Make data trustworthy. Make AI accountable.
A £10,000 Level 4 Data Protection & Information Governance programme — fully funded through the Skills Levy. No cost to you. No career break. The qualification every AI-using organisation now needs.
Next cohort: 14 September 2026.
Why this matters now
- Most organisations still can't prove they handle data properly.
- Now the EU AI Act and ICO are raising the bar on AI too.
- Few professionals can do both — and organisations know it.
Data protection was already essential. AI just doubled the stakes.
What you'll learn
Foundations of Control
Data quality, master data management, ownership and accountability. Complete DPIAs, map your organisation's data flows, and apply UK GDPR so data is compliant by design — not by accident.
Governance in Practice
Design data audits, monitoring routines, and escalation pathways. Identify compliance gaps before they become incidents — ensuring governance is consistently applied, not just written in policy documents.
Risk, Ethics & Assurance in AI
Identify bias, transparency and misuse risks across AI systems. Apply fairness and accountability frameworks. Respond to breaches, investigate incidents, and implement the controls that keep AI trustworthy.
Compliance, Regulation & Oversight
Manage processing records, assess third-party processors, enforce retention and minimisation. Prepare the documentation and governance trail that lets your organisation evidence compliance on demand — to regulators, auditors, and customers.
Capstone & EPA — the work is the proof.
Design and ship a live governance asset at work — DPIA framework, breach response procedure, retention policy, or audit process. Present it in professional discussion. No written exam.
You'll work with
Is this for you?
You'll recognise yourself if:
- You work in compliance, risk, legal, IT or data protection
- AI just made governance critical — and you see the opportunity in that
- You'd rather build the framework than present the strategy
How it works
Live coaching
A fixed weekly session with your expert coach and a small, friendly cohort. Scenarios, debate, direct feedback.
Self-paced learning
Modules and exercises you work through during your working week. Structured, on-demand, and built to fit around your role.
Design and implement a live governance framework
Design and implement a live governance framework — a DPIA, breach response procedure, or audit process your organisation can use immediately.
That's the whole ask.
What you get for your time
Worth £10,000. You pay £0. Funded through the Growth & Skills Levy your employer already pays into. We handle all the paperwork.
Coaches who've built governance frameworks. Your coach has built governance frameworks and managed regulatory compliance in real organisations. Candid feedback and practical guidance, not hype.
A Level 4 qualification from the Department for Education. Goes on your CV and LinkedIn permanently.
We help you get your employer on board. Most managers say yes immediately once they see it's fully funded and addresses governance obligations.
Your coaches
Industry professionals, not lecturers. They've done the job you want to do.
Izzy Weber
Head Coach
DataCamp and PwC. Knows what employers actually look for.
Tash Joslin
Data Coach
20+ years in data strategy. Co-founded Mojo.
Jen Godlonton
Head of Curriculum
Previously Black Swan Data. Heads curriculum at iO-Sphere.
Jonas Torres
AI Engineer & Data Coach
20+ years in data & AI, from Accenture to Director at Dialpad, and a frontier-LLM trainer. Has coached hundreds into data careers.
Abdul Mafe
Data & AI Coach
Enterprise data governance at Three Network.
Martin Stanley
Data Analytics Coach
Data analytics leadership across consulting, retail and telco (BT Group).
Andrew Lane
Data & AI Coach
Governance and AI ethics. Trained as a lawyer.
Honestly, iO-Sphere was one of the best decisions I've made. I came in nervous from a non-traditional background, but I never once felt like I didn't belong.
Ioana Mihaescu · iO-Sphere graduate
Claim your funded place — it takes two minutes
Two minutes to apply. We'll follow up within one working day with a 15-minute call to answer your questions, check the fit, and help you get your employer on board. No pressure, no pitch.
Common questions
How much does it cost me?
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Nothing. The programme is fully funded through the Growth & Skills Levy — a contribution your employer already makes. There's no cost to you and no cost to your employer beyond releasing your time.
How much of my time does it take?
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Six hours a week during your working hours — your employer releases the time. Two hours of live coaching, two hours of self-paced learning, two hours of coach-supported project work. No evenings, no weekends.
Can I apply?
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If you're 19 or over, employed in England, and have the right to work in the UK, you're almost certainly eligible. We'll confirm in your 15-minute call — there's nothing to prepare.
When can I start?
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The next cohort starts 14 September 2026. Apply now to secure your place — we'll help you get your employer on board before the start date.
What if my employer says no?
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Most say yes once they understand it's fully funded, fits around your job, and produces real work output they can see. We'll give you everything you need for the conversation — and we're happy to speak to your manager directly.
Which government standard is this programme based on?
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It's a fully funded Growth & Skills Levy programme, built on the official Data Protection & Information Governance Practitioner standard — Level 4, reference ST0967 on the Skills England register. Our Data & AI Governance and Data & AI Strategy programmes are two routes through this same standard. You're assessed against the national standard, not an in-house syllabus — so the qualification is recognised by employers across the country and stays on your CV and LinkedIn for life. You can verify the standard yourself at skillsengland.education.gov.uk.
The standards are national — how is iO-Sphere's programme tailored?
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Every Growth & Skills Levy funded programme in England is built on a national standard set by Skills England — it sets what you have to be able to do to qualify, and it's the same for every training provider. That's exactly what makes your qualification nationally recognised. What isn't fixed is how you learn it — and that's where we're different. We cover every requirement of the standard, then build the delivery around the data and AI tools, real projects and workplace scenarios you'll actually use in your role — including hands-on practice on Prism, our 500M+ row simulation platform. Same recognised qualification, through a programme that feels like your job, not a textbook.
What our learners say
“I'm in HR so I went in thinking most of it wouldn't apply to me, but I ended up automating parts of our HR process and building a system that flags people ready for promotion. Would definitely recommend if you're in a non-technical role.”
Steph
trustpilot
“A great balance between technical capability and real-world application. What really sets iO-Sphere apart is the emphasis on communication and storytelling, a critical skill in any data role.”
Sheena Shah
“The combination of technical training and soft skills development has been incredibly valuable, and it played a huge role in helping me secure my dream job.”
Carlos Gomes
“What stood out most was how practical it was. Rather than just learning theory, I worked on realistic business problems using large datasets. Really valuable experience.”
Keni Duguma
“We enrolled two of our analysts and both came back more capable and more confident. The programme paid for itself inside a quarter. We're already planning to put a third person through.”
Sarah Holt
L&D Manager
“A well-structured, thoughtful programme with a strong emphasis on practical skills. The curriculum is clearly designed by people who understand how data is actually used.”
Kemal Yusuf
“It was a very detailed programme. We covered data dictionaries, data governance, business drivers, OKRs, KPIs, customer segmentation, and A/B testing. All the coaches were amazing!”
Gloria Ayoola
“This course has been extremely great. It has taken me from no skills in data to being a fully fledged data analyst.”
Stacey Carroll
“Honestly, iO-Sphere was one of the best decisions I've made. I came in nervous from a non-traditional background, but I never once felt like I didn't belong.”
Ioana Mihaescu
“I started as someone quite lost in my job hunt. With the help of the coaches, I managed to secure a new role and feel much more confident from an upskilling and employability perspective.”
Mahli
“It improved my technical skills from nothing to being adept at Excel, SQL, and Power BI. I would definitely recommend this to anyone trying to upskill.”
Lachlan Brown
“A transformative intense experience. Great team and great training that prepares you for the work environment.”
A S
“I joined because I wanted proper certification to validate the skills I'd already built, not to pivot careers, but to formalise and level up what I was doing in data. And it delivered exactly that.”
Chris Thomas
Trusted by teams at
Apply for the 14 September 2026 cohort
Two minutes to apply — then a 15-minute chat to answer your questions, check the fit, and help you get your employer on board. No pressure, no pitch.
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