AI Training & Champion Certification
WHAT YOUR TEAM WILL ACHIEVE
After This Training, Your Team Will Be Able To:
Know what to share, what to keep private, and how to verify AI outputs before acting on them.
Generate professional-quality outputs from AI tools using structured prompt techniques specific to their role.
Spot GDPR risks, data classification issues, and compliance concerns before they become incidents.
Understand, explain, and comply with the Staff AI Acceptable Use Policy in their daily work.
Apply a structured evaluation framework to assess new AI tools for security, compliance, and value.
Support colleagues, identify use cases, and become the designated AI point of contact for their department (Champion track only).
CURRICULUM OUTLINE
What Each Track Covers
- → What AI actually is (and isn’t)
- → Board fiduciary duties around AI
- → EU AI Act & UK regulatory landscape
- → Questions to ask your AI supplier
- → Governance framework overview
- → Live Q&A with Simon Steggles
- → AI tools overview & safe use
- → GDPR and data classification
- → Prompt writing workshop (hands-on)
- → Use case identification
- → Policy walkthrough & Q&A
- → Role-specific scenarios
- → All Staff Workshop content
- → Advanced prompt engineering
- → AI project identification framework
- → Vendor evaluation skills
- → Change management for AI
- → Certification assessment
Need to back up training with policy? Every trained team needs a formal policy. Download our Staff AI Acceptable Use Policy — free, UK GDPR-compliant, and ready to customise.
Practical training that builds confidence, not anxiety.
AI Training & Champion Certification is a structured workforce enablement programme designed for non-technical staff. From fear reduction workshops and hands-on exercises to prompt engineering basics, security awareness, and champion certification — training that adapts to your team’s expertise level, from complete beginners to advanced users. No coding required.
Tel: 07973 210895 | simon@ai-si.com
BOOK YOUR FREE AI STRATEGY DISCUSSION NOWThree Tracks. One Programme.
Not everyone needs the same training. Different audiences have different questions, different risk exposures, and different time constraints. Each track is designed for a specific role and runs to a fixed timebox — no padding, no filler.
Board & Executive
Designed for CEOs, directors, and non-executive board members. No technical jargon. Focused on decisions, risk, and governance accountability.
- → What the board is legally accountable for in AI deployment
- → AI governance red flags to identify in vendor proposals
- → How to read an AI risk register and ask the right questions
- → UK GDPR and AI Act obligations in plain English
- → Live demonstration: how AI is being used right now in your sector
Senior Management Team
For heads of department, operations managers, and senior leads who will be commissioning or overseeing AI projects and communicating change to their teams.
- → AI maturity assessment for your department
- → Identifying automation opportunities with ROI estimates
- → Communicating AI change to your team without creating fear
- → Hands-on: building a simple AI workflow in under 20 minutes
- → Prompt engineering fundamentals for management tasks
- → AI champion identification and next steps
All Staff Foundation
For every member of your organisation. No technical background required. Focused entirely on practical use, safety, and building confidence — not anxiety.
- → What AI actually is — and what it is not
- → Live hands-on exercise using AI for your real daily tasks
- → What you can and cannot share with AI tools (GDPR essentials)
- → “Will AI take my job?” — addressed directly and honestly
- → Your organisation’s acceptable use policy explained
Recommended sequence: Board Track first (establishes governance mandate), then SMT Track (builds departmental capability), then Staff Foundation (scales across the organisation). All three can run within a single week.
Core AI Literacy Programme
A half-day workshop providing foundational AI understanding for all staff. The focus is entirely on practical application rather than theory or mathematics — your team learns what AI can do, how to use it safely, and where it fits within their daily work.
What’s Covered
- What AI actually is (and is not) — demystifying the technology
- Practical demonstrations with real business tools
- Hands-on exercises using AI for common workplace tasks
- Understanding AI limitations, hallucinations, and when not to trust output
- Your organisation’s AI use policy and acceptable use guidelines
- Data protection essentials — what you can and cannot share with AI tools
- GDPR compliance when using AI in your role
Workshops are delivered on-site or remotely, adapted to your organisation’s specific tools and processes. Maximum 20 participants per session ensures everyone gets hands-on support.
Fear Reduction Workshops
Staff resistance is the biggest barrier to AI implementation. Our fear reduction workshops address AI anxiety directly through transparent communication, open discussion, and hands-on experience that transforms uncertainty into confidence.
Addressing Common Fears
AI Champion Certification
The Champion Certification programme identifies and develops 3-5 internal AI advocates per 50 staff members. Champions become your organisation’s first line of AI support — trained to assist colleagues, troubleshoot common issues, and drive ongoing adoption from within.
Certification Process
Advanced AI Tool Proficiency
Across your organisation’s chosen platforms and workflows
Governance & Compliance
Understanding beyond standard user level — policy, audit trails, risk
Peer Coaching Skills
Support, troubleshooting, and use case identification for their department
Monthly Mentoring
Ongoing sessions with your fractional AI director
Formal Certification
Upon completing all assessment criteria with ongoing CPD
Prompt Engineering Essentials
Effective AI use depends on effective communication with AI tools. Our prompt engineering module teaches staff how to craft clear, structured prompts that produce reliable, useful outputs — turning AI from a novelty into a genuine productivity tool.
Core Techniques
Structuring Prompts
Clarity, specificity, and context setting — providing AI with the background it needs for accurate outputs
Role Assignment
Persona techniques and iterative refinement — improving results through structured conversation
Output Formatting
Constraint techniques and chain-of-thought prompting for complex reasoning tasks
Hallucination Detection
Recognising and correcting AI bias and errors — knowing when not to trust AI output
Staff leave with practical prompt templates tailored to their roles — ready-to-use formats for report drafting, data analysis, customer communication, and process documentation.
Department-Specific Training Modules
Every department has unique AI opportunities. We deliver targeted modules that show your teams how AI applies directly to their daily workflows and responsibilities.
HR & People Teams
AI-assisted recruitment screening, employee engagement analysis, policy document generation, onboarding workflow automation, and skills gap identification. All trained with strict bias prevention protocols and equality compliance.
Finance & Accounting
Automated expense categorisation, anomaly detection in financial data, report generation, forecasting assistance, and audit preparation. Training emphasises data confidentiality and regulatory compliance requirements specific to financial data.
Marketing & Communications
Content creation assistance, audience analysis, campaign optimisation, social media management, and brand voice consistency. Staff learn to use AI as a creative partner whilst maintaining authenticity and intellectual property awareness.
Operations & Manufacturing
Quality control automation, inventory optimisation, scheduling efficiency, predictive maintenance fundamentals, and process documentation. Our manufacturing case study demonstrates the transformation possible with properly trained operational teams.
Legal & Compliance
Document review acceleration, contract analysis, regulatory monitoring, compliance checking, and legal research assistance. Training covers critical limitations — AI-generated legal content always requires professional review.
Customer Service
Response drafting, sentiment analysis, knowledge base management, escalation routing, and customer insight extraction. Staff learn to blend AI efficiency with genuine human empathy — maintaining the personal touch your customers value.
AI Security Awareness Training
Security awareness is embedded throughout every training module — not treated as a separate add-on. Every staff member learns how to use AI tools safely, protect organisational data, and comply with your governance framework.
Data Protection
What information can and cannot be shared with AI tools. GDPR compliance requirements. Handling personal data responsibly.
Prompt Injection Risks
Understanding how malicious content can manipulate AI outputs. Recognising suspicious AI behaviour. Verifying critical information before acting.
Organisational Policy
Your organisation’s specific AI use policies. Approved tools and platforms. Escalation procedures and compliance reporting.
Audit Trail Awareness
Understanding why AI interactions are logged. Regulatory requirements. How to document AI-assisted decisions appropriately.
Ongoing Support & Reinforcement
Training does not end when the workshop finishes. Our comprehensive support framework ensures skills are retained, confidence grows, and your team stays current as AI capabilities evolve.
Champion Network
Ongoing development of your internal AI champion team. Monthly mentoring, advanced modules, and peer support networks that maintain momentum long-term.
Monthly Reinforcement
Regular follow-up sessions covering new AI capabilities, refreshing core skills, addressing emerging challenges, and sharing success stories across teams.
Drop-In Office Hours
Scheduled availability for staff to ask questions, seek guidance on specific use cases, and troubleshoot issues — removing barriers to experimentation.
Updated Materials
Training materials refreshed quarterly to reflect new AI tools, updated governance requirements, emerging best practices, and lessons learned.
AI Training: Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the core AI literacy training take?
The core AI literacy programme is a half-day workshop (approximately 4 hours). It provides foundational AI understanding for all staff, focusing on practical application rather than theory or mathematics. No technical background is required. For organisations wanting deeper coverage, we offer extended full-day sessions with additional hands-on practice time.
Can training be customised for specific departments?
Absolutely. We deliver department-specific modules for HR, finance, marketing, operations, legal, and customer service teams. Each module focuses on the AI tools and workflows most relevant to that department’s daily operations. We also create bespoke modules for specialist functions unique to your organisation.
What is the AI Champion Certification programme?
The Champion Certification programme identifies and develops 3-5 internal AI advocates per 50 staff members. Champions receive advanced training, ongoing mentoring from your fractional AI director, and formal certification — enabling them to support colleagues, troubleshoot issues, and drive AI adoption from within your organisation.
How do you address staff resistance to AI?
Our fear reduction workshops address common concerns directly and transparently: job displacement fears, technology anxiety, privacy concerns, and skill gap worries. We use hands-on demonstrations, open discussion, and real examples from our case studies to transform resistance into confidence. These workshops typically precede core skills training.
How is training delivered — on-site or remotely?
We deliver training both on-site at your premises and remotely via video conferencing. All workshops are adapted to your organisation’s specific tools and processes. Maximum 20 participants per session ensures everyone receives hands-on support regardless of delivery format.
Do you provide ongoing support after training?
Yes. Our support framework includes monthly reinforcement sessions, drop-in office hours, updated training materials, and ongoing champion network development. This ensures skills are retained and evolve as AI capabilities advance. Many organisations transition to our lighter advisory relationship after initial training is complete.
What security awareness training do you include?
All training programmes include AI security awareness covering data protection protocols, GDPR compliance when using AI tools, prompt injection risks, confidential information handling, and organisational AI use policies. Security is embedded throughout every module rather than treated as a separate add-on.
What does AI training cost for a typical organisation?
Training investment depends on team size, number of sessions, and champion certification requirements. Most organisations complete foundation training for under 50 staff within a single half-day session. Contact us for a tailored quote based on your specific requirements and timescales.
Staff AI Acceptable Use Policy
A ready-to-adapt acceptable use policy for staff AI tool usage — covering permitted uses, prohibited actions, data protection, and reporting requirements.
Ready to Train Your Team?
Book a free 30-minute discussion to explore how our training programmes can build AI confidence across your organisation. We will assess your team’s current capabilities and recommend a tailored training plan — no obligation.
BOOK YOUR FREE AI STRATEGY DISCUSSION NOWPARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
What Delegates Say
“I went in thinking AI was just ChatGPT and not really relevant to our team. I came out with two specific workflows we’ve already implemented. The session was direct, no jargon, and genuinely useful.”
“The fear reduction session changed how our whole team thinks about AI. Nobody left feeling threatened. They left with questions and ideas.”
TRAINING INVESTMENT
Standalone Training Pricing
All pricing is per session, not per person. Training is also included within all three retainer tiers.
Board Briefing
2 hours · Up to 12 participants · On-site or remote
+ travel if applicable
Staff Foundation Workshop
Half day · Up to 20 participants · On-site or remote
per session
AI Champion Certification
Full day + monthly mentoring · 3-5 champions
including certification
Multi-session discounts and bespoke packages available. All prices exclude VAT.
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