Questions providers ask about Journey.

Journey and its editions

• What is Journey?

  Journey is apprenticeship management software for UK training providers. One connected learner record runs delivery, funding and ILR, e-portfolio and off-the-job evidence, quality and gateway, from enrolment to end-point assessment. Journey Advanced adds Talk to Journey with AI included.

• Is Journey free?

  Journey Core is free forever for verified UK providers with up to 50 counted apprentices subject to application review. Active and on-break apprentices count; staff and employer accounts do not. Journey Advanced is priced per provider.

• What is the difference between Journey Core and Journey Advanced?

  Both run on the same connected learner record. Core is the record. Advanced adds Talk to Journey and Director Insight with AI included, operational monitoring across cohorts and employers, no cap on counted apprentices, priority support and guided onboarding.

• Who can apply for Journey Core?

  UK apprenticeship training providers. Applications are reviewed, a UKPRN helps, and provider access, the contracting entity and any service-specific terms are confirmed in writing before a workspace is activated.

Talk to Journey and AI

• What is Talk to Journey?

  The AI capability inside Journey Advanced. You ask a question about your apprentices, funding, quality or gateway inside the signed-in app, and Journey answers from your own connected learner record, listing the records it read. There is no public chat box.

• Does Journey's AI make decisions?

  No. Talk to Journey answers and shows its sources. Funding, gateway, EPA, learner-status and other consequential actions stay with a named person, recorded in the audit trail. Intelligence assists; people decide.

• Where does the AI get its information?

  From your provider's own learner records only, scoped to your tenant. It does not read the open internet or another provider's data, and every answer lists the records and the record version it read from.

Funding, ILR and compliance

• Does Journey build the ILR?

  Yes. ILR returns R01 to R14 are built from the learner record with required-field and data-quality checks, so the return and the record cannot disagree. Journey helps providers organise and review records; it is not clause-by-clause funding certification and does not guarantee funding outcomes.

• Which funding rules does Journey support?

  Versioned England apprenticeship funding rules packs, selected from the recorded start date, including 2024/25, 2025/26 and the published 2026/27 pack. Pack selection helps providers organise evidence and review records.

• How does Journey help with Ofsted preparation?

  Journey keeps quality sampling, observations, actions with owners and due dates, safeguarding records and self-assessment evidence on the same record as delivery, so a provider can organise its own evidence for internal review. Journey is independent software and is not Ofsted approved; it does not establish conformity with an inspection framework or determine a grade.

• Where is Journey data hosted?

  In the UK, on approved production processing services listed in the sub-processor register. Access is scoped to your organisation, with role-based access and a named audit trail.

Gateway and end-point assessment

• How does gateway work in Journey?

  A readiness checklist reads from delivery, portfolio, English and maths and employer confirmation. When it clears, Journey builds a minimised assessment readiness pack, a named person approves it, and it goes to the end-point assessment organisation. Where the EPAO runs Meritura by Journey, that is one click and the released result syncs back to the record.

• What is Meritura?

  Meritura by Journey is the assessment operations system for awarding and end-point assessment organisations at meritura.co.uk. It runs readiness-pack intake, cases, scheduling, assessor allocation, marking, IQA and result release, and syncs released results back to Journey.

Choosing apprenticeship software

• What should I look for in apprenticeship management software?

  One record rather than several systems to reconcile; ILR built from the record; off-the-job hours against plan with employer-signed reviews; gateway readiness that reads from the record; a named audit trail; role-based access; published pricing; and a clear answer to how AI is used and governed. The buyer's checklist in the resources covers the rest.

• How does Journey compare with Aptem, Bud, OneFile, Smart Assessor, PICS and Maytas?

  The comparison pages set out cited supplier statements next to Journey's, with dated sources, a methodology page and a correction process. Journey is not affiliated with those suppliers.

• How long does it take to move to Journey?

  A 40-learner provider typically moves delivery, funding and evidence in one intake cycle. Imports bring learners, employers and history in from the current system; Journey Advanced includes guided onboarding.