Partnerships, co-design, and interactive learning are driving national AI capability across Australia's VET sector.
At a glance
Organisation: Akkodis Academy and 12 TAFEs across Australia.
Target audience: TAFE educators, support staff, and leadership teams in NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, ACT, and WA.
Timeframe: Delivery across 2025.
Primary goal: Build foundational AI literacy and leadership capability to embed AI into VET teaching, curriculum, and organisational practice.
Delivery model: Hybrid delivery combining live virtual training, immersive bootcamps, in-person workshops, and leadership sessions.
Tools used: Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Learn for Educators, Akkodis Academy programs, tailored VET frameworks.
Governance: Coordinated through commercial sector partnerships.
Key outcomes
- 2,280+ TAFE educators and staff trained from ‘AI bootcamps’ to leadership sessions
- Programs delivered across 12 cohorts (5 VIC, 3 NSW, 1 WA, 1 QLD, 1 ACT, 1 SA)
- Increased usage of AI tools in teaching and administration
- Greater confidence and readiness for AI adoption towards curriculum integration
- Improved productivity in planning, marking, admin, and support
- Strong leadership engagement driving organisational change
The challenge
As AI continues to shape the future of work, there is a growing need for everyone entering the workforce to develop a foundational understanding of its capabilities. However, the pace of technological advancement is moving quickly, and in some cases faster than traditional qualification and training structures can readily adapt.
The solution
A partnership between Microsoft Learn for Educators, Akkodis Academy, and participating TAFEs delivered a suite of tailored AI capability programs on the foundations of responsible AI, built around accountability, transparency, fairness, reliability, safety, privacy and security.
The program was rolled out across TAFE staff and educators in NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, and WA.
Most programs were delivered online in hybrid formats, with educators from different jurisdictions and TAFEs joining the same sessions. Bootcamps hosted up to 1,000 participants. Leadership programs were smaller, fostering intimacy and deeper discussion. This delivery model helped build a sense of national community and shared practice.
The programs emphasised a ‘hands‑on’ practice including ‘prompt‑a‑thons’ – interactive sessions focused on upskilling AI prompts.
A keynote and ‘prompting masterclass’ introduced Copilot and effective prompt design, then educators formed small teams, often cross‑disciplinary or cross‑jurisdiction. Each team had a Copilot coach to guide prompt design, and a business coach to keep scenarios relevant to the context of teaching or VET administration.
“Prompt-a-thon teams use prompt templates to design solutions, and then ‘pitch’ their best prompts and outcomes. Judges assess creativity, impact, and feasibility. The key is low-barrier, high-impact practice: educators get hands-on with Copilot in a safe, collaborative environment, building confidence quickly.
– Anatoli Kovalev, Vice President, Akkodis Academy Australia
The impact
- Staff engaged with AI: Over 2,280 TAFE participants in bootcamps, prompt-a-thons, and leadership programs across 2025, building confidence and practical capability.
- National reach achieved: Training across six states and territories created mixed cohorts, fostering community and shared practice beyond siloed approaches.
- Leadership alignment strengthened: Executive and functional leaders advanced awareness of AI governance, ethics, and organisational change, driving intentional adoption.
- Curriculum integration accelerated: Educators reported greater confidence embedding AI into teaching practice, planning, and administration.
- Productivity uplift realised: Immediate gains in marking, support, and course design improved efficiency across institutions.
“I was quite a newbie to AI, so all the tips were useful and sparked my interest in seeing how I can use AI into the future to support the work we do.”
– Course participant
“The session was highly insightful and provided me with a clearer understanding of how to set up agents and leverage Copilot more efficiently.”
– Course participant
What worked
- Tailored TAFE-specific delivery improved relevance.
- Leadership engagement boosted uptake and potential for further momentum.
- Prompt-a-thons created immediate practical wins – learners valued real-time practice, Q&A, and exploring bespoke agents.
- Cross-jurisdiction delivery that linked TAFEs and created a network to meet challenges of the future.
Challenges faced
- Variation in AI readiness across states and settings.
- Due to strong demand, delivering training required scaling both operational capacity and teaching resources.
Next steps
The program is now poised for national expansion and to ensure that every VET provider can engage with foundational AI capability programs.
A key priority will be encouraging broader uptake of AI capability across VET courses to help normalise AI skills as part of everyday teaching and learning, rather than treating them as optional extras.
Sector‑wide adoption of Microsoft Copilot will also be supported, with practical training and governance frameworks to help educators and administrators use AI tools responsibly and effectively. This will be complemented by leadership roadshows and advanced AI capability programs, designed to strengthen organisational readiness and ensure that senior teams can drive cultural change and policy alignment.
About Akkodis Academy
Akkodis Academy is the global learning and reskilling arm of Akkodis. Through partnerships with Microsoft and industry leaders, Akkodis Academy provides tailored pathways in areas such as AI, cloud, data analytics, and digital transformation.
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