6-Month AI Certification Program for Economic Developers

August 6, 2025

AI is transforming how economic developers attract investment, serve their communities, and spark regional growth. Our 6-month AI certification program gives you the confidence to integrate AI tools and strategies into your daily work, even if don’t have a tech background.

Why Join This Program?

Economic developers across the country are already using AI to streamline research, support local businesses, and strengthen community connections.

The ETSI-BC AI Certification Program is designed specifically for economic development professionals based in the Southern Interior of BC who want to build confidence using AI tools and strategies in their day-to-day work. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to sharpen your skills, this program is your step forward.

You will gain practical experience with AI tools that make your existing work easier—whether you’re writing grant proposals, analyzing regional data, or communicating with stakeholders. You will develop skills specifically designed for economic development professionals, positioning yourself and your region to succeed as AI becomes increasingly central to economic growth. This certificate program builds on the 3-part AI webinar series hosted by ETSI-BC in early 2025.

Meet Your Instructors

Since 2023, BC resident and AI adoption specialist Nicole Donnelly, her co-facilitator Andrea Rickett and the rest of the AI Smart Ventures team have taught more than 15,000 people how to use AI in their work. Participants got an average of 50% of their time back, resulting in over 10M hours of time saved! With 18 years of experience as entrepreneurs who have used AI since 2015, Nicole and Andrea know how to leverage AI to supercharge teams and businesses. Nicole and Andrea delivered the highly successful and well-attended 3-part ETSI-BC AI Webinar series in early 2025.

Program Details

Format: Each month, you’ll participate in :

One interactive Zoom workshop session exploring real AI applications in economic development
One hands-on lab where you’ll practice with tools and get personalized guidance

Schedule: Wednesdays, starting September 24, 2025 through March 4, 2026 (12 sessions total)

Time: 10:00 – 11:00 AM PST

Monthly Time Commitment: 2 hours for class and lab sessions, plus 4 hours applying AI to your workflows and tasks.

Session Calendar:

Zoom Class	Zoom Lab
September 24	October 8
October 22	November 5
November 19	December 3
December 17	January 7
January 21	February 4
February 18	March 4

Eligibility:

Economic Development Practitioners in the ETSI-BC service area from:

Local governments (municipalities and regional districts) and their associated economic development entities
Indigenous communities and their associated economic development entities
Non-Profit Business Support organizations serving the region, such as:
- Community Futures and Chambers
- Industry Associations
- Accelerators

The reduced registration fee will only apply to one individual from each organization. If space allows, other registrants from the same organization may apply at the full rate.

Cost:

First 30 participants:
- $500 for communities under 7,500 residents; $1,000 for larger communities
- Next 20 participants: $1,250
Certificate awarded upon completion

Ready to Learn More? Please complete the short Expression of Interest by September 16, 2025. Eligible participants will be sent a payment link within 2 working days.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

Course Outline

Session 1: Introduction to AI for Economic Development

Overview of AI concepts, safety & security, tools, and their relevance to ECDEV.

Learning Outcomes

Understand core AI concepts, terms, and capabilities
Recognize the relevance of AI tools in economic development (ECDEV) roles
Identify AI safety, security, and ethical considerations

Session 2: Prompt Engineering

Crafting effective prompts for AI tools to create letters of reference, emails, etc.

Learning Outcomes

Learn how AI interprets prompts and what makes a prompt effective
Apply prompt templates to generate emails, letters of support, and reference letters
Edit and refine AI outputs for tone, clarity, and professionalism

Session 3: Data Analysis and Visualization

Using AI to analyze, summarize data, and present data for decision-making.

Learning Outcomes

Understand how to input and structure data for AI interpretation
Use AI to generate summaries, trend insights, and simple visualizations
Translate findings into language suitable for stakeholders or leadership

Session 4: Content Creation

Streamline the creation of marketing materials, reports, SOPs, MOUs, grant drafts, and presentations.

Learning Outcomes

Streamline content creation using AI for key ECDEV documents
Understand how to tailor AI outputs for different formats (e.g., SOPs vs. grants)
Collaborate with AI to maintain tone, structure, and factual accuracy

Session 5: Spreadsheets

Create budgets, update spreadsheet data, analyze the data, etc.

Learning Outcomes

Use AI to interpret, clean, and transform spreadsheet data
Generate simple formulas and budget structures via natural language input
Identify errors or optimization opportunities in existing sheets

Session 6: AI for Research and Insights

Using AI to gather and synthesize information for strategic planning, work plans, business strategies, NAICS code work etc.

Learning Outcomes

Use AI to gather relevant data (e.g., NAICS codes, funding programs, regional stats)
Know how and when to Conduct Deep Research, and know how to automate repetitive research
Distinguish between high-quality and low-quality AI-sourced insights

More News & Stories

Kimberley Chamber Bolsters Supports for Local Businesses

Business Enhancement and Retention (BRE) activities are valuable economic development tools that helps identify and address local business trends and challenges. After years spent transitioning from a mining-based economy to a tourism destination, the Chamber of Commerce in the City of Kimberley recently conducted a BRE survey to guide and support local businesses in this time of exceptional growth and change. Funding for this BRE project was provided by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) through its Building Economic Development Capacity funding stream.

Creston Valley Tourism Plans for Growth

The face of tourism in the Creston Valley is changing significantly, and the Creston Valley Tourism Society (CVTS) is rolling out a new five-year strategic plan, to respond and take advantage of new opportunities. The area’s residents, local governments, First Nations and other tourism stakeholders are aligned in their efforts to build a more diverse and resilient tourism economy, guided by the strategies jointly developed in the plan. The new strategy also helped secure renewed funding for the CVTS through the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT). The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) supported the project through its Building Economic Development Capacity funding stream.

Innovative Food Distribution Model for the Kootenay/Boundary Region

In the rural Kootenay and Boundary regions, food distribution challenges include the distances between distribution points, lack of supply chain data, and limited collaboration among food industry stakeholders. A new innovative model for food distribution was launched by the Lower Columbia Community Development Team Society (LCCDTS) to address these issues, which developed the Grow and Connect customized software platform to coordinate regional shipping routes. The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) supported the project at various stages. The project is viewed as an important contributor to innovation in the region’s the agri-food sector.

Youth Mentorship Program Offers Golden Opportunities

The charming mountain town of Golden is rapidly approaching 5,000 residents, but a lack of available workers is challenging the momentum. The Kicking Horse Chamber of Commerce is addressing this issue by helping connect the town’s youth with local businesses to fill current and future vacancies once they graduate from high school. With support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), the Workforce Innovation & Youth Mentorship Program promises to increase local employment, increase wages and help retain employees in the community.

ETSI-BC Releases its Fiscal 2025 Annual Report

July 31, 2025 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is pleased to announce the release of its FY2025 Annual Report for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2025.

Central Kootenays Businesses Achieve Green Business Certification

Central Kootenay businesses are demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability by completing the BC Green Business certification program through Community Futures Central Kootenay (CFCK). The program provides an assessment, recommendations and certification, recognizing the role businesses play in achieving a more resilient economy. The project was supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) and has the potential to be replicated through Community Futures office in other parts of the province.

Butcher Hub Network Supports Small-Scale Meat Producers and Processors

After a challenging few years for BC’s 7,000 meat producers and processors, the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association (SSMPA) is pursuing a number of initiatives to build a Butcher Hub Network in the Southern Interior. Important benefits are being realized through improved communication and collaboration between industry stakeholders while the SSMPA provides a strong voice around regulatory issues and helps businesses to scale up. The pilot project, supported by the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC), provides a model for additional hubs in communities across the province.

ETSI-BC Fall 2025 Funding Intake: Up to $1M Available for Projects

June 24, 2025 – The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) is pleased to announce that its next Funding Intake will launch on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 and close on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

ETSI-BC Invests $1 Million in 28 Projects to Boost Southern Interior Economy

June 10, 2025 – Communities across BC’s Southern Interior are gearing up for growth thanks to a new round of funding from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC). On June 6, 2025, ETSI-BC approved more than $1 million to support 28 projects, representing a combined project value of $2.8 million. These initiatives are set to help diversify the region’s economy and support local innovation.

Creston Food Hub Expands Support for Local Food Entrepreneurs

With food security increasingly top of mind, the Kootenay Farms Food Hub is playing an important role in the Creston Valley. After just a year in full operation, it already had a waiting list for its services – including access to commercial equipment/kitchen space and assistance with marketing and sales. Support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) enabled the Hub to increase its capacity by adding three specialized contractors to the food hub team. Multiple benefits are being realized as more food entrepreneurs navigate the journey from start-up to selling their products in the retail marketplace.