Thriving in a Dynamic Workplace
The way we work is changing rapidly. Emerging technologies, evolving roles, and shifting priorities make the workplace more dynamic than ever. To succeed, employees and leaders need the skills, confidence, and mindset to help navigate change effectively. Our future-forward professional development initiatives help you stay agile, understand key nuances for informed decision-making, and thrive in this type of evolving environment. In a dynamic workplace, change is constant and adaptability comes to the forefront. Being adaptable means not only responding to new tools and processes but it also helps individuals anticipate and shape what’s on the horizon.
The following professional development series is driven by the Illinois Human Resources and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. We are pleased to be partnering with CITL, the Library, and other key partners in this effort.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Professional Development Series
The AI upskilling initiative is designed to help staff and leaders develop the real-world skills needed to work smarter, adapt faster, and collaborate effectively with AI tools. Each learning pathway builds confidence and capability, starting with foundational literacy and moving toward applied and advanced skills. This helps build a more adaptive, innovative, and AI-confident workforce prepared for the next era of work.
The overarching initiative goals are to build an AI‑enabled workforce and leadership culture, accelerate organizational readiness for AI‑driven transformation, strengthen internal talent mobility through future‑relevant career pathways, and foster responsible, ethical, and human‑centered AI adoption across the university.
The key objectives of this series are to develop future‑ready AI skills, build departmental champions, strengthen organizational adaptability, and support responsible, ethical AI‑driven decision‑making.
View detailed key objectives and overarching initiative goals
Staff Series
AI Explorer - Now Available!
This level builds awareness, confidence, and responsible use of AI at work. It introduces key mindsets, simple workflows, ethical guardrails, and practical ways AI reshapes tasks. Participants learn to stay adaptable, experiment safely, and use basic AI-assisted actions in daily work.
Participants gain:
- A baseline understanding of what AI can and cannot do.
- Safe and ethical usage principles.
- Intro-level examples of AI in workflows.
Modules & Schedule:
- → Getting Started with AI: What’s All the Hype? - Demystify AI, its role, and its impact on work.
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- → Human-Machine Teaming - Explore practical collaboration models and teaming strategies.
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- → Prompt Engineering (AI Fluency) - Learn how to craft effective AI prompts for better results.
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- → Safe Experimentation with AI - Understand risks, safety guidelines, and responsible use.
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- → Learning in the Flow in Work - Integrate AI learning naturally into daily tasks.
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- → AI in My Workday - Building an AI Ready Mindset - Integrates AI into daily work while fostering adaptability and continuous learning.
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AI Catalyst – Coming Soon
This level builds practical skills with approved AI tools and helps employees understand when to rely on AI and when human judgment is needed. It emphasizes hands-on practice, role‑specific use cases, and developing confidence using AI for everyday tasks—without requiring technical expertise.
Participants gain:
- Ability to choose when to use AI and when human oversight remains critical.
- Confidence in using AI for everyday tasks, such as summaries, drafting, organization, data prep, etc.
- Clarity on how AI fits into their specific role level and responsibilities.
Program Structure:
The Intermediate Level consists of two components:
- Part 1: Participants will focus on specific usage of an AI tool (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Illinois Chat, or Zoom AI Companion).
- Part 2: Participate in a job-based cohort group focused on learning how to further leverage AI tools in your current position.
Key Outcomes:
- Demonstrate proficiency with common AI tools and features in existing software.
- Understand AI’s strengths, limitations, and how it applies to specific roles and responsibilities.
- Evaluate when to use AI and when human oversight or judgement is critical, and how AI can support daily tasks.
Job Categories:
This session may include participants from professional & administrative, administrative support, education & student support, research, crafts and trades, service & food operations, and technical roles across the University.
Note: Participating in the Foundational series is not required but recommended. If you have a good working knowledge of a specific AI tool or have taken sessions offered through CITL, the Library, or your unit, you can register for the Intermediate Series.
Thank you to those who submitted the interest form. April sessions are filled, with additional Intermediate sessions coming in May.
AI Practitioner - Coming Soon!
This level develops advanced, hands‑on AI practitioners who can drive team adoption and workflow improvements. Participants learn to prototype practical AI solutions, evaluate outputs, share expertise, and collaborate across teams to pilot responsible, human‑centered enhancements. At this stage, employees can help their teams work smarter, faster, and more confidently with AI.
Participants gain:
- Deep proficiency using university-approved AI tools, including prompt design, workflow construction, and output evaluation.
- The capability to assess which tasks can be augmented, and the points that require human oversight.
- Experience collaborating with team leads or subject-matter experts to pilot small-scale workflow improvements.
Leadership Series
AI Ready Leaders - Now Available!
This level builds essential awareness for leaders by helping them understand AI’s practical value, limitations, and implications. Leaders learn how to create conditions for responsible experimentation and support their teams in adopting AI tools with clarity and confidence.
Participants gain:
- A clear understanding of how AI enhances human leadership.
- Awareness of risks, guardrails, and ethical considerations in a leadership context.
- A practical framework for guiding teams through AI adoption.
Modules & Schedule:
- → AI Fluency for Today's Leaders - Understand AI fundamentals and implications.
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- → Human-AI Collaboration in Action - Define roles, workflows, and teaming best practices.
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- → Cultivating Trust Amid AI-Driven Change - Learn to foster trust and lead change as teams adapt to AI-enabled collaboration..
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- → Responsible AI Leadership - Establish ethical guardrails and safe AI policies.
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- → Upskilling for an AI-Ready Workforce - Plan learning lattices and build AI capabilities at scale.
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- → The AI Ready Leader - Equip leaders to steer teams through AI-driven change with trust and confidence.
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AI Adaptive Leaders - Coming Soon!
This level strengthens a leader’s ability to guide change, coach others, and redesign workflows as AI becomes more embedded. Leaders develop practical strategies for decision-making, prioritization, and enabling team growth in a rapidly evolving environment.
Participants gain:
- The ability to coach employees through change fatigue and uncertainty.
- Strategies for adapting workflows, priorities, and team structures.
- A leadership approach that integrates human-centered decision-making with AI insights.
AI Forward Strategies - Coming Soon!
This level develops leaders who can actively shape organizational transformation. These leaders help with AI strategies, champion cross-functional alignment, and translate emerging technologies into actionable direction. They can anticipate disruption, steward ethical change, and guide teams toward future-ready capabilities.
Participants gain:
- A strategic lens for anticipating how AI reshapes roles, structures, and talent needs.
- The ability to evaluate and prioritize AI investments aligned to mission and outcomes.
- Tools to build a culture of experimentation, innovation, and responsible governance.
Explore CITL & Library GenAI Resources
AI learning is supported through multiple partners across campus. We encourage you to check out other offerings available through CITL, the Library, or your unit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to attend all of the series?
No, you can sign up for each session individually. We understand that everyone is at various stages with their level of understanding and working with AI. This series was designed so that each session builds on each other allowing you to start with whatever session fits your needs.
What do you define as a leader for this series?
Someone who leads a team of people or who makes decisions for AI-related efforts.
Can we receive a badge for this series?
Yes, if you attend five of the six sessions in the series.
Is it an approved event?
The AI Professional Development is an approved event under Policy and Rules for Civil Service Staff, Rule 11.12. Employees can attend with up to two hours off work, pending supervisor approval & operations permitting. Each of session is designed as 90 minutes in length which falls under the two-hour timeframe.
Will there be other AI training offered?
Depending on campus interest we will repeat these sessions. In addition, we are working on another wave of training that will target more specifics (Copilot, ChatGPT, etc.). We will share more information on that as soon as it’s available.
Can I revisit this training if needed?
Yes, this will be available on Canvas. We will start work on that soon.
How does this differ from other offerings on campus?
There are several great offerings available through CITL, the Library, and other resources on campus. Some are focused more on the needs of faculty and students. This AI Professional Development series is focused on employees in order to help understand various tools currently in the marketplace, how they can be leveraged in roles, along with cautionary guidance. We will continue to build other future-focused courses and series.
Generative AI Resources – Technology Services
The Generative AI Resources provides the university community with listings of approved AI resources, along with privacy and security considerations.
Have questions?
Please contact ihr@illinois.edu. We’re here to help.