# AI for Federal HR Course (Self-Paced)

Canonical URL: <https://www.graduateschool.edu/courses/ai-for-federal-hr-course-self-paced>

## Overview

This hands-on course equips federal HR professionals with practical skills for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support everyday work in classification, talent acquisition, and talent development. Participants will learn what AI is, how AI tools and language models work, and how they can be applied to tasks such as drafting position descriptions and vacancy announcements, supporting job analysis and crediting plans, preparing interview questions, researching HR policy and guidance, and identifying employee development needs.

The course also addresses the responsible use of AI in federal environments, with a focus on privacy, confidentiality, bias, copyright, and compliance considerations. Through demonstrations and applied exercises, participants will practice writing effective prompts, evaluating AI-generated content, and applying human judgment to ensure outputs are accurate, fair, and aligned with federal requirements. Federal employees will leave with practical strategies for using AI to improve efficiency and decision-making while upholding accountability and public trust.

## What you'll learn

- Summarize key terminology in artificial intelligence (AI).
- Explain the architecture of AI systems.
- Identify HR challenges with AI ethical and legal standards.
- Demonstrate how AI can be used in HR operations.
- Ensure compliance with OPM rules and regulations.

## Curriculum

#### Module 1: Introduction to AI

- Define what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is.
- Identify common examples and everyday uses of AI.
- Explain, at a basic level, how AI works.
- Describe core subfields, including neural networks, machine learning, and deep learning.
- Apply this knowledge in the introductory exercise “Search vs. AI.”

#### Module 2: AI Technologies & Usage

- Introduce language models and GPT-style systems.
- Provide an overview of current AI technologies and their capabilities.
- Examine government use cases for AI applications.
- Practice using AI assistants to support daily work tasks.
- Improve AI outputs by crafting better prompts and testing different approaches.
- Participate in the hands-on activity “AI Assistance with Your Work.”

#### Module 3: Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Considerations for AI

- Recognize data privacy and confidentiality requirements when using AI.
- Summarize legal considerations related to AI-generated content and copyright.
- Ensure compliance with applicable AI laws and regulations, including GDPR and federal guidance.
- Identify ethical challenges such as bias, transparency, and accountability in AI systems.
- Distinguish between safe and unsafe uses of AI through the group exercise “Safe vs. Unsafe AI Use.”

#### Module 4: AI in Classification

- Learn effective prompting techniques when requesting a draft position description.
- Identify and address inconsistencies in AI-generated results.
- Enhance requests through thoughtful refinement.
- Evaluate and compare factor levels within a position description.

#### Module 5: AI in Talent Acquisition

- Explain how using artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring focuses on improving efficiency, ensuring fairness, and maintaining compliance with regulations.
- Identify the four key areas of the hiring process covered in this module: 
  - Vacancy Announcements
  - Job Analysis/Crediting Plans
  - Rating and Ranking applicants
  - Preparing Interview Questions

#### Module 6: Using AI for Talent Development

- Recognize that many agencies use AI-driven platforms that support employee training and development.
- Describe how personalized learning portals recommend courses or resources to employees based on their job role and skill gaps.
- Explain how AI in a Learning Management System can suggest training to an employee by analyzing competencies, past training, and performance data.
- Identify SBA’s use of an AI-simulated coach to help employees practice conversations as a creative example of AI in development.

## Instructors

### Steve Pesklo — Instructor

Steve is an energetic trainer who focuses on applying technical concepts to everyday work practices. He is the founder and president of SoftLake Solutions, a company that specializes in providing data and AI applications to identify fraud for Internal Audit, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Accounting, Privacy, and Compliance.

Steve brings a large amount of experience across multiple industries and government agencies. He is an expert in implementing large data analysis projects across the world, including Inland Revenue in the UK and Argentina, New Zealand, Africa and across Europe. Previously, he was the manager of Data Architecture and Data Services for a large mortgage company. He is a frequent speaker on data analytics and project management topics and speaks fluent German. He has been teaching at the Graduate School for over 10 years.

Steve has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and a B.S. in Computer Science from California Lutheran University and the Universität Salzburg in Austria. He is certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $899