AI Essentials

The training is 100 percent online, but it’s interactive.  You will complete your program on the Canvas platform.  You will interact with your squad and access career coaching services through the Merit America platform.  Both provide a blended online learning environment where you will participate in live virtual meetings and complete coursework independently online through industry-recognized partners, like Google.

You will leverage learning tools such as the widely used digital workplace platforms and software, including: Zoom, Slack, Google Suite, and our customized Merit America Learner Portal.

To be eligible for any of Merit America’s programs, the following must be true:

• You have a high school diploma or GED.
• Associates and bachelor’s degree holders are welcome.
• You do not have a graduate degree and are not currently enrolled in a graduate program
• You are a resident of the U.S. and authorized to work in the U.S.
  • DACA and Temporary Residents must have a status/visa that does not expire within six months of the Immersion start date.
  • Residents of U.S. territories are eligible for our program.
• You are 18 years of age or older.
• You will be seeking full-time employment upon completion of the program.

Merit America programs are flexible to fit into your busy schedule. For the AI Essentials program, you’ll spend about 10 hours in online coursework and working on professional skill development with the help of your career coach, and a squad of your peers.

The sessions are usually after typical business hours, and the coursework can be completed whenever you have free time.

When you join Merit America, there’s a team dedicated to your success.

Your program career coach helps you build the professional and job search skills you need to succeed in today’s market—from refining your resume and preparing for interviews to networking effectively and navigating job offers. They’ll also work with you to chart a clear career path aligned with your goals.

Your squad is made of a talented people just like you, and you’ll work alongside them to complete coursework and develop projects.

Your technical advisor is available to direct you to appropriate resources if you’re struggling with your Google IT Support certificate coursework.

Your alumni career coach provides continued support after you complete the program—including help identifying opportunities that match your goals, refining applications, and preparing for interviews. 

We can’t guarantee job placement or salaries, but we do provide you with a structured training curriculum, professional career development, and dedicated job-placement support. Because of this, the majority of job-seeking alumni are placed in new jobs within three months of completion.

But we can guarantee you won’t have to pay if you still don’t earn at least $40k within two years of completing the Immersion phase of your program, as defined in our Merit America Guarantee.

Merit America’s AI Essentials program helps you build practical, job-ready AI skills you can use immediately at work—no technical background required. The focus is on real-world application, not theory.

Across six weeks, you’ll learn how to:

• Understand how AI works—its strengths, limitations, and responsible use
• Write effective prompts to get accurate, useful outputs
• Use AI tools for everyday work, like drafting emails, summarizing documents, and organizing information
• Build repeatable workflows that save time and reduce manual effort
• Evaluate AI outputs for accuracy, bias, and appropriate use

You’ll put your skills into practice through weekly, hands-on assignments and finish with a portfolio-ready project that shows how you used AI to improve a real task or workflow. Upon completion, you’ll earn a digital Workplace AI Essentials Certificate of Completion reflects your AI literacy and applied, job-relevant skills.

View syllabus here