Innovative micro-credential for professionals on AI for the workplace launched by CIVIS

An innovative micro‑credential, designed for team leaders and managers, is the new offer co-created by CIVIS this spring. Communicating effectively about AI, anticipating its effects on organisations, and supporting change in a collaborative and ethical way are part of the skills learners will gain.

Artificial intelligence technologies are gaining traction in the workplace at vertiginous speed and, managers must not only understand these tools but also anticipate their impact on roles and organisational processes. To meet this challenge, CIVIS launches the micro-credential IA et travail: accompagner ses équipes face au changement a programme in French jointly certified by the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the University of Lausanne (UNIL), and Aix‑Marseille University (amU).

It grants 3 ECTS and consists of three complementary modules:

• Foundations of AI and Generative AI for Middle Managers (amU)
• The Impact of AI on Work Environments (UNIL & amU)
• Supporting Teams Through Change in an AI‑Driven Environment (ULB)

What is a micro‑credential?

Micro‑credentials provide the opportunity to acquire specific skills or knowledge in a short period of time, while offering formal recognition aligned with Swiss and European Commission recommendations for lifelong learning

This format responds to two major challenges in continuing education: flexibility and recognition. In a context where skills evolve rapidly - particularly with the rise of AI tools - short, targeted programmes allow professionals to stay up to date and adapt effectively.

Added value of the training

According to Cécile Pinson, learning technologist and manager of educational and digital innovation projects at ULB, this micro‑credential stands out due to its integrated approach, combining the technical dimensions of AI, its organisational and human impacts, and practical tools for managing change.

Unlike many AI‑related trainings - often aimed at top management and focused on strategic or technological issues - this programme places middle managers at the center. It equips them to understand AI, explain it, supervise its use, support their teams, and manage possible tensions.

The innovation lies in combining accessible technical insights with an in‑depth ethical and legal perspective, as well as the development of essential transversal skills: managing resistance, clear communication, identifying concerns, and adopting a facilitator’s posture.

This CIVIS micro‑credential does not aim solely to train in AI, but to strengthen managers’ capacity to navigate transformed environments, emphasising human and relational value. It offers operational benefits at a time when AI is deeply reshaping work and management practices.

Participants will learn to use new tools and develop a critical understanding of AI at work: analytical frameworks to grasp the organizational, human, and ethical effects of AI on professions, skills, and work relationships. This analytical capacity is increasingly sought after by organizations and contributes to enhanced employability.

The programme also reinforces key competencies for supporting change: anticipating concerns and resistance, mobilizing teams, supporting middle managers, and building appropriate learning strategies. Participants will develop a role as internal referents capable of connecting technological innovation, social dialogue, and skills development.

Main advantages

The programme is fully online, with a mix of self‑paced learning and live sessions with instructors, offering flexibility and enabling progressive, immediately transferable skill development. The format provides formal, targeted recognition, compatible with professional activity and immediately valuable for career development. Participants leave with practical tools, methods, and a shared language to act effectively within their organisations in the face of AI‑driven transformations.

In terms of employability, this micro‑credential prepares participants for emerging roles: HR or training specialist, team manager, transformation project leader, organisational consultant, or specialist in preventing psychosocial risks linked to digital technologies.

Ethics of AI Under Examination

This micro‑credential contributes to the development of a responsible and ethical approach to AI integration by first establishing clear and shared legal and ethical benchmarks.

After a refresher on the fundamentals of AI, the training covers the European regulatory framework (AI Act), accountability, risks linked to bias, and the obligations involved in the use of AI.

The programme then focuses on AI’s broader societal implications, analysing its concrete effects on work, professions, skills, and teams. It addresses various levels of transformation (substitution, augmentation, hybridization, reconfiguration) to explore how AI reshapes work organization, the meaning of work, and professional relationships.

Through modules dedicated to change and conflict management, the program also highlights the civic values at stake: quality of dialogue, respect for individuals, and the prevention of tensions. Participants learn how to support AI integration with clarity, pragmatism, and responsibility.

Good to know

The programme runs between 15 April - 30 June, in French. It is coordinated by:

• Cécile Pinson – Learning technologist and manager of pedagogical and digital innovation projects at the Université libre de Bruxelles.
• Pierre Artois – Professor at ULB, specialist in continuing and lifelong training systems, social innovation, and human resources management. He also directs the Continuing Education Center for Humanities and Social Sciences (HuSci).
• Maria Maestracci – Training program designer within the FORPRO (Professional Training) service at Aix‑Marseille University.
• Mariana Vieira – Instructional designer at UNIL‑EPFL Continuing Education and project manager for micro‑credentials within the CIVIS Cell at the University of Lausanne.

The CIVIS community benefits of free-of-charge limited number of places. More details available on the programme’s dedicated page.

Photo: CIVIS Communication Unit.