AI training · Kent and UK-wide
AI training for your staff, on the tools you already have
Some of your staff may already be using AI tools on their phones. Training turns that into something useful and safe: the right accounts, prompts that fit your work, and the habit of checking. We train on ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini or Claude, whichever your business pays for, in three formats depending on numbers and depth.
£195 to £795
Based in Kent, working with businesses across the UK: on site in Kent, by video anywhere else.
Three formats
Skills hold many firms back. In the government's AI Adoption Research (January 2026), 60% of businesses named limited AI skills, expertise or knowledge as a barrier, second only to not having found a use (71%).
For the whole team
AI talk or staff briefing
£295
Up to 90 minutes for up to 30 people, on site or by video: what AI does well and badly, safe use at work, and how scammers use it. Slides and a handout afterwards.
Book the talkHands-on
Team AI workshop
£795
A full day for up to ten staff, each working on their own real tasks in your tools. Ends with a one-page safe-use policy.
Book the workshopFor owners and managers
One-to-one coaching
£195
Two hours built around your own week: emails, quotes, planning, spreadsheets. You leave with saved prompts and a short written summary.
Book coachingWhich one fits
A rough guide. On the free call we'll say if you need less than you're asking for.
- Nobody has really used AI yetStart with the talk, before risky habits form.
- A few people use it quietly, each in their own wayThe workshop. Agreeing one way of working is most of the value.
- You want to understand it before your staff doCoaching first, then a workshop once you know what you want.
- More than ten people need hands-on timeA talk for everyone, plus a workshop for whoever writes the most.
- You're not sure AI is worth it at allThe AI Kick-Start looks at your work first, then suggests training.
Training on what you already pay for
We don't start by selling you new software. Here's what common subscriptions already include.
| If you pay for | Per user, per month | AI already included | Where training starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard or Premium | £5.40 to £16.90 paid yearly, ex VAT | Copilot Chat. Copilot inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint needs the Copilot Business add-on: £16.10, or £13.80 on offer to 31 December 2026, ex VAT. | Copilot Chat with uploaded files, and Copilot in Outlook |
| Google Workspace Business Starter, Standard or Plus | £5.90 to £18.40 paid yearly | Gemini in Gmail and Gems on every plan; Standard and Plus add Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet. | Gemini in Gmail, then Gems for repeated jobs |
| ChatGPT Business | £15 paid yearly, or £18 monthly, for 2 users or more | GPT-6 Sol and Projects. Not used for training by default. | A Project for each kind of work |
| Claude Team | £18 paid yearly, or £22.50 monthly, inc VAT | Projects shared across the team. No training on your content by default. | A shared Project holding templates and price lists |
From each provider's UK pricing page, checked October 2026. Microsoft shows prices without VAT and Anthropic with it; Google and OpenAI don't say.
What staff can do afterwards
We'd rather describe this than promise it, because it depends on the people and the work. The aim of a workshop day is that everyone leaves having:
- used AI on three or four of their own regular tasks, and kept the prompts that worked;
- set up a Project, Gem or saved prompt for the job they do most;
- caught the AI inventing something, and learned which details to check;
- agreed which account to use, what stays out, and who to ask.
The tool pages go further: ChatGPT training, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini. It's also worth considering scam and deepfake training, since the same tools make fraud more convincing.
Is AI training a legal requirement?
For most UK small businesses, no. The rule people hear about is Article 4 of the EU AI Act, which since 2 February 2025 has asked organisations that provide or use AI systems to support their staff's AI literacy. It reaches UK firms where an AI system is sold into the EU, used there, or affects people there. Using AI only for your own UK work generally falls outside it (our reading, not legal advice).
If you do trade into the EU, the duty was softened in July 2026: no set level per person and no certificate, just measures to support AI literacy. Keep a note of who attended what.
How a workshop day is planned
-
A call beforehand
Which tools you pay for, which jobs take the most time, and who's coming. We'll ask for a few anonymised examples of real work to build exercises around. -
The day itself
Short demonstrations, then everyone works on their own tasks while we go round. Nobody is put on the spot. -
Afterwards
The one-page safe-use policy, the prompts that worked and suggestions for what to try next, by email.
Questions people ask
How much does AI training for staff cost?
A 90-minute talk for up to 30 people is £295, a hands-on day for up to ten is £795, and two hours of coaching is £195. No mileage within Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham or Thanet.
Is there free AI training for UK businesses?
Yes. Since January 2026 the government's AI Skills Hub has offered free short online courses to every UK adult. Paid training spends the time on your own work and tools.
Should we train the whole team or just managers?
Usually both, managers first: they set the rules, then the people doing the daily work get hands-on time.
What technical level do staff need?
If they can write an email and find a file, that's enough.
Should we train on ChatGPT, Copilot or something else?
Usually on whatever you already pay for: Copilot for Microsoft 365 firms, Gemini for Google Workspace. We'll say if another tool is worth adding.
Who you'll work with
James Hayes Consulting is led by Ross Hayes, who builds software for his own businesses and uses AI tools in them every day. We set AI up on your real work, explain it in plain English, and tell you straight if something isn’t worth paying for.
Every project starts with a free 15-minute call, and prices are agreed in writing before you commit.
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