Making sense of AI in work-based learning
Learning together
By Paddy Shepperd, senior AI specialist at Jisc
We’ve all seen the headlines. Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing everything. But for many of us working in training and education, it can be hard to cut through the noise and get a clear sense of what that really means for learners, teams, and the sector.
Recently, Jisc ran a series of short, practical AI literacy sessions designed to build confidence and boost skills. Over five lunchtimes, we brought together trainers, assessors and managers to explore what AI is, how it’s already being used in education, and how to start making informed decisions about its use.
The bigger picture: why this matters now
From fashion to finance, education to engineering, AI is reshaping how tasks are carried out. It’s not just about automation. It’s about changing expectations, greater creativity, stronger judgement, and better problem-solving. The World Economic Forum lists critical thinking and creativity as essential skills for the AI-driven workforce.
For employers, that means supporting their teams to up-skill. For staff, it means being ready to adapt confidently and critically. Learners are already using generative AI tools like Snapchat AI and ChatGPT to plan essays, generate ideas and get instant feedback, but they want clearer guidance on responsible use and more help to develop AI, information and media literacy skills.
Why we did it
That’s exactly why AI literacy has become essential for all, not just for tech specialists. These sessions were designed to strengthen staff knowledge and confidence. Not to turn people into AI experts, but to build understanding, spark ideas, and encourage safe, effective use. We wanted to offer a space to ask questions and try things out.
What we looked at
The sessions were short and focused, just an hour each. They covered five key areas:
1. What is AI and why does it matter?
A jargon-free introduction to what AI actually is, what kinds of tasks it’s suitable for, and how to use it.
2. Opportunities and risks of AI
AI can support productivity, creativity and idea generation, but it also comes with risks. Touching on a number of topics from bias and misinformation to data privacy concerns, this session encouraged thoughtful, critical engagement.
3. How AI is being used in education and the workplace
We shared real life examples of how AI is already assisting with assessment planning, reducing administration tasks and enhancing resource creation. We also looked at how workplaces are forecasting future skills needs and expectations.
4. Safe, effective and ethical use of AI
This session focused on using AI responsibly, with a focus on checking outputs, crediting sources, and ensuring learners are developing their own independent thinking and judgement.
5. Next steps for your organisation
We ended the course by asking attendees to consider how to take their learning forward. This included ideas like developing internal guidance on AI use, running small-scale pilots, and building team confidence through continued discussion and experimentation.
Throughout the sessions, we explored a range of tools like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Goblin Tools and Canva and encouraged participants to try them out for themselves, focusing on what’s relevant and effective in their own contexts.
To support reflection and future planning, we posed a few key questions for teams to consider:
- Are we preparing learners for an AI-enabled workplace?
- Are we embedding AI literacy into employability training?
- Are learners being taught to use AI tools ethically, collaboratively, and creatively?
Why AI in work-based learning needs its own focus
Work-based learning (WBL) is different to tertiary education. It’s grounded in real workplaces and designed to help people build the practical skills they need to succeed, not just in assessments, but in their careers.
That means AI use in WBL has to be purposeful. It must reflect employer needs, regulatory expectations, and the importance of meaningful support. While AI can streamline tasks, the real value lies in protecting time for what matters: relationships, conversations, and human connection. Helping learners use AI well is part of Jisc’s wider responsibility.
These tools aren’t going away. Supporting digital confidence means preparing learners to work with AI, to question it, and to use it wisely.
What did we look at around assessment and AI
In WBL, assessments often reflect real work: portfolios, observations, practical tasks. With AI in the mix, we need to ask:
- What should assessment look like in the future?
- Do learners fully understand what’s appropriate? Have we been clear enough?
- Are our methods flexible enough to reflect how AI is used in real workplaces?
This is more than a question of whether AI is “allowed”. It’s about designing assessments that reward thinking, insight and practical application, not just a regurgitation of facts and figures.
Looking ahead
AI isn’t a passing trend; it’s a shift in how we work and learn. For the WBL sector, the opportunity lies not just in keeping up, but in leading the way.
By supporting staff to develop AI confidence and literacy, and by embedding responsible use into our everyday practices, we can make sure learners achieve not only qualifications but also the digital resilience and skills they need to thrive in the workplace.
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