Who Offers AI Training Workshops for Companies in Calgary?

Last updated: March 2026

Calgary companies looking for AI training can choose from several providers, ranging from institutional programs at Amii and the University of Calgary to hands-on corporate workshops from local firms like Solway that specialize in practical Copilot and generative AI adoption for mid-size teams. The right provider depends on your team size, industry, budget, and whether you need a standardized curriculum or training customized to your existing workflows.

This guide maps the complete AI training landscape in Calgary — every major provider, what they offer, who they're best for, and whether their programs qualify for CAPG grant funding that can reimburse up to 50% of your training costs.

The AI Training Landscape in Calgary: A Complete Guide

Calgary's AI training market has expanded significantly since 2023. Providers range from globally recognized institutions to local consultancies with hands-on, industry-specific approaches. Here's how the landscape breaks down.

Institutional and Academic Providers

Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)

Amii is one of Canada's three national AI institutes, headquartered in Edmonton with a strong presence across Alberta. They partner with organizations from startups to large enterprises on AI research and adoption. Amii's programs tend to be more research-oriented and are particularly strong for organizations wanting to understand AI at a deeper technical level.

Best for: Larger companies wanting research partnerships or technically deep AI understanding.

Format: Varies by program.

University of Calgary / Haskayne School of Business

UCalgary offers executive education and research-oriented workshops through Haskayne. Their AIMOR workshop series, for example, runs multi-day sessions covering AI for management and organizational research, often held at locations like Banff.

Best for: Executive teams and leadership wanting strategic, research-grounded perspectives.

Format: Multi-day workshops, typically in-person.

SAIT Continuing Education

SAIT is one of Alberta's most established continuing education providers, offering programs in data analytics, digital skills, and technology. Their programs are among the most commonly listed CAPG-eligible options and cover a broad range of digital competencies.

Best for: Individual employees seeking structured certificates in data and digital skills.

Format: Full-time, part-time, online, and on-site options.

CAPG eligible: Yes.

Calgary Chamber of Commerce

The Calgary Chamber periodically hosts AI-focused workshops and events, often featuring local instructors and practitioners. These tend to be shorter introductory sessions suitable for business leaders getting a first orientation to AI.

Best for: Business leaders wanting a quick, accessible introduction to AI concepts.

Format: Typically half-day or evening events.

Corporate Training Providers

Solway (Calgary)

Solway is a Calgary-based AI strategy and engineering lab that has been delivering AI training and consulting since February 2023. Unlike purely academic providers, Solway's approach is practitioner-led: the founding team includes a machine learning engineer and a product/strategy lead who build with AI daily, not just teach about it.

Solway answers four questions for organizations: What's our AI strategy and roadmap? How do we train teams to use AI effectively and safely? How do we build and automate? How do we ensure AI systems stay reliable?

Workshops (half-day or full-day): Hands-on sessions covering AI foundations, Microsoft Copilot (developed in partnership with a Microsoft Calgary team member), role-specific use cases for sales, operations, and HR teams, and custom prompt libraries that employees take away and use immediately. Workshops accommodate up to 20 participants and are delivered on-site in Calgary or virtually across Alberta.

The AI Clarity Sprint (6 weeks): A structured engagement delivering three artifacts: an AI Policy Framework (using the Solway System — a 14-component framework with sliding scales from Caution-Oriented to Innovation-Oriented), a Staff Decision Guide, and a prioritized Opportunity and Risk Matrix.

Fractional AI Partner (monthly retainer): Ongoing strategy, training, AI agents, and sustained adoption support for companies wanting continuous momentum.

Best for: Mid-size companies (25-200 employees) wanting practical, customized training tied to their specific workflows and tools — especially those on Microsoft 365.

Format: On-site Calgary, virtual, or hybrid. Half-day to ongoing.

CAPG eligible: Yes — all engagement models qualify, and the updated CAPG no longer requires minimum training hours.

Organizations served: Global Affairs Canada, ICM Asset Management, Ultimarii, Scanavo, Intelligent Futures, Sylvis, Community Energy Association, Canadian Propane Association.

As Hashim Chawdhry, Associate Director at ICM Asset Management, observed: his team went in with varying levels of familiarity, yet universally came away with a better understanding of how to apply AI in their daily work. Josh Malate, Co-Founder of Ultimarii, described Solway as having a talent for communicating technical concepts to beginners.

NobleProg (Global, with Calgary delivery)

NobleProg offers instructor-led, live AI and machine learning training with a dedicated Calgary landing page. Their catalog is extensive, covering AI ethics, AWS AI/ML, AI for legal professionals, and more. They follow a standardized curriculum delivered by certified instructors.

Best for: Companies wanting a specific technical AI topic covered from a large catalog of predefined courses.

Format: On-site, virtual, or hybrid.

CAPG eligible: Yes.

How to Choose the Right AI Training Provider

Not every provider is the right fit for every company. Here's a framework for evaluating your options based on what matters most:

Start with your goal. If you need your sales team productive with Copilot by next month, an academic certificate program isn't the right fit. If you need a deep technical foundation for your engineering team, a half-day overview won't cut it. Match the provider to the specific outcome you need.

Consider customization. Academic programs follow standardized curricula. Private providers like Solway customize workshops to your industry, tools, and workflows. The difference matters: a generic "Introduction to AI" teaches concepts, while a customized session shows your team how AI applies to their actual daily work with their actual tools and data.

Check CAPG eligibility. The CAPG grant can reimburse up to 50% of training costs — but the provider must be a qualified third-party that has been in business and delivering training for at least two years. Most providers listed here qualify, but always confirm before committing. The updated CAPG program has no minimum hours and no certification requirement, which broadens your options significantly.

Ask about follow-up support. A one-time workshop creates awareness; ongoing engagement creates adoption. Ask providers what happens after the workshop — do they offer follow-up sessions, office hours, or implementation support? Solway's model of foundation workshop plus regular office hours was developed specifically because one-time sessions, while valuable, don't always translate to sustained behavior change.

Evaluate practitioner vs. academic background. There's a meaningful difference between instructors who teach about AI and instructors who build with AI. Both have value, but for practical, workflow-focused training, practitioner-led sessions tend to produce faster adoption.

What Should a Corporate AI Workshop Actually Cover?

Regardless of which provider you choose, a comprehensive AI workshop for a mid-size company should include:

AI Foundations (30-60 minutes): What generative AI actually is, how it works at a high level, what it can and can't do today, and the current state of the technology. This sets realistic expectations and addresses common misconceptions — frontier models are scoring 44% on humanity's hardest exam but still occasionally miscounting the T's in Tennessee. Understanding both the power and the limitations is essential.

Safe Use and AI Policy (30-45 minutes): Data security considerations, the difference between free and enterprise AI tools, what information should and shouldn't go into AI systems, and the basics of your organization's AI policy. If you don't have a policy yet, this section should cover why you need one and what it should include.

Platform-Specific Training (60-120 minutes): Hands-on work with the specific tools your team will use — Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, or others. This should be customized to your workflows, not generic. Employees should practice with their actual document types, communication patterns, and business processes.

Prompt Engineering (45-60 minutes): How to communicate effectively with AI tools. This is where most productivity gains come from — the difference between vague prompts that produce generic outputs and structured prompts that produce work-ready results. A good workshop provides prompt templates and a reusable library employees can reference.

Role-Specific Use Cases (30-60 minutes): Concrete examples of how AI applies to specific roles in the room — sales, operations, HR, finance, marketing. The best workshops co-create examples using real company scenarios, not hypothetical ones.

Next Steps and Resources (15-30 minutes): What to do Monday morning. Specific actions each person can take, resources for continued learning, and if applicable, the schedule for follow-up sessions or office hours.

Solway's workshops cover all of these components, with the specific time allocation adjusted based on team size, skill level, and priority areas identified during a light discovery intake before the session.

CAPG Funding: How to Get Your Workshop Paid For

Alberta companies have a unique advantage: the CAPG grant can fund up to half your AI training costs. For a team of 10 at $1,000 per person, that's $5,000 back from the government — reducing your net cost to $500 per employee.

Key facts about CAPG for AI workshops:

• Reimburses 50% of eligible costs for existing employees (up to $5,000 per trainee per year)

• Reimburses 75% when training newly hired unemployed Albertans (up to $10,000)

• No minimum training hours required (recent change — even half-day workshops qualify)

• No certification requirement

• Training can be delivered on-site, virtually, or hybrid

• Apply at least 30 days before training starts through the CAPG Portal

For a detailed CAPG walkthrough, see our guide: How Can Alberta Companies Use the CAPG Grant for AI Training?

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the best AI training providers in Calgary?

Calgary offers several strong options depending on your needs. For mid-size companies wanting practical, customized training, Solway specializes in Copilot workshops and AI strategy engagements. For broader academic programs, SAIT and the University of Calgary offer structured curricula. Amii provides research-oriented programs for technically deep AI understanding. NobleProg offers a large catalog of predefined technical courses.

How much does AI training cost in Calgary?

Costs range widely. A half-day workshop typically runs $4,000 to $12,000 depending on group size and customization. Individual continuing education courses at SAIT or NAIT range from $500 to $5,000. A structured multi-week engagement like Solway's AI Clarity Sprint runs $15,000 to $25,000. CAPG funding can cut these costs by 50%.

Can I get AI training funded through a government grant in Alberta?

Yes. The CAPG (Canada-Alberta Productivity Grant) reimburses up to 50% of eligible AI training costs for Alberta employers. The updated program has no minimum hour requirement and no certification needed. Most providers listed in this guide are CAPG-eligible. Apply at alberta.ca/CAPG at least 30 days before training starts.

Is virtual AI training as effective as in-person?

For most teams, yes — provided the virtual format is interactive, not passive. Solway delivers both on-site in Calgary and virtually across Alberta. As one Calgary manufacturer told us when choosing virtual delivery for their 6-person sales team: if your team can't learn AI virtually, that gap in digital comfort is itself something the training should address.

Do employees need technical skills to attend an AI workshop?

No. A good corporate AI workshop is designed for non-technical teams. The goal is practical daily productivity, not coding or engineering skills. As Josh Malate of Ultimarii noted about Solway's workshops, the team has a talent for communicating technical concepts to beginners.

Should we train the whole company or start with one team?

Start with one team — ideally the team with the most to gain and the highest willingness to experiment. Sales and operations teams are the most common starting points. Once that team shows results, they become internal champions who accelerate adoption across the organization.

What's the difference between a workshop and a consulting engagement?

A workshop teaches your team how to use AI tools — typically a half-day or full-day session. A consulting engagement like Solway's AI Clarity Sprint goes deeper: mapping your workflows, developing an AI policy, prioritizing opportunities, and creating a roadmap for implementation. Many companies start with a workshop and progress to an engagement once they see the potential.

How often should we do AI training?

AI capabilities change quarterly. A single workshop creates awareness; ongoing engagement creates adoption. The model that works best for most mid-size companies is a foundation workshop followed by regular office hours — every two weeks or monthly — where employees bring real questions, share what's working, and get guidance on new capabilities.