I talk with executives and HR managers every week. And what I see most frequently is a mix of two things: certainty that AI is going to change how they work, and a feeling of not knowing where to begin.
It is not lack of motivation. It is that the AI training market offers many options and it is not always easy to identify the right one. Hundreds of courses, master's degrees, bootcamps and certifications. And most of them are designed for technical profiles, not for business teams that need concrete results.
This article brings together the criteria that help you choose well, the aspects worth reviewing and a way to bring the cost to zero using the FUNDAE credits your company already has available.
Why investing in AI training is worth it
According to the IDC Data & AI Impact report, more than 56% of European companies already use agentic AI in some part of their operations. Not just large corporations. Also SMEs with 15 employees that have found in AI agents a way to automate repetitive tasks, improve customer service or accelerate internal processes.
Companies of different sizes are finding practical advantages in AI: more agile processes, better customer service and teams that achieve more within the same hours.
There is also a significant regulatory reason. The EU AI Act, in force since August 2024, has required since February 2025 that every person working with AI systems has a sufficient level of AI literacy (Article 4). This means documented training adapted to each employee's role. It is an obligation for companies that use AI systems.
With full enforcement expected in August 2026, companies that act early will have more time to train their teams comfortably and effectively.
Key fact: Article 4 of the EU AI Act requires AI training for all staff working with artificial intelligence systems. It has been in force since February 2025. Read the full details here.
What a good business AI course must have (and what to avoid)
After designing and delivering AI training for teams across different sectors, I have identified four criteria that help distinguish a course that generates results from one that does not fit the team's actual needs.
1. Practical, not academic
A good business AI course focuses on real use cases. What your team needs is to know how to use ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot to write reports faster, analyse data or automate repetitive tasks.
What works: exercises with real tools, examples from the sector's day-to-day, time to practise during the course with the trainer's support.
What to avoid: two-hour theory sessions on the history of AI, dense slides with no practical application, content with no direct relevance to the company's context.
2. Adapted to the sector, not generic
The needs of a sales team are not the same as those of an HR department, and a dental clinic's needs are not those of an insurer. A course designed for all sectors tends not to fit any of them well in particular.
Look for training that adapts to your context: the types of data you handle, the processes you want to improve, the tools you already use or that make sense to adopt.
3. Subsidisable with FUNDAE
If your company has training credit available through the Fundacion Estatal para la Formacion en el Empleo (FUNDAE), you can cover up to 100% of the training cost. The subsidy is recovered via a deduction from Social Security contributions. It is not a complicated process, but it helps if the provider handles the documentation for you.
In this article we explain in detail how the FUNDAE subsidy process for AI courses works.
4. Covering safe AI use
A course that only covers tool usage without addressing risks leaves the team without criteria for sensitive situations. A solid course must include privacy best practices, data protection, safe prompts and the legal limits of AI use in the workplace.
The EU AI Act reinforces this point: training must cover not just how to use AI, but how to use it in a way that complies with regulation.
Three key points when choosing AI training
From our experience as a training and consulting provider, these are three aspects worth keeping in mind.
Match the duration and focus to the team's objective
A six-month master's degree makes sense for someone who wants to work professionally in AI. For a business team that needs to get value from current tools, 10 well-focused hours produce more results than 200 hours of theory. Long programmes have low completion rates among working professionals: according to industry data, a significant portion of professionals in active employment do not finish programmes of more than 50 hours.
Extend training beyond the technical team
AI's impact is not limited to the IT department. Sales, operations, HR, finance and marketing are areas where AI agents already deliver measurable results. Training only the technical team means other areas with high improvement potential miss out. And Article 4 of the AI Act applies to all staff who use AI, regardless of their department.
Use available FUNDAE credits
A portion of companies do not know they have FUNDAE credit accumulating that expires each year. That credit can cover the entire cost of training. Using it allows the team to train at no additional cost to the company. We recommend checking your available credits before contracting any training.
How to subsidise up to 100% with FUNDAE
The FUNDAE subsidy process for AI courses is more straightforward than it appears. Here is a summary of the main steps:
Check your available credits
Access the Social Security Electronic Office or contact your accountant to check your accumulated training credit. Each company has an annual limit based on the training contributions it pays.
Choose a subsidisable course
The course must be included in a training action registered with the labour authority. At Delbion we handle all FUNDAE paperwork for you, at no additional cost.
Complete the training
Your team completes the course within the established deadline (normally 45 days from the course start).
Claim the subsidy
Once the course is finished, submit the subsidy application through the Social Security Electronic Office. The amount is recovered via deductions from Social Security contributions in subsequent months.
If you want to understand the process in more detail, I recommend reading our full article on FUNDAE-subsidised AI courses, where we explain each step, the requirements and the deadlines.
Our AI courses for businesses
At Delbion we design training with what teams need to use AI with confidence and criteria from day one in mind. Two courses, both 10 hours, 100% online and FUNDAE-subsidisable.
Secure AI Application in Business (10h)
Compliance-oriented course. Covers Article 4 EU AI Act obligations, safe use best practices, data privacy and responsible prompts. Ideal for the whole organisation. View full programme →
AI Agents in Business: Real Use Cases (10h)
Business-oriented course. Explores concrete AI agent use cases in sales, operations, HR and finance. Designed for executives and middle managers who want tangible results. View full programme →
Both courses are 100% subsidisable with FUNDAE (the subsidy depends on your company's available credit). Documentation is handled by us. Your team just needs to learn.
You can see all the details, prices and upcoming dates on our training page.
Practical AI training
Want to know which course fits your team best?
We offer a free 60-minute assessment to analyse your situation, identify your team's training needs and recommend the most suitable programme. No commitment.
Request Free Assessment →Your team needs secure AI training
The EU AI Act requires AI literacy for all staff from August 2026. Our courses cover compliance, AI agents and governance. FUNDAE can subsidise 100% of the cost.
