Aptem Apprentice is designed to sit alongside the systems training providers and colleges already use. For providers running management information systems such as Unit-e EBS or ProSolutions, Aptem offers three integration tools – REST APIs, webhooks, and OData – that allow data to flow between platforms without manual duplication. This article explains how each tool works, when to use it, and what a live integration looks like in practice.

How Aptem connects into your wider systems

For most providers, Aptem Apprentice does not sit in isolation. It sits alongside MIS platforms, finance systems, and a range of other learning technologies. Out of the box, Aptem supports a wide range of standard integrations, including BKSB, Century Tech, NCFE, EPAPro, and Microsoft Teams via the communications connector. These are designed to remove duplication, streamline delivery, and ensure data flows where it needs to without manual intervention.

Beyond these standard integrations, providers can build bespoke connections using Aptem’s published APIs. This is where EBS and ProSolutions integrations typically sit: custom builds that synchronise learner records, enrolment data, and programme information between Aptem and the provider’s MIS.

The three integration tools available in Aptem Apprentice

REST APIs

Aptem’s REST APIs allow data to be both extracted from Aptem and pushed into it, including learner records, programme data, and updates from a management information system. A full API specification is published in the Aptem Help Centre, so technical teams can see exactly which endpoints are available and how to work with them. REST APIs are typically the starting point for most bespoke integrations, particularly where the goal is direct synchronisation between Aptem and a system such as EBS or ProSolutions.

Webhooks

Webhooks allow Aptem to proactively notify another system when something changes, rather than requiring the other system to poll for updates. Aptem currently supports four webhook event types: user, ILR, tracker, and job. When a learner record is updated or a tracker is completed, for example, Aptem can push that information to a configured endpoint in real time.

How it works: you provide a destination URL and an authentication header, typically an API token, and Aptem begins sending JSON payloads to that endpoint whenever the relevant events occur. Because webhooks are event-driven and can generate a high volume of data, it is important to use them in a targeted way based on what the business actually needs.

OData API

The OData API is designed for read-only access and is particularly useful for reporting and analytics. It allows providers to query structured data sets across Aptem – including learner data, progress information, and funding data – using a flexible query approach. All available tables and fields are documented in the OData dictionary, which is available from the Help Centre.

Writing effective OData queries is important to ensure only the data actually needed is returned. An OData performance guide in the Help Centre supports this. Used well, OData is a powerful tool for Power BI dashboards and wider organisational reporting.

What technical support Aptem provides for bespoke integrations

Providers building a bespoke integration are not on their own. Aptem offers technical support through a structured project approach, typically running for around 12 weeks, which gives access to a technical consultant who can provide guidance, best practice, and troubleshooting support. This might include helping to understand specific endpoints, reviewing the integration approach, or supporting with debugging.

The build of the integration itself sits with the provider, so internal technical resource and expertise are needed to develop and maintain it. What Aptem provides is the technical expertise to help that work go well and avoid common pitfalls. A good first step for any integration project is to produce a data flow and data mapping document between Aptem and the target system. This helps determine the most appropriate integration tool and can be worked through as part of the technical project.

How Barnsley College integrated Aptem with EBS

Barnsley College has been running a live integration between Aptem Apprentice and EBS since 2023, built primarily through EBS’s workflow manager using OData connections to Aptem.

The college uses an array of EBS workflows to pull user data, enrolments, ILR aims, and programme information from Aptem’s OData endpoints and match them to the corresponding records in EBS. Setup involves connecting to the OData URLs using HTTP request functions built into the EBS workflow builder, with API keys configured dynamically within workflow parameters or institution settings. Data is returned as JSON, parsed, and then processed through the matching logic.

Barnsley College keeps ILR management in Aptem Apprentice rather than moving it to EBS, which is the approach Aptem recommends. This preserves the full benefit of Aptem’s process automation – including break in learning, return to learning, and withdrawal trackers – and keeps Aptem as the source of truth for the ILR. ILR data is also sent to EBS with the data return marker turned off, and the two ILR files are merged using the DfE file merge tool for submission. In practice, this file merge process is straightforward.

The college has also used the integration to automate communications tasks, such as identifying learners who may require additional learning support based on data in Aptem and routing notifications to the relevant staff in the college.

One practical challenge the college has encountered is that workflows pulling large volumes of data directly from OData sources can become complex, making troubleshooting more involved. The college is addressing this by introducing a separate ETL layer using SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) in Visual Studio, which pulls and cleanses Aptem data into staging tables before it enters the EBS workflow process. This approach also makes it easier to structure data for bespoke Power BI reporting.

Key decisions when planning an Aptem integration

The most important early decision is where the ILR will be managed. Keeping ILR management in Aptem Apprentice gives providers access to the full range of process automation and compliance tools built into the platform. While some providers do bring ILR data into their MIS, this is best discussed as part of the technical project to understand the implications for data integrity and workflow.

The choice between REST APIs, webhooks, and OData depends on what the integration needs to do. REST APIs suit bidirectional synchronisation. Webhooks suit real-time event-driven notifications. OData suits reporting and analytics workloads. Many integrations use more than one, and the right combination becomes clearer once a data flow and mapping document has been produced.

Frequently asked questions

Can Aptem Apprentice integrate with EBS and ProSolutions?

Yes. Aptem Apprentice provides REST APIs, webhooks, and OData that providers can use to build integrations with MIS platforms including EBS and ProSolutions. Aptem offers a 12-week technical project to support the build, with the integration itself developed and maintained by the provider’s own technical team.

Should ILR management stay in Aptem or move to the MIS?

Aptem’s recommended approach is to keep ILR management in Aptem Apprentice. This preserves the full benefit of process automation for events such as break in learning, return to learning, and withdrawal, and keeps a single source of truth for the ILR. Where a provider runs ILR data through two systems, the DfE file merge tool handles the combination of the two ILR files for submission, and in practice this process is straightforward.

What is the difference between webhooks and OData in Aptem?

Webhooks push data from Aptem to another system in real time when a specific event occurs, such as a learner record update or a tracker completion. OData is a read-only query interface that allows a system to pull structured data from Aptem on demand, and is best suited to reporting and analytics use cases such as Power BI dashboards.

Do webhook JSON payloads get sent to FTP servers?

No. Webhooks send JSON payloads to a configured endpoint URL. You supply the destination URL and any authorisation required in the headers, such as an API token. The data is sent to that endpoint, not to an FTP server.

What is the best first step before building a bespoke integration?

Produce a data flow and data mapping document between Aptem and the target system. This clarifies exactly what data needs to move, in which direction, and how often, and allows you to select the most appropriate integration tool. Aptem’s technical project support can help you produce this and understand the data structure in Aptem before the build begins.

Watch the video or book a demo to learn how Aptem can support your apprenticeship delivery.