plain guidance for non-specialist colleagues, producing policy documentation, and contributing to an organisation's information governance framework under the direction of senior practitioners.
A typical week involves processing data subject access requests and freedom of information requests within statutory deadlines, maintaining records of processing activities, and supporting data protection impact assessments for new projects. Apprentices liaise with IT, HR, legal, and marketing teams to advise on data handling practices, investigate potential breaches, and prepare briefing documents for senior management. They use case management and document systems to log incidents and track compliance activities, and they may deliver internal awareness training or draft privacy notices and retention schedules.
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into roles such as information governance officer, data protection officer, privacy officer, or information compliance manager. Progression typically leads to senior or lead positions with responsibility for strategic policy and team oversight, or into specialist areas such as data ethics or cyber security compliance. Employers span every sector, including NHS trusts and public bodies, financial services firms, local authorities, technology companies, and large retailers. Any organisation that processes personal data at scale needs qualified practitioners, making this a transferable specialism with consistent demand across industries.
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Completers typically move into roles such as Information Governance Officer, Data Protection Officer (in smaller organisations), Privacy Officer, Information Compliance Officer, or Data Protection Lead. Day-to-day responsibilities include managing data subject access requests, handling freedom of information responses, maintaining records of processing activity, conducting data protection impact assessments, and advising colleagues on GDPR compliance. Most will work with limited supervision, reporting directly to a Head of Compliance, Legal Counsel, or a senior DPO.
Within three to five years, practitioners commonly progress to Information Governance Manager, Data Protection Manager, or Senior Privacy Officer, taking on team leadership and owning the organisation's compliance framework rather than contributing to it. Beyond that, two tracks tend to diverge. Those moving into leadership pursue Head of Information Governance, Chief Privacy Officer, or Data Protection Officer roles at larger organisations. Specialists can move into consultancy, auditing, or advisory positions, working across multiple clients or sectors and often pursuing qualifications such as CIPP/E or BCS certifications to support that route.
Demand spans the whole economy. The NHS and wider public sector are significant employers, given the volume of sensitive data they process and their FOI obligations. Financial services, insurance, legal, and professional services firms hire consistently for these roles, as do central and local government bodies, higher education institutions, and large retail or technology businesses. Smaller organisations often combine the function with a broader compliance or legal remit, while larger ones maintain dedicated information governance teams.
Throughout the apprenticeship, learners develop and apply knowledge and skills in data protection, information governance, and regulatory compliance while working in their normal role. Assessment is built around demonstrating competence across the knowledge, skills, and behaviours set out in the standard, covering areas such as interpreting legislation, managing information requests, conducting risk assessments, and advising stakeholders. Before final assessment, a gateway review confirms that the apprentice is ready, that they can evidence their development, and that their employer and training provider agree they have met the required standard. Assessment models across many apprenticeship standards are currently being updated following regulatory reform, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Building a clear record of real work activities from an early stage makes the final stages of the apprenticeship significantly more straightforward. This means keeping evidence of tasks such as handling data subject access requests, supporting breach investigations, drafting privacy documentation, and advising colleagues on compliance matters. Working closely with both the employer and training provider throughout, rather than only near the end, helps identify any gaps in knowledge or experience well before the gateway review. Organised, consistent record-keeping throughout the programme is more effective than trying to reconstruct evidence at the last stage.
Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% on their FATP profile, ideally higher for a compliance-focused standard where learners need to stay current with a rapidly shifting regulatory landscape. Strong providers will have tutors with demonstrable data protection or information governance backgrounds, not just generic business qualifications. Check whether the curriculum is explicitly mapped to UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, ICO guidance, and freedom of information legislation. Employer satisfaction scores above 80% are a useful indicator that providers engage meaningfully with workplace supervisors, which matters for a role that operates across IT, legal, HR and senior management.
Be cautious of providers whose curriculum materials reference pre-Brexit EU GDPR frameworks without clearly addressing UK GDPR divergence. Vague answers about how breach management timelines and DSAR deadlines are taught in practice suggest shallow regulatory coverage. If a provider cannot point to alumni working in job titles like information governance officer or data protection lead, that gap is worth probing. High learner volumes combined with a falling achievement rate on FATP should prompt questions about cohort sizes and tutor-to-learner ratios on a standard that demands individual casework engagement.
There are no nationally mandated entry requirements set by the standard, so employers set their own criteria. In practice, most employers look for a good standard of English and numeracy, and some familiarity with office or administrative work helps. Apprentices must be employed throughout and the role must genuinely involve data protection or information governance responsibilities. Candidates already working in a compliance, legal, or administrative role are common applicants.
The typical duration is 18 months, though the actual length depends on the apprentice's prior experience and how quickly they demonstrate competence. Learning happens alongside the job, so the apprentice continues in their role throughout. A portion of their contracted hours must be dedicated to off-the-job training. The current minimum requirement for that proportion is set out in the funding rules on gov.uk, as the figure is subject to revision under ongoing Skills England reforms.
Before taking the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, at which point the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has met all the knowledge, skills, and behaviour requirements. Assessment models for many standards are being updated, so check the current assessment plan on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education pages on gov.uk for the exact methods applied to this standard. The apprentice must demonstrate competence across data protection law, risk assessment, stakeholder communication, and practical case handling.
The funding band for this standard is £10,000, which is the maximum government contribution towards training and assessment costs. Levy-paying employers draw on their digital apprenticeship service account. Smaller employers who do not pay the levy contribute 5% of the training cost and the government pays the remaining 95%. Employers with fewer than 50 staff taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing. All funding arrangements are managed through the apprenticeship service on gov.uk.
Day-to-day work involves handling data subject access requests, freedom of information requests, and breach notifications, all of which have statutory deadlines. The practitioner maintains records of processing activities, drafts privacy notices, and carries out information audits. They advise colleagues in IT, HR, legal, and marketing on data protection requirements, prepare briefings for senior management, and support investigations into data incidents. They also assist with data protection impact assessments and third-party supplier checks when new projects or systems are introduced.
Completion typically leads to roles such as information governance officer, data protection officer, privacy officer, or information compliance officer, depending on the organisation. From there, progression into senior or lead positions is common. Some practitioners move into specialist areas such as cybersecurity governance, legal compliance, or records management. Further study options include Level 6 or 7 qualifications in data protection, information law, or related fields, and professional body certifications from organisations such as the IAPP or CILIP are widely recognised in this sector.
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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: 676.
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.