Elevating AI Skills Through Tailored Upskilling Programs

Good Roads is a municipal association concerned with the quality and design of roads in Ontario. It has been devoted to the mission of better roads since 1894. Originally known as the Ontario Good Roads Association (and still using that name corporately), its members include most of Ontario’s municipalities and a growing number of First Nations, as well as dozens of affiliated corporate members in the transportation and infrastructure sectors.

Before engaging with ELB Learning, Good Roads faced several significant challenges in integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their learning and development (L&D) initiatives. Eric Young, the Manager of Education, recognized the necessity of exploring AI opportunities but noted a general lack of clarity regarding the specific knowledge and skills they needed to acquire first. Although there was some awareness of AI trends, the organization required a deeper focus and expertise from knowledgeable sources to harness these technologies effectively. This gap in understanding hindered their ability to fully leverage AI's potential in enhancing their educational programs.

Additionally, the urgency to explore AI solutions was compounded by the evolving landscape of L&D, which demanded innovative approaches to meet the needs of its members. Without a structured AI roadmap or adequate resources, Good Roads found itself at a critical juncture, needing to bridge the knowledge gap to remain relevant and effective in its educational offerings.

The discovery call with Josh Penzell, VP of AI Solutions at ELB Learning was pivotal for Good Roads, as it allowed the organization to identify its learning and development needs. Through this conversation, the L&D team gained insights into the specific skills required to effectively integrate AI into their educational framework. 

Following this initial meeting, Josh proposed the AI IQ workshop series that consists of practical and interactive instructor-led training sessions from ELB Learning, that aim to raise your team’s AI understanding of prompt creation and how Large Language Models (LLMs) work. The AI training courses were tailored to Eric’s team’s skill level to ensure they have the knowledge to leverage AI to improve productivity and efficiency in their day-to-day jobs. The workshops attracted about ten key members eager to explore AI's potential. 

The interactive nature of the workshops allowed participants the freedom to explore and learn through hands-on activities, which included writing and perfecting prompts to elicit better responses from AI tools. The workshops not only covered general AI awareness but also filled critical gaps in their understanding, enabling the team to apply concepts in a meaningful way. This hands-on approach ensured that participants mastered prompt creation and engineering, maximizing the potential of AI tools in real-life applications.

Since participating in the AI IQ workshops, Good Roads has experienced a significant and far-reaching impact on its learning and development initiatives. The knowledge gained has enabled the organization to:

• Increase the pace at which they convert in-person courses into eLearning formats, extending their reach to municipalities unable to travel for training
• Utilize AI to identify learning objectives, create learning personas, craft scripts for animations, and generate text-based content, enriching the quality of their training modules
• Employ AI for assessment identifications, writing video scripts for instructional videos, and adding value to every learning module produced by the L&D team
• Streamline course creation processes, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the L&D team
• Improve productivity and deliver a more robust training program for the organization.

Although Eric maintains a cautious stance regarding AI, relying on subject matter experts to review AI-generated content, the efficiency gained has been remarkable, demonstrating the transformative potential of the workshop, and how it subsequently leads to using AI tools effectively at the workplace.