AI is set to transform workplaces, but if teams are not skilled in using this new technology, AI could not only fail to deliver productivity gains – it could actually slow teams down.
This is the warning from Robin Ramokgadi, Business Unit Manager at TorqueIT, a leading IT training provider.
He notes that while most employees understand what AI is, very few know how to use it effectively in their daily work. “The biggest skills gap we see is applied AI literacy. Employees often use AI tools as search engines instead of using them as productivity and decision-support tools,” Ramokgadi says.
“Key gaps also include prompt engineering, where users struggle to ask the right questions to get accurate, reliable outputs, as well as a lack of understanding around data governance, ethics and security. This is especially risky when employees unknowingly share sensitive business information with public AI tools.”
Ramokgadi adds: “We’ve also noticed a high skills gap in non-technical roles. Teams in HR, sales, marketing and operations often don’t know how to integrate AI into their specific workflows, beyond just basic content drafting. In most cases, we find that it is a training issue. Without structured, role-based training, AI tools remain under-utilised. Hence it's always important for AI focused training to help employees understand how to work with AI tools intelligently and responsibly across different business functions.”
Ramokgadi says employers are actively looking for people who can apply AI in real work scenarios. This includes the ability to use generative AI tools effectively, write strong prompts, automate routine tasks and integrate AI into everyday platforms such as Microsoft 365.
Beyond tool usage, employees need strong data literacy, he says: “AI is only as valuable as the human judgment applied to it. Teams must be able to interpret AI-generated insights, evaluate accuracy, identify gaps and make informed decisions. In many cases, this also requires actively refining and guiding AI outputs through iteration until the desired outcome is achieved. Effective use of AI is therefore a collaborative process between the technology and the people using it.”
Torque IT emphasises that modern AI training needs to combine technical capability with critical thinking, enabling employees to use AI for problem-solving, workflow automation and responsible decision-making in their day-to-day roles.
The costs of no AI training
Globally, organisations are spending billions on AI, yet research shows a significant shortage of skilled AI talent, with AI expertise becoming one of the fastest-growing skills gaps. Without targeted training, the return on AI investment remains unrealised.
When employees lack AI skills, productivity gains simply don’t happen, and in some cases, AI can even slow teams down, Ramokgadi says. Untrained users may trust AI outputs without validating them, leading to errors that take longer to fix than completing the task manually. Unfortunately, AI is not able to mimic the nuanced approach of an actual human being to a challenge that is presented.
“Another common issue is low adoption. Organisations may invest heavily in AI platforms, but if employees find the tools confusing or intimidating, licences go unused,” he says. “This keeps companies stuck in pilot phases, preventing AI from being scaled effectively across the business. In many cases, designated trainers or AI champions are repeatedly pulled away from their core responsibilities to support colleagues who struggle with the tools, creating hidden productivity costs and operational strain.”
At some point an organisation needs to move beyond experimentation, help teams confidently adopt AI and translate investment into measurable productivity improvements, and this can only be done through a structured training programme.
Boosting returns with AI training
When organisations invest in structured AI training, the impact is immediate and measurable, says Ramokgadi. Task completion times are often reduced by 30% to 50%, particularly in administrative, analytical and content-heavy roles. Output quality improves, errors decrease and rework is significantly reduced.
Employee confidence also increases. Instead of feeling anxious or out of their depth with AI, teams feel empowered and supported. This leads to higher adoption rates and faster skills uptake.
Most importantly, businesses begin to see the ROI they expected when they invested in AI tools. Cost savings emerge through improved efficiency and reduced reliance on outsourced basic tasks.
“Overall, the most effective approach is to combine AI tool adoption with structured, role-based training. AI should be embedded into existing workflows, supported by clear governance and reinforced through hands-on, practical learning. Training programmes should span from foundational AI literacy to advanced automation and productivity use cases, with the objective not simply being to teach AI tools, but to enable smarter, faster and more confident ways of working with AI across the organisation,” he says.
TorqueIT will host a series of webinars designed to upskill team members on areas such as building a foundation to build AI agents and extend Microsoft 365 Copilot, getting started with Microsoft Copilot for security, creating and extending custom Copilots in Microsoft Copilot Studio and empowering workforces with Copilot for Microsoft 365 use cases.
To learn more, go to: https://torque-it.com/events-webinar/.
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