Training and Upskilling Your Workforce on AI

Every transformation needs early adopters. Appointing AI Champions — tech-savvy, curious, and enthusiastic employees — is a smart way to promote adoption across your firm. This person can test tools, identify use cases, and serve as a go-to resource for the team.

These champions will serve as subject matter experts, acting as educational resources who can explain use cases, troubleshoot problems, and share best practices with their peers. Their presence can reduce uncertainty and help build confidence across the team.

Leadership support is key. Allocate time and budget so your champions can explore solutions and guide others. Encourage them to run demos, share small wins, and support colleagues as they learn. A well-supported champion creates energy, builds trust, and makes AI more approachable for the entire team.

One-off training sessions aren’t enough. Firms should aim to build a culture of continuous learning where curiosity is encouraged and time is carved out for development.

Try lunch-and-learns, webinars, or peer-to-peer discussions channels to keep learning accessible. Online platforms like Udemy or edX offer affordable, on-demand content tailored to a range of skill levels. Provide access to these resources and give employees permission to learn during work hours.

This not only builds skills, it also boosts engagement and retention. Employees are more likely to stay with firms that invest in their growth.

AI success requires both technical and human skills. On the technical side, staff should be trained on relevant AI tools, data analysis, and automation techniques. A basic understanding of how machine learning works can also be helpful.

Critical thinking, professional judgment, and ethical consideration are also essential when interpreting and applying AI-generated outputs.

Equally important are people skills. And as routine tasks become automated, strong client communication becomes even more valuable. Firms should help employees focus on high-value work: advisory services, financial analysis, and relationship management.

Training programs that combine tech fluency with interpersonal skills will create well-rounded professionals who are ready for the future.

AI is not one-size-fits-all. The way a junior auditor uses AI will differ from how a partner applies it to business development or strategic planning.

Creating learning paths based on job roles ensures training is relevant and effective. A staff accountant might need to learn how to use Mind Bridge for journal entry testing, while a direct or might need to know how to prompt a generative AI model for proposals or marketing content.

Tailored learning not only builds skills, it shows your employees that their development matters. By aligning training with real job needs, you increase adoption and eliminate wasteful training.

Not all firms will build their AI training from scratch. Many AI vendors already offer robust training materials, documentation, and support services that firms can use. Leveraging these resources can significantly reduce the time and effort required to get your team up to speed.

For example, if your firm is using Microsoft Copilot, you can take advantage of Copilot Academy, which includes structured learning modules, use-case demonstrations, and how-to guides. These vendor-created resources are tailored to the tool and can help your staff learn efficiently and confidently.

Reaching out to vendors for on boarding materials, or even custom training sessions can be a highly effective and often under utilized strategy. Incorporating these resources into your internal learning program helps ensure your team has access to accurate, up-to-date information — without requiring your firm to reinvent the wheel.