Overview
Most professionals spend hours every week writing emails, searching for information, summarising meetings and creating documents instead of focusing on high-value work. Microsoft Copilot changes that—but only if you know how to use it effectively.
This practical course shows you how to turn Microsoft Copilot into a genuine productivity partner across Microsoft 365. Through live demonstrations and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn how to create better prompts, automate repetitive tasks, generate high-quality content, analyse data more efficiently and collaborate smarter across applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. You’ll also explore how organisations are successfully adopting Copilot while addressing governance, security and user adoption challenges.
Whether you’re looking to save time, improve the quality of your work or accelerate AI adoption across your organisation, this course provides the practical skills and confidence to start using Microsoft Copilot immediately.
For the best learning experience and access to the full range of functionality, a paid or enterprise account is recommended.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain AI basics and key concepts such as large language models, generative AI and multimodal AI in clear, workplace-friendly language.
- Describe what Microsoft 365 Copilot is, where it appears across Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint and OneDrive, and the licensing and technical requirements for use.
- Identify practical opportunities to use Copilot to improve efficiency, productivity and quality in everyday tasks such as summarising content, drafting communications, managing meetings and analysing data.
- Apply prompting best practice to get better results from Copilot.
- Outline key challenges, risks and safety considerations for AI use, including data privacy, hallucinations, bias and responsible AI guardrails.
- Leave with at least three clearly defined Copilot use cases relevant to their own role or organisation.
Agenda
9:30
Welcome and introductions
- Course welcome, trainer introduction and housekeeping.
- Participant discussion: AI journey so far and current tools in use.
9:45
Understanding AI fundamentals
- What AI is and how it works in simple terms.
AI for business: efficiency, productivity and quality benefits. - Key concepts: large language models, natural language processing, generative AI and multimodal AI.
10:15
Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Copilot as an AI-powered assistant in Microsoft 365.
- Availability, licensing and requirements.
- Data access and security, including OneDrive, SharePoint and organisation-level permissions.
- Copilot across Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint and OneDrive.
10:45
Break
10:55
Getting started and live tour
- Accessing Copilot via Windows apps, web browser and mobile apps.
- Versions available and what this means in practice.
- Live tour of Copilot in typical day-to-day workflows.
11:25
Case studies, news and workplace use cases
- Case studies from private and public sector. Use cases including summarising content, drafting communications, creating templates, data analysis, resource planning, reporting and staff support.
- Practical examples across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and OneDrive.
- Exercise 1: Drafting an internal communication or social media post.
11:55
Break
12:05
Best practice: prompting and hands-on exercises
- Prompting best practice including three-step prompting technique.
- Exercise 2: Creating and testing a detailed Copilot prompt for a workplace task.
12:35
AI safety, challenges and guardrails
- Environmental impact, workforce adaptation, data privacy and security.
- Hallucinations, deepfakes, bias and fairness.
- Practical guardrails: access control, verification, approvals, compliance, training and monitoring.
13:05
Wrap-up and next steps
- Recap of key concepts, tools and use cases.
- Mini-quiz to recap learning.
Q&A plus guidance on next steps and signposting to resources.
13:30
Wrap-Up and Closing Remarks
- Programme subject to change*
Course Instructor
Jonathan Pollinger
Jonathan Pollinger is an experienced freelance AI Trainer and Consultant based in Cardiff, South Wales, with 17 years’ experience as a freelance trainer. He helps businesses, charities, colleges, local government and public figures use AI to increase productivity, improve efficiency and raise the quality of their work through practical, hands-on training in tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Claude. He brings to AI the same outcomes-led approach he built over many years in digital marketing and social media.
Jonathan is a BCS-approved trainer, accredited with the BCS Essentials Certificate in Artificial Intelligence v2.0 (November 2025) and the BCS Foundation Certificate in Artificial Intelligence v2.0 (December 2025) and he holds the CompTIA AI Prompting Essentials certification (May 2026). He also holds a BA (Hons) in Modern English Studies with Language and Communication from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST). A well-connected figure in the industry, he is a regular technology and AI commentator on BBC Local Radio and features on Business Insider and Media First.
Jonathan’s sessions are known for being engaging and practical and are built around live demos, exercises, case studies and real-world applications, with no jargon or marketing fluff. He keeps right up to date with the latest AI trends and platform updates, translating new features into clear workflows people can use straight away. He practises what he teaches, too: he was in the top 0.1% of active ChatGPT users in 2025. To date he has delivered over 1,000 workshops and earned more than 100 recommendations on LinkedIn.
Throughout his career, Jonathan has supported a diverse range of clients including HP, Balfour Beatty, British Council, BAM Nuttall, Howden Insurance, the National Trust, Mind and many UK universities such as the University of the West of England (UWE) and the University of Manchester, giving them actionable strategies to get real value from AI and digital technologies.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for professionals who want to understand and apply Microsoft Copilot to improve productivity, collaboration, and decision-making across their organisation, including:
- Managers and team leaders looking to streamline workflows and improve team efficiency
- Department heads and senior leaders seeking to leverage AI for strategic decision-making
- Business owners aiming to improve productivity and operational effectiveness through AI tools
- HR professionals exploring how Copilot can support recruitment, communication, and people management
- Marketing professionals looking to enhance content creation, campaign planning, and reporting
- Sales professionals seeking to improve customer engagement, proposals, and data-driven insights
- IT professionals responsible for supporting Microsoft 365 adoption and digital transformation
- Project managers and business analysts who work extensively with documents, data, and reporting
- Change and transformation professionals leading AI adoption and organisational change initiatives
- Administrative and operational staff looking to reduce manual workload and improve efficiency
- Anyone interested in practical, real-world applications of AI in Microsoft 365 environments
No prior experience with AI or Microsoft Copilot is required. The course is suitable for both technical and non-technical professionals who want to build confidence in using AI tools to enhance everyday work.
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