Free apprenticeship management software: Journey Core at no licence fee.
Give your provider a connected place to run the apprenticeship journey. Core brings delivery, e-portfolio, off-the-job records, funding preparation, quality and gateway together for verified UK providers with up to 50 counted apprentices, subject to application review and written terms.
Start connected. Add intelligence.
from day one.
- Learner record
- Delivery & funding
- Quality & gateway
your records.
- Core foundation
- Journey AI
- Director Insight
Journey Core is free for verified UK training providers with up to 50 counted apprentices, subject to application review. Active apprentices and apprentices on a break count. Completed and withdrawn learners, staff and employer accounts do not. Core is not a timed trial; Journey AI is included in Advanced rather than Core.
Begin with the whole operational record
A smaller learner count does not remove the need to connect delivery, evidence, funding preparation and quality. Core gives the provider a shared foundation for that work, including employer and learner portals, role-based access and a named audit trail.
Use it to establish clear record ownership from the start. Decide who maintains programme information, who reviews evidence, who checks the return preparation position and who approves a gateway pack. No licence fee makes the platform accessible; a consistent operating process makes it useful.
Check your counted-apprentice position
Illustrative example: a provider with 38 active apprentices and seven on a break has 45 counted apprentices. Historic completed records and employer accounts do not change that figure. Review upcoming starts as well as today’s total when deciding whether Core fits your plans.
| Record or account | Counts towards the Core allowance? |
|---|---|
| Active apprentice | Yes |
| Apprentice on a break | Yes |
| Completed learner | No |
| Withdrawn learner | No |
| Staff account | No |
| Employer account | No |
Prepare for a useful application and setup
Have your provider details, counted-apprentice position and intended use ready for the application review. It is also helpful to identify the records you need to bring across, the people who will administer the platform and any connections essential to your operation.
Core includes help-centre and email support, with self-serve import guidance. Plan your own time for preparing data, checking sample records and introducing the team to the workflow. Access is activated following verification, application review and the relevant written terms.
When your next step is Advanced
Advanced is the route if you need Journey AI, Director Insight, operational monitoring, guided onboarding with current-system migration, or provision beyond the Core counted-apprentice allowance. It is quoted per provider and uses the same connected learner record.
Journey warns before the Core allowance is reached. Discuss your plans early so the edition, support and commercial arrangements can be agreed before the next intake changes your counted position.
Free within the Core allowance · terms apply
Journey Core is a free edition of Journey's apprenticeship management software, run as an apprenticeship management system for one approved provider workspace within the published allowance. Applications are reviewed before access; eligibility, fair use and written terms apply.
- Reviewed provider access
- Staff accounts do not count
- Data stays exportable
Journey Core allowance
50 counted apprentices
40 apprentices
Early capacity warning
45 apprentices
Plan ahead warning
50 apprentices
Allowance reached
If the allowance is exceeded, access and transition options follow the applicable written terms. Where a grace period applies, the workspace becomes view-and-export only when it ends, until counted apprentices are reduced or an upgrade is agreed; support and account-closure requests remain available. Confirm the current arrangements before activation.
What Core helps you do
A working product, not a limited demo
Core keeps the essential delivery record intact. Upgrade only when you need external assurance, automation or scale.
One operational record
Programmes, cohorts, learners, employers and delivery activity stay connected instead of being split across systems.
Plans through progress
Build learning and delivery plans, record attendance, OTJ learning, reviews, evidence and KSB progress.
Learner and employer workspaces
Give each party the right view, actions and signing responsibilities without consuming apprentice capacity.
Evidence that stays attached
Keep operational evidence, documents, decisions and signatures linked to the learner and programme record.
Humane capacity controls
Warnings start before the limit. If the allowance is exceeded, access and transition options follow the applicable written terms; confirm current arrangements before activation.
A clean route to Journey Advanced
Add agreed external-readiness, premium automation and advanced analytics without migrating to another product.
Plans
Start with a reviewed Core application. Add assurance when you need it.
Core is the operating product under the eligibility, fair-use and written-term boundaries described below. Access is reviewed for verified UK apprenticeship training providers. Advanced adds assurance, automation and scale without changing the record your teams already use.
Start and run your provision
Journey Core
Free
Application reviewed before access
One approved provider workspace; eligibility, fair use and written terms apply.
Up to 50 counted apprentices
The complete day-to-day operating foundation for smaller apprenticeship providers.
Assurance, automation and scale
Journey Advanced
Contact us
Commercial proposal configured centrally
Capacity, implementation and service levels agreed in writing
The complete advanced capability surface, configured to the provider's agreed scope.
What Journey Core includes
What Journey Advanced includes
| Capability | Journey Core | Journey Advanced |
|---|---|---|
| Run the apprenticeship lifecycle The operational record your teams use from first setup through achievement. | ||
| Programmes, cohorts and learner records Create delivery structures and keep learner, employer and programme context together. | Included | Included |
| Learning and delivery plans Plan curriculum, delivery activity and the learner's route through the standard. | Included | Included |
| OTJ, reviews, attendance and KSB progress Capture evidence, off-the-job learning, reviews, attendance and mapped progress. | Included | Included |
| Learner workspace Learners can review progress, add evidence and complete assigned actions. | Included | Included |
| Employer workspace Employers can review relevant learners, respond to actions and sign records. | Included | Included |
| Data export and portability Export essential customer data without losing access because of a plan change. | Included | Included |
| Assessment, quality and funding assurance Controlled workflows for assessment, internal quality, funding and audit readiness. | ||
| Assessment and assessor capability Assessor assignment, marking, decisions and signatures. | Included | Included |
| Internal quality assurance Risk-based sampling, IQA decisions and internal quality controls. | Included | Included |
| External quality readiness EQA evidence, action planning and controlled evidence-pack readiness. | Not included | Included |
| Finance and ILR Funding operations, ILR preparation and controlled submission support. | Included | Included |
| Ofsted readiness Evidence-backed readiness views and inspection preparation. | Not included | Included |
| DWP funding audit Source-linked funding and compliance audit workflows. | Not included | Included |
| Scale, automate and integrate Advanced operating controls for larger or more complex provider teams. | ||
| Journey AI Governed AI for Journey Advanced providers, subject to provider, governance, role, resource, quota and human-approval controls. | Not included | Included |
| Premium automation Configurable rules, reminders, escalation and work orchestration. | Not included | Included |
| Advanced integrations Managed connectors, integration health and controlled recovery. | Not included | Included |
| Advanced analytics Deeper quality, funding, retention and performance intelligence. | Not included | Included |
| Priority support Contracted priority support service indicators. | Not included | Included |
| Contracted SSO and custom integration Approved identity and custom integration controls under an agreed contract. | Not included | Included |
Active apprentices and apprentices on a break in learning count towards Core's 50-apprentice allowance. Applicants, withdrawn and completed records do not count. Staff and employer accounts do not consume apprentice capacity.
Core warns at 40, 45 and 50 counted apprentices. If a provider exceeds 50, a 30-day grace period supports correction or upgrade while existing data, support and exports remain accessible.
Journey AI is a Journey Advanced capability, but hosted use remains unavailable unless provider, governance, role, resource and quota gates are satisfied. Core retains the complete deterministic Journey workflow without an AI dependency.
Journey Advanced scope, capacity, implementation, identity and service arrangements are configured centrally and confirmed through consultation and a written proposal. Managed services remain separate.
Managed operating services are scoped separately from software plans.
Separate from software plans
Optional managed operating services
Journey Advanced scope and commercial terms are confirmed in writing before activation. These managed services are scoped separately with explicit responsibilities; they are not hidden software entitlements.
Curriculum & Content Studio
Keep your apprenticeship curriculum current, mapped and delivery-ready without carrying the full internal content cost.
Compliance Protection & Admin Ops
Admin, ILR, evidence, audits and operating control for providers who want fewer blind spots.
Assessment & IQA Support
Improve feedback quality, assessment consistency, learner progress judgement and gateway readiness.
Tutor Talent Pool
Access trained tutor capacity without starting from scratch every time.
Employer Account Growth
Grow more revenue from existing employer relationships with sharper account management.
Marketing & Recruitment Engine
Generate employer interest, recruit apprentices and build a stronger growth pipeline.
Strategic Partner Plan
For providers who want specialist tech training capability without building a tech department.
Clear answers
Journey plan questions
Questions providers ask
Is Journey Core really free?
Journey Core is free for one approved provider workspace with up to 50 counted apprentices. Active and on-break records count. Core applications are reviewed for verified UK apprenticeship training providers; eligibility, fair use and written terms apply.
What counts towards the 50-apprentice allowance?
Apprentices with an active status or on a break in learning count. Applicants, withdrawn and completed records do not count. Staff and employer accounts do not consume apprentice capacity.
What happens if we grow beyond 50 counted apprentices?
Journey warns at 40, 45 and 50. If the allowance is exceeded, access and transition options follow the applicable written terms; confirm the current arrangements before activation.
What does Journey Advanced add?
Journey Advanced can include separately agreed quality-evidence, automation, integration, analytics and support scope. Assessment delivery, IQA, finance and ILR workflows are already included in Core. Journey does not provide DWP, DfE or Ofsted approval or assurance.
What tailored arrangements are available?
Journey Advanced arrangements are custom contract terms for complex provider groups that need contracted capacity, Journey AI, SSO, approved custom integrations, implementation support and an agreed service level.
Is Journey AI included in each plan?
Journey AI is a Journey Advanced capability, but hosted use remains unavailable unless provider, governance, role, resource and quota gates are satisfied. Core retains the complete deterministic Journey workflow without an AI dependency.
Are managed operating services part of Advanced?
No. Managed operating services are scoped separately so software entitlements and service responsibilities stay clear.
Is Journey DWP, DfE or Ofsted approved?
No. Journey is independent software built around published apprenticeship requirements. It supports evidence and assurance workflows but does not guarantee funding, regulatory or inspection outcomes.
Related pages.
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Bring your learners’ journey, your team’s questions and your next ambition.