Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Roanoke College recently launched WorkAI Lab, a seven-week training program designed to help professionals develop the skills needed to implement and lead artificial intelligence initiatives within their organizations.
The cohort-based program combines training, expert instruction and peer collaboration to move participants beyond experimentation with AI tools and toward practical workplace implementation. The college said graduates will be prepared not only to use AI tools effectively but also to guide teams through the opportunities and challenges associated with AI-assisted work.
“The workforce is changing fast, and the employees who thrive are going to be the ones who understand the tools reshaping how work gets done,” Ryan King, Roanoke College innovation officer and chief of staff, said in a statement. “At Roanoke College, we built WorkAI Lab to close that gap. The training is designed for professionals who want both the technical understanding and strategic perspective needed to drive innovation.”
The program is open to individuals seeking to expand their AI knowledge as well as employers interested in sponsoring employees. Participants will learn how to identify opportunities to integrate AI into workplace processes and conduct AI training within their organizations.
According to the college, the program includes instruction from professionals who have implemented AI within their own companies, training on how AI functions and can be managed responsibly, guidance on developing customized AI strategies and implementation plans, and the opportunity to earn an “AI-Forward Leadership” badge.
WorkAI Lab participants will take part in hands-on exercises designed to help them build systems that can be quickly applied in their daily work. The program also includes asynchronous learning modules that allow participants to practice concepts between sessions.
Participants will be placed in working groups based on the AI tools available in their workplaces to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The curriculum is organized into seven weekly sessions covering AI foundations; data, risk and ethics; current workplace applications of AI; prompting and productivity; managing AI-enabled teams; building organizational AI strategies; and capstone presentations in which participants present AI implementation plans to peers.
The first cohort will begin in September 2026 and meet weekly on Thursdays. Some sessions will be held in person and others remotely. In-person sessions are scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
The program will conclude with an optional hackathon.
Applications are open now. Early-bird pricing of $1,700 is available through July 15, with standard pricing of $2,000 available through the Aug. 1 registration deadline. Group rates are available for organizations submitting multiple applicants.
