Not every administrative assistant needs to become a technologist to save hours a week - most just need a clear starting point: which tasks to automate first, which tools actually work for scheduling and writing, and how to keep control over what AI produces before it reaches a client's inbox.

This Getting Started with AI Automation for Administrative Assistants training course from Arab British Fellowship Training Academy is built as a practical entry point, walking participants from identifying which routine tasks are worth automating through to picking the right tools and reviewing AI output responsibly. No programming background is required - only a willingness to rethink how routine work gets done.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Map out repetitive administrative tasks and apply clear criteria for deciding what to automate.
• Set up AI-powered scheduling and reminder tools that reduce calendar conflicts and missed deadlines.
• Use AI writing assistants to draft, summarise, and edit correspondence and documents.
• Automate data entry, file organisation, and routine reporting with fewer manual errors.
• Choose the right AI tools for the job and review AI-generated output before it goes out.

Target Audience

• Administrative assistants and executive secretaries seeking to optimize workflow.
• Office coordinators and administrative professionals supporting multiple departments.
• Personal assistants and virtual assistants handling high volumes of routine tasks.
• Administrative staff looking to adopt AI without a technical background.

Module 1: Deciding What's Actually Worth Automating

• Mapping out common repetitive administrative tasks.
• Criteria for choosing what to automate, and the benefit of delegating routine work to AI.

Module 2: AI in the Administrative Workplace: The Basics

• What AI is and is not, and the types of AI tools used in administrative settings.
• AI's role in broader digital transformation.

Module 3: Never Miss a Meeting Again: Scheduling and Reminders

• Coordinating meetings across calendars with tools like Calendly and Google Calendar.
• Handling cancellations, rescheduling, and availability detection.
• Smart reminders, task prioritisation, and reducing calendar conflicts.

Module 4: Writing, Editing and Making Sense of Documents

• Drafting emails and letters with AI writing assistants.
• Summarising documents and polishing grammar and tone.
• Converting speech to text and scanned documents to editable files.

Module 5: Organising Files and Handling Data Automatically

• Smart tagging, classification, and automated version control.
• Extracting data from forms and emails into spreadsheets.
• Cleaning and formatting datasets with fewer manual entry errors.

Module 6: Producing Reports Without Starting From Scratch

• Automating weekly or monthly reporting formats.
• Creating visuals and summaries from raw data, and exporting with minimal effort.

Module 7: Picking Tools That Actually Fit the Job

• Overview of leading AI tools for administrative use.
• Comparing free versus premium options and matching tools to job functions.

Module 8: Keeping AI Outputs Accurate and Under Control

• Reviewing and editing AI-generated content before it goes out.
• Setting permissions and safeguards, and balancing automation with human oversight.