What Does a Beginner AI Course Cover?
The term 'beginner' can mean different things. In the context of corporate AI courses, a beginner programme is designed for employees who have little to no experience using AI tools in their work — regardless of how senior they are.
A marketing director with 20 years of experience is still a 'beginner' if she has never used ChatGPT for work. A junior analyst who has been experimenting with AI on his own is probably not.
This guide explains exactly what a beginner AI course covers, who should attend, and what your team will be able to do after completing one.
Who Is a Beginner AI Course For?
A beginner course is appropriate for employees who:
- Have not used AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) for work tasks
- Have tried AI tools casually but are not using them consistently
- Feel uncertain about what AI can and cannot do
- Are unsure about company policies for AI use
- Want structured guidance rather than self-directed experimentation
This typically includes:
- Managers and team leads who need to understand AI before leading adoption
- Non-technical professionals in HR, finance, marketing, operations, legal
- Frontline staff whose roles involve writing, research, analysis, or customer communication
- Senior executives who need strategic AI understanding (though executive courses go deeper)
Who does NOT need a beginner course?
- Employees already using AI tools daily and effectively
- Data scientists and ML engineers (they need technical courses)
- Teams that have already completed structured AI training
What You Do NOT Need to Know Beforehand
One of the biggest barriers to AI adoption is the misconception that you need technical skills. You do not need:
- Programming or coding skills
- A technical or engineering background
- Knowledge of machine learning or data science
- Experience with specific software tools
- A university degree in technology
All you need is basic computer literacy (you can use email and a web browser) and a willingness to learn.
Core Curriculum of a Beginner AI Course
A well-designed beginner AI course for companies covers five core modules:
Module 1: What Is AI? (The Non-Technical Version)
This module explains AI in plain business language:
- What generative AI actually is and how it works (simplified)
- The difference between AI, machine learning, and generative AI
- What AI can do well (and where it fails)
- Why AI matters for your industry specifically
- Common myths and misconceptions debunked
Time: 1-2 hours
No jargon. Concepts are explained with business examples, not technical diagrams.
Module 2: Hands-On with AI Tools
Participants get hands-on experience with real AI tools:
- ChatGPT — Conversation-based AI for writing, analysis, brainstorming
- Claude — AI for longer documents, nuanced tasks, careful analysis
- Microsoft Copilot — AI integrated into Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams
- Other tools — Relevant to your company's specific technology stack
Each participant completes 3-5 exercises using AI for tasks relevant to their role.
Time: 2-3 hours
Key skill: Participants learn to use AI tools confidently for basic tasks.
Module 3: Prompt Engineering Basics
The most practical skill in AI is learning to write effective prompts — the instructions you give to AI tools. This module covers:
- What makes a good prompt (clarity, context, constraints)
- The ROLE-TASK-FORMAT framework for structuring prompts
- Common mistakes that produce poor outputs
- How to iterate and refine prompts for better results
- 10 ready-to-use prompt templates for common business tasks
Time: 2-3 hours
Key skill: Participants can write clear, effective prompts for their daily tasks.
Module 4: AI for Your Specific Role
This is where beginner courses become valuable — generic AI concepts are applied to specific roles:
- HR: Drafting job descriptions, screening criteria, policy documents, training materials
- Finance: Financial analysis summaries, report generation, data interpretation
- Sales: Prospect research, email drafting, proposal outlines, competitive analysis
- Marketing: Content creation, social media, campaign planning, market research
- Operations: Process documentation, SOP creation, meeting summaries, vendor communications
- Legal: Contract review summaries, regulatory research, compliance checklists
Each participant works on exercises directly relevant to their daily work.
Time: 2-3 hours
Key skill: Participants can use AI for 3-5 specific tasks in their role.
Module 5: AI Safety and Governance
Every beginner course must cover responsible AI use:
- What data you can and cannot put into AI tools
- Your company's AI acceptable use policy
- How to verify AI outputs for accuracy
- When to use AI and when to rely on human judgement
- Privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property considerations
- What to do when AI produces incorrect or inappropriate results
Time: 1-2 hours
Key skill: Participants understand the boundaries of safe AI use in your company.
Expected Outcomes
After completing a beginner AI course, participants should be able to:
- Use AI tools confidently — No more hesitation or fear of 'doing it wrong'
- Write effective basic prompts — Clear instructions that produce useful outputs
- Apply AI to 3-5 role-specific tasks — Practical skills for their daily work
- Evaluate AI outputs — Recognise when outputs are good, inaccurate, or inappropriate
- Follow company AI policies — Understand what is and is not acceptable use
These are not theoretical skills. After a well-designed beginner course, participants should be using AI tools within their first week back at work.
Duration and Format
Typical formats:
| Format | Duration | Best For |
|---|
| 1-day intensive | 6-8 hours | Quick kickstart, time-constrained teams |
| 2-day workshop | 12-16 hours | Deeper learning, more practice time |
| 4-session virtual | 4 x 2 hours over 2 weeks | Remote teams, spaced learning |
| Self-paced online | 6-10 hours over 2-4 weeks | Individual upskilling, flexible schedules |
Most companies find that a 1-2 day in-person workshop provides the best balance of depth and efficiency for team training. The hands-on format ensures everyone practices with real tools and leaves with practical skills.
What Comes After the Beginner Course?
A beginner course is the start, not the finish. The typical learning progression:
- Beginner course (this article) — AI fundamentals, basic prompts, safety → SPARK programme
- Intermediate course — Advanced prompt engineering, workflow automation → CIPHER programme
- Role-specific training — Deep-dive into AI for your specific function → FORGE, NEXUS, LEDGER, etc.
- Leadership programme — AI strategy, governance, change management → CATALYST, ELEVATE
- Champions programme — Train-the-trainer, internal AI mentoring → ELEVATE
Our Recommendation
For companies getting started with AI, we recommend Pertama Partners' SPARK programme (AI Readiness Fundamentals):
- Duration: 1-2 days
- Format: In-house, customised to your industry
- Audience: Non-technical employees, managers, and team leads
- Includes: AI fundamentals guide, hands-on exercises, prompt templates, participant certification
- HRDF claimable (Malaysia) / SkillsFuture eligible (Singapore)
SPARK covers all five modules described above, tailored to your company's industry, tools, and specific use cases. Your team leaves with practical skills they can apply on day one.
