Services
How our AI training works
AI Catalyst Institute is the training division of Akron Innovations and an Ohio registered school (#2332). We teach working people to use AI well, safely, and on their own. Here is how the program works, start to finish.
Talk to us about your teamWe teach independence, not the manual
AI changes every month, so most training is out of date before the course is over. We don't build around the tool. We build the judgment that works on whatever tool comes next.
Most courses teach: Where the button is
We teach: When to trust the answer
Most courses teach: This month's version
We teach: What works on whatever ships next
Most courses teach: A video to watch
We teach: A build on your team's real work
The skills that last
- Check the source.
- Guard the data.
- Keep a human on the decision.
- Turn a one-off trick into a workflow your whole team can run.
None of that expires with an update. We've done our job when your team picks up the next tool on its own.
One foundation, then the credential that fits the job
Our credentials stack like building blocks: everyone shares the same foundation, then adds only the pieces their role needs.
Where everyone starts · 8 hands-on hours
AI-Enabled Operations
Everyone starts here. Use AI responsibly, prompt it well, and turn one-off tricks into repeatable workflows. It's built for absolute beginners and AI pros alike, in the same room, and it's the foundation every Applied AI Systems course builds on.
- After AI-Enabled Operations, take the role credentials in any order.
- Most people need one or two. A senior engineer might add a second.
- Each credential counts on its own.
- As AI evolves, the stack grows, and the credentials you've earned keep counting.
Example paths by role
Office staff
IT support technician
Senior IT engineer
Plant engineer
Accountant
Case manager
How we teach
Our method is built on how adults actually learn: mostly by doing, with someone beside them who has done it before, and with just enough reading to support the work.
Hands on within 15 minutes
Within the first fifteen minutes, everyone has their fingers on the keyboard. We ask each person to bring a real problem from their own job, one they care about solving.
Fundamentals, again and again
The best in any field train on fundamentals, the way an athlete drills the basics before game day. We start with fundamentals and a responsible-use mindset, not a tour of one product.
Eight hours, never two
We teach a skill that has to last, so every credential is eight hours of human-led instruction. It doesn't have to happen in one day.
A lab and an artifact in every module
Every module pairs a short lesson with a hands-on lab, and you leave each one with something you made.
Measured before and after
Every course includes a skills check before the training and again after it, so you can see what changed.
Beginners and pros, one room
We work with people at every skill level, and we all learn better when we learn together.
What AI-Enabled Operations covers
Eight modules, each with a hands-on lab and a take-home artifact. Its main themes:
- 01AI fundamentals and the responsible-use mindset
- 02The anatomy of a reliable prompt
- 03Thinking in workflows
- 04Research and synthesis without hallucinating
What you leave with
A working system you built
Not notes about AI. A documented, tested workflow built on your own work, that you can run on Monday.
A certificate from an Ohio registered school
Issued by AI Catalyst Institute, Ohio registered school #2332, showing your name, the credential and the date. Certificates are earned: you show what you can do before you leave.
A place to keep learning
Alumni benefits, including newsletters and events, so the learning continues after class.
Our credentials
Every credential is eight hours of hands-on, human-led instruction. AI-Enabled Operations comes first; the rest build on it.
Core · start here
AI-Enabled Operations
The foundation for everyone: responsible use, reliable prompting, and repeatable workflows.
Applied AI Systems in IT Service Delivery
For help desk and service desk teams, and the IT staff who support everyone else.
Applied AI Systems in Cybersecurity
For senior IT and security staff.
Applied AI Systems in Advanced Manufacturing
For plant and operations teams working with spec sheets, safety and material sheets, logistics and supply chain documents.
Applied AI Systems in Finance and Financial Services
For finance and accounting staff. In finance you want to calculate, not generate, so this course builds document workflows with validation and human approval at every step.
Applied AI Systems in Workforce Development
For case managers and workforce program staff.
Who it's for
Anyone whose job now includes AI, from the first-time user to the person building solutions for the whole team.
- Office and operations staff
- IT support technicians and engineers
- Plant and manufacturing teams
- Accountants and finance staff
- Case managers and workforce professionals
- Leaders who want their teams to adopt AI safely
Training, your way
- Bring 10 or more people and we'll make the session private to your company.
- Learn at the pace you prefer: one full day, two 4-hour classes, or four 2-hour classes.
- Evening and weekend options.
- Need us onsite? We can do that.
- Classes also available in Spanish, German and French. Call for details.
- Engaging classes, highly qualified instructors.
Where we've trained
Training delivered
Ohio · Michigan
On our schedule
Florida · Illinois
Let's map the right training for your team
Tell us about your people and what you want them to be able to do. We'll show you where each person starts and which credential fits their job.