AI courses and training
Free self-paced courses you take right here, courses and cohorts from trainers approved by AI Ready state programs, and free courses from the companies building AI, all in one place.
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Learning paths →Self-paced courses
Take these right here. Completing one records verified credit hours automatically.
- AI Ready Academy
AI Foundations
A self-paced starter course: what AI is, how to get good results from it, and how to use it responsibly.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced online · 60 minEarns 1 credit hour - Enterprise Technology Association (ETA)
ETA Certified AI Empowered Professional
Certification · 6 courses in 3 levelsA six-course curriculum in AI Fluency and Using AI Agents at Work, from foundations to advanced, with a knowledge check in every module and a final assessment in every course.
Foundations free · $149 a levelSelf-paced online · ~14 hr - Enterprise Technology Association (ETA)
Microsoft Copilot at Work
ETA Specialist credentialUse Microsoft Copilot well at work: understand what it can see, brief it clearly, verify recaps, drafts, numbers and decks, use agents at the right rung, and measure time saved honestly. Earns the ETA Specialist: Microsoft Copilot credential.
$149 or with ETA ProIntermediate · Self-paced online · 4.8 hr - Enterprise Technology Association (ETA)
AI for People Leaders
ETA Specialist credentialFor managers, supervisors and team leads: set team AI norms, choose and pilot use cases, coach people, protect quality and trust, and measure value honestly, ending with a 90-day adoption plan for your real team.
$149 or with ETA ProIntermediate · Self-paced online · 4.2 hr - Enterprise Technology Association (ETA)
AI Governance and Security
ETA Specialist credentialFor IT, security, risk and compliance leaders: build an AI governance program people follow, assess AI risk, secure assistants and agents, and monitor and respond to incidents, ending with a reviewed governance and security plan for your organization.
$149 or with ETA ProIntermediate · Self-paced online · 4.5 hr
Instructor-led courses and cohorts
From trainers approved by AI Ready state programs. Most are paid; enrollment and payment happen on the state site.
Gentiv-AI Solutions · AI Ready OhioClaude for SMB: Build 2 AI Business Assistants in Just 2 Hours (opens in a new tab)
This hands-on workshop helps small business owners move from basic AI experimentation to building two practical Claude AI assistants they can use in their business right away.
FreeBeginner · Live online · 120 minutesEarns 2 credit hours
Lighthouse Force · AI Ready OhioAI Leadership Accelerator (opens in a new tab)
The AI Leadership Accelerator is a six-week program that helps small-business owners move from limited AI use to practical business application. Participants identify high-value opportunities, apply AI to real workflows, and develop a responsible implementation plan that prepares their businesses for continued advances in AI.
$300 per person, $3000 per teamBeginner · Hybrid · 90 minutes, 6 weeksEarns 9 credit hours
Free courses from trusted providers
Free courses from trusted providers. Log the hours you complete to count them toward your certificate.
- U.S. Department of Labor
Make America AI-Ready: AI 101 by Text (opens in a new tab)
A free 7-day AI basics course delivered by text message, about 10 minutes a day. No laptop or internet plan needed. Text READY to 20202 to start. Covers the five areas of DOL's AI Literacy Framework.
FreeBeginner · Text message · 7 days · ~1 hr total - Google Skills
Introduction to Generative AI (opens in a new tab)
Skill badgeWhat generative AI is, how it differs from traditional machine learning, and where it is used.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced · 45 min - Google Skills
Introduction to Large Language Models (opens in a new tab)
Skill badgeHow LLMs work, what they are good at, and how prompt tuning improves results.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced · 1 hr - Google Skills
Introduction to Responsible AI (opens in a new tab)
Skill badgeA quick primer on responsible AI and the principles Google uses to guide its products.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced · 15 min - Grow with Google
Generative AI for Educators with Gemini (opens in a new tab)
CertificateUse Gemini and NotebookLM to save time, personalize instruction and build better lessons. Built for middle and high school teachers.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced · 2 hrs - Google for Developers
Machine Learning Crash Course (opens in a new tab)
Google's practical intro to machine learning with animated videos, interactive visualizations and hands-on exercises.
FreeIntermediate · Self-paced - Kaggle
Kaggle Learn: Intro to Machine Learning (opens in a new tab)
Learn core machine learning ideas and build your first models in short, hands-on coding lessons.
FreeBeginner · Hands-on · Self-paced - Grow with Google + Coursera
Google AI Professional Certificate for Small Businesses (opens in a new tab)
CertificateEight short courses on using Gemini and Workspace for research, writing, data analysis and more, with 20+ real workplace activities.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced · 8 courses - NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute
Agentic AI Explained (opens in a new tab)
A short, no-pressure intro to AI agents: what they are, how they work and where they are headed.
FreeBeginner · Self-paced · 1 hr
Certificates and certifications
AI Ready certificates
AI Explorer, AI Empowered Professional and AI Empowered Leader are earned with verified training hours (2, 4 and 8 total) from courses, workshops and events. Then keep stacking hours and credentials.
How certificates workCertifications from training providers
Some providers also offer certifications: a full curriculum with assessments, completed level by level, like the ETA Certified AI Empowered Professional. Certifications are earned by finishing the curriculum, not by hours.
About the certification