We’re sorry to announce that Consalia have taken the difficult decision to stop offering the Level 7 Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Professional Practice in Senior Sales Leadership Apprenticeship that we have been running in partnership with Middlesex University. This is in response to revised apprenticeship levy funding rules published by the Department for Education (DfE) in May 2025.
In that update the DfE confirmed that, from 1 January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeships will only remain Apprenticeship Levy/government-funded for young people aged 16–21, and for care leavers or learners with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who are under 25 at the start of their apprenticeship in England.
Our Level 7 apprenticeship is targeted at senior sales leaders who already have several years of experience, so the funding age range may be too small for the programme to continue being viable for either Consalia or employers, despite the demand for mid and later-career sales leadership development and strong previous outcomes from the programme.
As a result, we sadly will no longer be recruiting any new cohorts onto the programme. Those already enrolled do not need to worry: The DfE have confirmed that anyone who started a Level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026, including our final cohort that began in December 2025, will continue to be eligible for funding through to completion, and there will be no disruption to the delivery of your programme.
This decision is not a reflection of programme quality or impact. In 2024, Consalia’s provision of the Level 7 programme was graded “Outstanding” by Ofsted, recognising the strength of our learning design, leadership, and employer partnership. That recognition mattered because it validated something we care about deeply: sales leadership development should be academically credible, commercially grounded, and capable of changing behaviour in the workplace — not just on paper.
We have been, and continue to be, immensely proud of the Level 7 Programme, and want to thank our partners at Middlesex University as well as all of our apprentices for making it such a great success.
What happens next: new levy-funded pathways that still feel like Consalia
While this chapter of our Sales Business School closes, its purpose does not. Consalia is now actively exploring alternative, levy-fundable leadership development routes that retain the academic rigour and applied learning we’re known for — because the profession still needs leaders who can think critically, coach effectively, and lead transformation with confidence.
That means creating programmes that build true leadership capability in sales: strategic judgement, reflective practice, commercial storytelling, and the ability to mobilise teams around customer value in complex environments. The funding rules may have shifted, but the need for stronger sales leadership certainly hasn’t.
In the meantime: programmes already supporting transformation-focused leaders
Alongside the development of new leadership pathways, Consalia continues to support organisations through non-levy funded programmes; established transformation learning options which include:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Leading Sales Transformation – for leaders who need a structured, credible development route that strengthens their ability to shape direction, lead change, and embed modern sales practices across teams. (MSc top up available)
- Coaching for Sales Transformation – an ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring for helping sales leaders and managers build the coaching capability required to shift mindsets, raise standards, and turn training into sustained performance.
- Winning Value Proposition™ – a flexible programme for supporting teams to sharpen how they articulate value, differentiate meaningfully, and connect solutions to what customers actually care about (especially in high-scrutiny buying environments).
The MSc option remains our most prestigious sales qualification
For individuals and organisations who want the highest level of depth — and who are serious about becoming experts in leading sales transformation and key account transformation — there is still a clear academic route: the Executive Master’s.
While the MSc is not levy-funded, it remains a compelling alternative for professionals who want more than capability building. It is for those who want to develop mastery: research-informed leadership, commercial insight, and the credibility to lead change at enterprise level. If that’s your ambition, it may be the perfect next step.
Stay updated
We will share announcements as our new levy-aligned sales leadership programmes are confirmed and launched, alongside other developments across Consalia’s sales education portfolio.
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