How to Choose the Right AI Course for Your Team

Choosing the Right AI Course: A Framework for Companies

Every week, new AI courses launch — from free YouTube tutorials to six-figure enterprise programmes. For companies evaluating their options, the sheer volume of choices can be paralysing.

This guide provides a practical, step-by-step framework for choosing the right AI course for your team. It works whether you are buying your first AI programme or expanding an existing training strategy.

Step 1: Assess Your Team's Current AI Maturity

Before evaluating courses, understand where your team stands today. Most teams fall into one of four levels:

Level 1: Unaware

• Most employees have not used AI tools for work
• No company AI policy exists
• AI is seen as 'something the IT team handles'
• Start with: Foundation courses (SPARK, Coursera AI for Everyone)

Level 2: Experimental

• Some employees use ChatGPT or similar tools informally
• No consistent approach or governance
• Results vary widely — some find it useful, others are frustrated
• Start with: Structured team training (IGNITE bootcamp)

Level 3: Structured

• Teams have defined AI use cases and workflows
• Basic governance is in place
• Adoption is uneven across departments
• Start with: Role-specific advanced courses (CIPHER prompt engineering, function-specific programmes)

Level 4: Integrated

• AI is embedded in daily workflows across departments
• Strong governance and measurement
• Champions programme or Centre of Excellence exists
• Start with: Advanced specialisation, train-the-trainer, custom AI solutions

Step 2: Define Learning Objectives

Vague objectives lead to vague outcomes. Define what participants should be able to DO after the course:

Bad objectives:

• 'Understand AI'
• 'Learn about ChatGPT'
• 'Be more innovative'

Good objectives:

• 'Write effective prompts for 3 specific business tasks in their role'
• 'Evaluate AI tool outputs for accuracy and apply a quality checklist'
• 'Draft an AI acceptable use policy for their department'
• 'Build an automated workflow that saves 2+ hours per week'

Tip: Frame objectives around specific tasks and measurable outcomes, not general awareness.

Step 3: Choose the Right Format

Format decision guide:

• For 50+ people: Start with online self-paced for awareness, then in-person workshops for key teams
• For 10-30 people: In-person workshop or blended programme
• For executives: In-person workshop (engagement matters more than convenience)
• For remote teams: Live virtual with recorded exercises
• For individuals: Online self-paced with certification

Step 4: Evaluate Course Providers

Use this 10-point scorecard to compare providers:

Score each criterion 1-5 and weight by importance for your situation.

Step 5: Budget and Funding

AI courses vary dramatically in cost:

Maximise your budget:

• Malaysia: Use HRDF to cover up to 100% of approved training costs
• Singapore: Combine SkillsFuture Enterprise Credits (up to S,000) + SSG subsidies (up to 70%)
• Indonesia: Kartu Prakerja for subsidised individual courses, direct investment for corporate programmes
• Everywhere: Combine free courses for awareness with funded training for capability

Step 6: Plan for Post-Course Adoption

The course itself is only half the investment. Without a plan for post-course adoption, skills decay within 30 days. Build these into your plan:

First 2 weeks after the course:

• Assign participants specific AI tasks to practice daily
• Create a Slack/Teams channel for sharing prompts and tips
• Schedule a 30-minute 'what I learned' team discussion

First 30 days:

• Track AI tool usage rates (target: 70%+ weekly usage)
• Collect feedback on what is working and what is not
• Provide access to prompt libraries and quick-reference guides

First 90 days:

• Measure productivity impact (time saved, tasks automated)
• Identify power users and candidates for advanced training
• Schedule a follow-up workshop or coaching session
• Evaluate whether to expand training to additional teams

Decision Framework Summary

Use this quick decision tree:

1. Is this your first AI programme? → Start with SPARK (foundation) or free courses for awareness
2. Do you need the whole team trained? → In-house corporate training (IGNITE)
3. Do you need executive buy-in first? → Executive workshop (CATALYST)
4. Do team members already use AI? → Advanced prompt engineering (CIPHER) or role-specific training
5. Is budget the primary constraint? → Free courses + HRDF/SkillsFuture-funded training

Next Steps

The best time to start an AI course evaluation is now. Begin by assessing your team's current AI maturity (Step 1) and defining 3-5 specific learning objectives (Step 2). This clarity will make every subsequent decision easier.

If you would like help with this assessment, Pertama Partners offers a complimentary AI Readiness Audit that evaluates your team's current capabilities, identifies priority training areas, and recommends a structured learning path.