AI Training for Councils and Local Government
Better People delivers AI training for councils, from AI fluency for the whole workforce to hands-on Microsoft Copilot for licensed teams, built around council work and your own AI policy. Sessions run onsite at your offices or live online, priced per cohort from $5,000.
Our team has trained:
Why do councils need a different approach to AI training?
Councils are rolling out AI to a workforce with every level of experience, under public scrutiny and with most staff on Copilot Chat rather than a paid licence. Training has to work for all of them at once.
Most councils now have an AI policy. Fewer have staff who know how to apply it to a planning report, a ratepayer email or a council meeting minute. Training is how policy turns into everyday practice.
Licensing adds a second layer. A handful of staff hold Microsoft 365 Copilot and most use Copilot Chat, and the two need different training. We map who has which in discovery and design cohorts to match, so nobody sits through a demo they cannot use.
Where this shows up in the room
Drafting council reports and briefing papers from existing documents and notes
Responding to community correspondence and complaints with the full history in view
Writing a procedure or SOP from several sources
Turning council and team meetings into minutes and actions
Finding the answer across policies, plans and past decisions, with the source quoted
How a session runs
Participants bring laptops and work through each demo on the version of Copilot they actually have. Demos use fictionalised council material, so nothing sensitive leaves the building.
We teach to your council's AI policy and any state guidance that applies, so the safe-use content matches what your staff are actually asked to follow, not a generic version of it.
What changes after the training
The outcome we design for is confidence: staff who use AI on council work and know where the line sits.
- ✓
Staff understand the difference between Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot, and what each can do
- ✓
The AI policy is applied in practice, not just read once
- ✓
Reports, correspondence and minutes start from a checked draft
- ✓
Leaders can support their teams' use of AI from day one
- ✓
Staff who arrived reluctant leave wanting more
Want this built around your team?
A 30-minute call to scope the format, the tools and the group.
How it is delivered
Workshop
From $5,000 + GST
- Best for
- One team, one tool, a defined gap
- Shape
- Half day per level
- Lead time
- Usually a few weeks
- You keep
- Materials and the prompts built in the session
Custom program
From $5,000 + GST
- Best for
- A rollout across roles or sites
- Shape
- Designed around your workflows
- Lead time
- Four to eight weeks
- You keep
- All curriculum, materials and assessments
Both formats are priced per cohort, not per seat. Prices are AUD, excluding GST. Travel is billed at cost.
Built by practitioners
We trained more than 150 staff at Merri-bek City Council across ten sessions. Leaders and the wider workforce had their own sessions: AI fluency first, then hands-on Copilot for staff with licences. We worked with the council to survey its teams beforehand and built the training around what came back.
Who delivers this training
Garret Blankenship, Co-founder
Co-founder of Better People. 15+ years building AI and cloud systems at AWS and Canva. Develops training courses for Databricks and holds four Databricks certifications.
LinkedIn →Procurement-ready
We work within standard local government procurement processes and provide statements of work, delivery schedules and assessment reports. All content created in an engagement is owned by your council outright.
Start the conversation →How other teams have done it
Local government
Merri-bek City Council brings 150+ staff up to speed on AI
A metropolitan council built AI fluency across its whole workforce before asking anyone to use the tools.
150+people trained
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Enterprise SaaS
AI fluency across SafetyCulture's global workforce
More than 500 people across three continents brought onto the same AI foundation, taught alongside the company's own AI usage policy.
500+people trained globally
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Professional associations
NZVA gives 80+ members a professional framework for using AI safely
NZVA asked its members how they really used AI, then commissioned a live session built directly on what came back.
80+members attended live
Read →Common questions
Do you train council staff on Copilot Chat or Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Both. Most council staff have Copilot Chat and some hold Microsoft 365 Copilot licences. We confirm who has which in discovery and design separate cohorts so everyone trains on what they can use.
Can the training follow our council's AI policy?
Yes. We build the safe-use content around your policy and any state guidance that applies, so staff learn the rules they actually work under.
How much does AI training cost for a council?
From $5,000 + GST per cohort, with no headcount limit. AI Fluency plus Practical AI booked together is $9,500 + GST.
Can you deliver onsite at our council offices?
Yes, anywhere in Australia, or live online for distributed teams and depots.
Which staff should be trained first?
We usually recommend starting with leaders, so managers can support their teams. At Merri-bek City Council, directors, managers and team leaders had dedicated sessions alongside the wider workforce.
Do we own the materials?
Yes. Everything created for your council is yours to keep and reuse.
Not ready to book a call?
Leave your details and we'll follow up about AI training for your council.
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