As Apprenticeship Connect's learner numbers continued to grow, the team began to feel the operational complexity that naturally comes with scale, a challenge many ambitious providers will recognise. With delivery spanning several systems, including Canvas, PICS, Google Sheets, Canva, and Articulate, the team had built a workable solution but knew that their continued growth ambitions would require something more joined-up. Reporting, progress tracking, and marking were all time-intensive, with staff dedicating two full days a week to marking alone.
Since implementing Bud, Apprenticeship Connect has reduced marking time by approximately 75%, streamlined Turnitin similarity checking, and improved visibility of learner progress and support activity. This has reduced administrative work and released more teacher time for teaching, feedback, and individual learner support.
To understand what Bud has made possible, it helps to first understand the provider behind the results.
Founded in 2012, Apprenticeship Connect is a specialist apprenticeship training provider delivering work-based programmes across the Midlands, the North-West, London, and South-East England. With over 3,000 employers and apprentices served to date, the business specialises in industry-specific courses delivered by expert educators with first-hand sector experience.
Their Provision spans Early Years and Teaching, Recruitment and HR, Accounting and Finance, Marketing, and Administration and Management, with programmes ranging from Level 2 through to Level 5, giving learners clear progression pathways from early-career development through to more senior and specialist roles.
Apprenticeship Connect has grown steadily since its founding, expanding its learner base and course offering across England. The team had built a delivery model that worked, but the technology underpinning it hadn't kept pace with the ambition. Managing provision across several systems meant that every team was working harder than they needed to, with time and energy absorbed by processes that purpose-built technology could handle.
As provision continued to scale, the team identified areas where the right platform could make a meaningful difference to the challenges they experienced with their current technology:
A fragmented technology landscape spanning multiple systems resulting in no single source of truth for learner data
Reporting that relied on manual data transfers, limiting how quickly and confidently teams could act on performance information
Progress visibility for learners depending on manual updates, meaning apprentices couldn't always see where they stood in real time, limiting learning momentum
Marking workload consumed two full days per week, leaving less capacity for the high-quality teaching and support that the team prides itself on
Additional learning needs and associated support were difficult to track consistently across multiple systems
A multi-step manual process for Turnitin plagiarism checks that added unnecessary administrative burden to every submission
The Apprenticeship Connect team knew their continued growth would require a more scalable technology infrastructure.
Apprenticeship Connect carefully evaluated multiple technology solutions before selecting Bud. It was the combination of the right platform capabilities and a genuine partnership approach that ultimately won them over, giving the team confidence they were gaining not just a technology provider, but a partner as dedicated to their growth ambitions as they were.
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Moving to Bud has transformed how Apprenticeship Connect manages delivery, from teacher workload and learner visibility, to compliance confidence and inclusion evidencing.
The move to Bud has delivered measurable results for Apprenticeship Connect:
Approximately 75% reduction in marking time, driven by Bud Mark, freeing teachers to focus on what they do best: engaging with and supporting their learners
Turnitin information is available directly within Bud, supporting teachers to review similarity information as part of Apprenticeship Connect’s wider academic integrity and assessment processes
Real-time visibility of progress for learners, helping apprentices understand where they stand and maintain learning momentum
Multiple systems to 1 end-to-end platform, streamlining delivery and reducing manual processes
Bud has strengthened the consistency and visibility of how additional learning needs and associated support is recorded
Off-the-job training hours are recorded and tracked within Bud, reducing administrative effort and improving visibility
Beyond the numbers, it's the day-to-day shift in how the team works that has made the biggest impression:
Before using Turnitin within Bud, teachers downloaded each assignment, uploaded it separately to Turnitin, reviewed the similarity report and manually recorded or uploaded the relevant information. This added several steps to every submission.
For Apprenticeship Connect, having Turnitin information available directly within Bud means teachers can review similarity information as part of the assessment workflow without leaving the platform or completing the previous manual steps.
"Bud’s Turnitin integration is a significant time-saver. Similarity information is available directly within the assessment workflow, removing several manual steps and saving considerable time for our teachers. It supports our wider academic integrity and assessment processes while ensuring that teachers remain responsible for reviewing and interpreting the information."
Each year, Apprenticeship Connect’s AC Awards celebrate the achievements of the learners, employers, and partners who go above and beyond across their apprenticeship community. In 2026, Apprenticeship Connect named Bud their Supplier of the Year, recognition of a partnership built on trust, shared values, and a genuine commitment to each other's success.
"From day one, Bud has made us feel valued and supported. Whenever a challenge arises, the team takes the time to understand what we need and works collaboratively with us to find a solution. It feels like a genuine partnership, with both organisations committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for our staff and learners."
Approximately 75% reduction in marking time for Apprenticeship Connect, driven by Bud Mark
10 mins saved per learner submission with Turnitin information available directly within Bud
Multiple systems consolidated into a single end-to-end platform, reducing administrative complexity across delivery teams
Real-time visibility of learner progress, helping apprentices understand where they stand and maintain learning momentum
Apprenticeship Connect's focus is on deepening its existing provision while expanding into Bookkeeping and Level 4 Accounting, alongside introducing new Level 5 programmes such as Specialist Teaching Assistant and Digital Learning Designer. The team also remains committed to delivering Functional Skills through specialist teachers, ensuring learners have access to Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications, rooted in the belief that it genuinely improves life chances.
Apprenticeship Connect is also exploring how Bud’s Modular Learning capability and Bud Assist for Learners could support the development of new programmes and provide learners with additional, timely support.
As Apprenticeship Connect continues to grow, Bud remains a constant, a platform built to scale alongside their ambitions without compromising on the quality, care, and values that define how they work.