When a company decides its team needs AI skills, the next question is practical: send people to a public class, or bring a trainer in? Each format suits some teams well and others poorly. Choosing the wrong one costs money and, more often, wastes the time of the people attending.
This guide compares the two formats on what matters most, and gives a simple way to decide. It is part of our series on corporate AI training, which starts with how to plan a programme for your team.
The two formats side by side
| Public course | In-house or private workshop | |
|---|---|---|
| Where and when | Fixed dates and venue set by the provider | Your premises or an agreed venue, on dates you choose |
| Who attends | Your staff alongside learners from other companies | Your own team only |
| Content | The published curriculum | The published curriculum adapted to your tools, processes and examples |
| Confidentiality | Cases are shared in a mixed room, so keep examples generic | Your own data and processes can be used, within your data rules |
| Cost for a few people | Usually simpler and lower | Usually higher in total, with the cost spread across attendees |
| Cost for a larger group | Registrations multiply | Often better value as the group grows |
| Peer learning | Ideas from other industries | Your colleagues learn the same method together |
| Funding | Check the course on MySkillsFuture | Ask the provider how funding applies, in writing, before you commit |
When a public course fits
A public course works well when only a few people need the training, when they hold different roles, or when you want to test whether a topic is worth a bigger investment. A manager who attends alone and brings back what they learned is a reasonable pilot. Mixing with learners from other companies can also be useful, because they show how other businesses apply the same ideas.
The limits are timing and fit. You work to the provider’s calendar, and the examples are not drawn from your own processes.
When an in-house workshop fits
An in-house workshop works well when a whole team shares the same tools and processes and needs to change how they work together. Because everyone learns the same method at the same time, the team can start using it the following Monday and hold each other to it. It also suits situations where participants would need to discuss internal information that they would not share in a mixed room.
The limits are cost and commitment. You need enough people to make it worthwhile, a date that suits them all, and someone to prepare the tasks and tools in advance.
A simple way to decide
Ask these questions in order.
- How many people need it? As a rough guide, one to four people from different roles fit a public course. Larger groups from the same function start to favour a private session.
- Do they use the same tools and processes? If yes, an in-house workshop can be built around them. If no, a public course covers the common ground.
- Will they need to work with internal data in class? If yes, choose a private session and agree the data rules first.
- How soon do you need results? A public class on a fixed date may be slower to arrange than a private session you schedule yourself, or faster if a cohort starts soon.
- Have you checked funding for each option? Funding conditions can differ between the formats, so confirm what applies to the one you choose.
A mixed approach
Many companies start by sending one or two people to a public course and then commission a private session once they know the topic is worth it. Others run a private session for a pilot team and send later joiners to public classes. Neither is a compromise. They match the format to the stage the company is at.
What to ask a provider about either format
- Will the trainer use our own tasks and tools, or a fixed set of examples?
- Can the trainer speak to the team lead before the session?
- How is funding handled for this format, and who submits each claim?
- What support is available after the class, and for how long?
- What happens if some of the team cannot attend on the day?
Our buyer’s guide to choosing an AI training provider covers the wider checklist, and our description of what corporate AI training looks like shows how we approach private programmes.
Your next step
Tell our team how many people need the training and which tasks you want to change, and we will say whether a public course or a private session fits better, and what funding may apply. Message us on WhatsApp at +65 8069 3194, or use the grant calculator on our Grants and Subsidies page. The AI for Sales course is an example of a two-day course that teams attend together, and our employer funding guide explains which schemes apply. For the wider picture, see our guide to funding for AI and skills training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an in-house AI workshop better than a public course?
Neither is better in general. A public course suits one to a few people in different roles, and an in-house workshop suits a larger team that shares tools and processes and needs to change how it works together.
How many people do we need for an in-house AI workshop?
There is no fixed minimum across providers, so ask. As a rough guide, once five or more people from the same function need the same skills, a private session is worth pricing against separate registrations.
Can an in-house AI workshop use our own data and tools?
It can, if the provider agrees to it and your data rules allow it. Agree in advance what may be shared in the room, and have the trainer see the tools and tasks beforehand.
Is funding available for in-house training?
It can be, depending on the course and the scheme, but conditions differ between public and private formats. Ask the provider how funding applies to the format you want and get it in writing. The employer funding guide explains the schemes.
Can we start with a public course and move to in-house later?
Yes, and many companies do. A small group tests the topic first, and the company commissions a private session once it knows where the training pays off.