Clear Quality is proud to celebrate a major milestone in our journey to champion governance excellence.

In June 2025, our first cohort of learners successfully completed the newly launched Governance Officer Level 4 Apprenticeship, making us the first provider in the UK to deliver this trailblazing qualification from start to finish. Even more impressively, the group achieved a 100% pass rate in their End Point Assessment, with learners from across sectors including education, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing. Among the successful learners was our very own CEO, Debbie Whitehead, who completed the programme alongside the cohort demonstrating her belief in continuous learning and the power of governance in every corner of business.

About the Apprenticeship

The Governance Officer Level 4 Apprenticeship is a brand-new qualification developed by a cross- sector Trailblazer Group, featuring governance professionals from the NHS, civil service, professional services, charities, education, and listed companies.

The Trailblazer initiative was chaired by Helen Baker of HN06 Limited, who shared this message:

"We have been so excited to watch the vision of the Trailblazer Group come to life as Governance Officer apprentices undertook training to kick-start their careers in governance. We are particularly excited that the first cohort of apprentices has recently undertaken and passed their End Point Assessment. We would like to congratulate them all on their achievement and look forward to watching their governance careers develop."

- Helen Baker, Chair, Trailblazer Group

We also received this message from Glenn Johnston, COO of Kuberno and Trailblazer Group member:

"The news that our first-ever cohort of apprentices have all passed their End Point Assessment is fantastic. A huge well done to everyone involved. To the apprentices for setting the bar high for future cohorts, and to all the managers, coaches, assessors and Trailblazers who made this possible – congratulations!"

Reflections from Clear Quality

Debbie Whitehead, CEO of Clear Quality, commented:

“As CEO, I am incredibly proud that our organisation has led the way in delivering the very first Level 4 Governance Officer Apprenticeship and achieved a 100% success rate. It’s been a rewarding and transformative journey to help shape and deliver this pioneering programme over the past two years. I am especially proud of the talented women involved whose commitment and excellence set a powerful standard for those to follow.”

Beth Rhodes, Training Director and course tutor, added:

“It’s been an incredibly fulfilling journey being involved in the creation, development, and delivery of this brand-new apprenticeship standard over the past two years. I am beyond proud of the women in the inaugural cohort, whose dedication and hard work led to their remarkable achievement. It has been a privilege to work with, teach, and learn from them.”

Recognition & What’s Next

This success has gained national recognition with Skills England preparing to feature Clear Quality and the apprenticeship in an upcoming blog, and interest from the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland in celebrating the milestone.

Throughout July and August, we’ll be sharing: 

 Learner stories

 Employer perspectives

 Behind-the-scenes insights on how this course is transforming governance roles in real organisations

Want to be part of the next cohort?

Our next Governance Officer Level 4 Apprenticeship intake is now open.

►  Visit our course page: Governance Officer Level 4

✉ info@clearquality.co.uk

📞 01709 918501