Zurich launches new AI apprenticeship to superpower its people

Ninety-two colleagues are joining the 17‑month programme, designed to equip employees with the practical skills, confidence and ethical framework needed to embrace AI and apply new technologies responsibly across the business.

Developed in collaboration with professional development partner Corndel and Imperial College London, and supported by Microsoft, the apprenticeship reflects Zurich’s belief that successful AI adoption depends as much on people and culture as it does on technology.

Participants will be given time to complete the programme alongside their day jobs, covering AI ethics, governance and human accountability, alongside practical applications of AI to boost productivity, collaboration and knowledge management. Training will be delivered through live workshops and one‑to‑one coaching led by Corndel experts. Successful apprentices will gain either a Level 3 or Level 4 qualification.

The programme was oversubscribed with more than 100 applications, highlighting strong appetite among colleagues to build AI capability and play an active role in Zurich’s digital transformation.

Zurich UK’s Responsible AI lead, Penny Jones, part of the team who designed the course, says:

“Zurich is a business built on strong relationships and delivering quality service to our customers and partners. Our use of AI doesn’t replace our people but enables them to focus on more meaningful, higher value work. That’s better for colleagues, and ultimately means a smoother, more personalised experience for the customers who rely on us. It’s great to see so many colleagues recognise the opportunity here and are keen to get involved.

“Importantly, every AI initiative we adopt has governance and ethics built in from the start and human accountability is key.  Every solution we deploy is designed to be reliable, transparent, accountable, and genuinely human-centred. Understanding these principles is a key part of our new qualification.”

James Kelly, CEO of Corndel, says:

"AI creates real value when people feel confident to use it well. Zurich’s AI Academy is a great example of how businesses can build practical AI skills on strong ethical foundations. We’re proud, alongside our partner Imperial College London, to be working with Zurich to develop the next generation of AI-ready professionals.”

The apprenticeship forms part of Zurich’s wider AI strategy, which includes an AI activation taskforce, AI champions and peer‑to‑peer learning to encourage confident and responsible use of approved tools.

A recent internal poll found 70% of Zurich UK colleagues use AI productivity tools daily or weekly, with the in‑house generative AI tool Zurichat most widely used, followed by Microsoft Copilot. While confidence levels averaged 3.5 out of 5, around half of respondents cited a lack of knowledge as the main barrier to greater AI adoption. This underlines the importance of targeted upskilling initiatives such as this programme.

Chief Technology Office for Zurich UK, Asha Kumar, says:

“AI is reshaping all aspects of work, from simple productivity hacks such as organising inboxes to using advanced data analysis programmes.

“At Zurich, we see the huge opportunities AI offers for us to get closer to our partners and customers, using carefully designed tools to increase our effectiveness and free up valuable time to collaborate and innovate.

“I’m proud of the investment we’re making to develop our people who will help us move the needle on AI, with an incredible 92 of our UK colleagues starting out on their AI Apprenticeship.

“They’ll be equipped with the skills and knowledge to unlock the full potential of the tools available to us and I’m confident this first cohort will go on to become great ambassadors throughout the business, driving forward our AI ambitions for the benefit of everyone we work with.”