AI Training & Champion Certification

Why Standard AI Training Fails

Most organisations approach AI training backwards. They book a vendor, show staff ChatGPT, hand out a quick-start guide, and expect adoption. Staff attend, feel overwhelmed, return to work, and use nothing.

The problem is simple. Training teaches tools. Your people need thinking. They need to understand what AI does in their role, what risks exist, and how to use it responsibly.

Without this context, even the best tool sits unused. Without internal experts to normalise adoption, resistance takes hold. Without clear governance, projects stall at review stage.

AI-Si training fixes this. We build capability at three levels: board-level literacy, staff-level hands-on skills, and internal champions who own adoption in your organisation.

Executive AI Literacy

Board and senior leaders need to understand AI strategy, not ChatGPT prompts.

• What AI can and cannot do. Realistic capabilities versus hype.
• Governance obligations. Regulatory landscape for AI in your sector.
• ROI evaluation. How to assess AI investment returns.
• Risk framework. What can go wrong and how to prevent it.

No slides of fluff. Strategic decisions you need to make, explained.

Staff AI Awareness

Your team needs hands-on practice with approved tools in a safe environment.

• Role-specific sessions. What AI means for finance, operations, customer service, marketing.
• Live tool demonstrations. Approved AI tools your organisation will use.
• Hands-on practice. Everyone tries it. Not lecture format. Not theory.
• Acceptable use policy. Clear guidance on what is allowed.

Staff leave confident. They have tried it. They know boundaries. They know who to ask.

AI Champion Certification

Create internal leaders who understand your business and drive adoption from within.

• Structured pathway. From curiosity through competence to leadership.
• Fortnightly coaching. One-to-one mentoring from Simon. Real questions addressed.
• Practical projects. Champions identify and execute AI adoption projects.
• Peer cohort. Champions from your organisation learn and support each other.

Internal confidence. Adoption momentum. A reference point when teams have questions.

Acceptable Use Policy Workshop

Policy without process creates risk. Policy with clarity creates adoption.

• Draft AUP with your team. Not imposed from above. Built with those who use it.
• Data protection alignment. GDPR, confidentiality, and security baked in.
• Legal review checklist. What your legal team needs to sign off on.
• Communication plan. How to roll it out without creating backlash.

Staff understand what is allowed. Legal approves. Leadership sleeps well.

The AI Champion Model

Why Every Organisation Needs AI Champions

A single policy and a one-off training day do not embed adoption. Adoption happens when staff have a person they trust asking “Have you tried this?” Not an external consultant. A peer in their department.

Champions are not data scientists. They are staff members who understand your business, care about AI, and commit to supporting adoption. A finance manager who sees how AI improves forecasting. An HR lead who explores how AI helps recruitment. An operations person who identifies automation opportunities.

They become a reference point. When someone in customer service wonders if they can use AI for emails, the champion answers. When a manager asks about risks, the champion explains governance. When the board questions impact, the champion shares real examples from the organisation.

Champions remove adoption friction. They normalise AI use. They answer the questions blocking uptake. They create a culture where trying AI is expected, not risky.

What Champions Do

• Answer team questions about AI use and safety
• Identify AI opportunities in their department
• Test approved tools and provide feedback
• Support rollout of AI policies
• Report adoption blockers to leadership
• Share wins and practical examples
• Connect with other champions across the organisation

The 90-Day Certification Process

Champions start as curious staff. They finish as confident leaders who drive adoption in their areas.

Month One: Foundations. Champions learn what AI is, how it works, what it is not. They understand your organisation’s strategy, governance, and approved tools. They meet the other champions being certified alongside them.

Month Two: Application. Champions identify a project in their role. Something real. An actual problem AI can solve. They plan the approach, consider risks, and think through implementation.

Month Three: Leadership. Champions execute their project with support. They document what worked, what did not, and what they learned. They present to peers and leadership. They transition from learning to mentoring others in their teams.

Structured. Practical. Delivered by someone who understands your business and has done this work for 35 years at board level.

You Get

• 2-4 staff certified as AI champions
• At least one live AI adoption project executed
• Documentation and toolkit for scaling adoption
• Ongoing access to Simon for 6 months after certification
• Champions network for peer support
• Proof of capability for client-facing work

Why AI-Si Training is Different

Simon Delivers It Personally

You do not get a franchise trainer reading slides. Simon runs every programme. He listens to your business. He adjusts content to your sector, your challenges, your opportunities.

He has spent 35 years in board-level roles: finance director, non-executive director, chairman. He understands governance, risk, strategy. He knows what boards care about. He knows what stops adoption in real organisations.

He delivers training the way he delivers consulting. Clear thinking. No fluff. Focused on what your organisation needs to do next.

We Build Capability, Not Dependency

The goal is not to make you dependent on external consultants. The goal is to make you independent. Certification programmes create internal expertise. Champions own adoption going forward.

Staff do not just learn about AI. They learn to think about it. To evaluate it. To implement it responsibly. To scale it.

When the programme finishes, you have capability in-house. People who answer questions. Who mentor new staff. Who evaluate new tools. Who drive adoption on your timeline, not a vendor’s timeline.