A new micro-credential opens AI doors for South Australians.
At a glance
Organisation: TAFE SA (RTO no. 41026)
Target audience: All South Australians looking to upskill and make the most of AI.
Timeframe: Active course development started in May 2025; micro-credential launched in September 2025.
Primary goal: Provide a free, accessible foundational AI course for a broad South Australian audience.
Delivery model: Online, self-paced micro-credential.
Tools used: TAFE SA used its ‘Digital Toolkit’ methodology to develop this new product from concept to release, ensuring the course is validated and quality assured. The course is designed for inclusivity and accessibility, in accordance with TAFE SA’s Inclusive Education Roadmap and is housed within TAFE SA’s Moodle based Learning Management System, LEARN.
Governance: Managed by a working group for the first year to ensure agility, relevance, and alignment with state and federal priorities. Led by TAFE SA’s Teaching and Learning team, the project team included learning designers, SMEs, and strategic industry and research partners.
Key outcomes
- Free online course is flexible and accessible, requiring between five and ten hours of self-paced study.
- Over 300 course registrations before the course went live.
- Over 1200 enrolments and 90 completions within first month of release*.
- 98.5% of participants rated their post course understanding of AI as ‘good’ or ‘strong’, compared to 17.8% pre-course*.
- 81.8% of participants rated their post course confidence as ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ in using AI tools, compared to 24.4% pre-course*.
The challenge
TAFE SA recognised that AI training had to be developed quickly and at scale. Most existing AI courses were too technical – designed for IT professionals or those already immersed in digital work and often assumed a level of prior knowledge.
TAFE SA saw the need for accessible, foundational AI literacy that everyday South Australians could engage with – whether they are workers, parents, business owners, retirees or anyone wanting to understand the basics.
At the same time, South Australia had chosen not to ban AI in schools, to help prepare students for the world in which they live. The Department for Education partnered with Microsoft to develop EdChat, an AI tool for all public secondary students, helping to integrate AI within a broader strategic vision for public education.
“We have embraced the technology, rather than attempted to ignore it. AI is being incorporated into workplaces and applied in industries right across the globe, and this course offers people the chance to build on their skills.”
Blair Boyer MP, Minister for Education, Training and Skills
The solution
TAFE SA developed a free, online, self-paced micro-credential, ‘AI Essentials: Getting Started with Artificial Intelligence’ to address the gap in foundational AI literacy for everyday South Australians.
The course was developed through a rigorous process: starting with industry and market research to pinpoint gaps in current AI education, then leveraging in-house learning designers and subject matter experts to create content that applies across AI platforms.
The approach was validated through focus groups and ongoing engagement with businesses, ensuring alignment with state priorities and governance frameworks throughout a rapid development cycle.
The course takes 5-10 hours of learning and covers:
- Fundamentals of AI concepts
- Real-world AI applications
- Ethical use, privacy and safety
- Introduction to common AI tools and use cases
The impact
- Learners at the forefront: The course offers clear, engaging content on what AI is, how it works, and its real-world impact.
- Ready to build: Launched in September 2025, over 1200 enrolments within the first month, signalled strong demand across SA.
- High satisfaction: Initial feedback demonstrates 94% satisfised or very satisfied with the course with an 80% improvement in their understanding of AI and a 57% improvement in confidence of using AI*
“We have a responsibility to support the workforce and the people of South Australia. AI is going to be an increasing part of our life and work future, and this course will give participants the tools and confidence to thrive.”
Victoria Griffith, Dean, Teaching and Learning, Academic Development, TAFE SA
Lessons learned
What worked:
- Sprint cycles enabled rapid development: The strict project-management sprint cycle allowed for a quick turnaround, which was essential given the timeframe and set launch date.
- Collaboration was a significant success factor: Teams across product development, strategic industry partnerships, short courses, marketing, and project management collaborated seamlessly to drive the initiative forward.
Challenges faced
Navigating a rapidly evolving field: Ensuring the course content remained up to date with AI was addressed by having a dedicated working group manage the course for the first year. The group, led by the TAFE SA Teaching and Learning team, included learning designers, SMEs, strategic industry advisers and market-research partners.
Next steps
The course will be managed by a working group for the first year, enabling agile updates based on research and feedback before transitioning to TAFE SA’s standard review processes. Content will be refreshed regularly to reflect the fast-moving AI landscape, with scope to introduce more advanced topics over time.
This work sits alongside TAFE SA’s ongoing AI enablement efforts, including the organisation-wide rollout of Microsoft Copilot. Strong governance and risk frameworks are already in place, and the focus is now on practical support, training, and guidance to help staff use Copilot confidently in their daily work.
The AI micro-credential complements this by ensuring staff and students have the foundational knowledge needed to use AI tools effectively and responsibly.
“Potential future developments include partnering with industry experts to co-design and endorse course content, with opportunities for collaboration through initiatives such as the FSO Skills Accelerator-AI.”
Victoria Griffith, Dean, Teaching and Learning, Academic Development, TAFE SA
About TAFE SA
TAFE SA is South Australia’s largest vocational education and training provider, offering nationally accredited courses across a wide range of industries. With campuses throughout the state and flexible online options, it plays a key role in workforce development and lifelong learning.
*data taken at 24/10/25.
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