ChatGPT Masterclass – Beginner to Advanced

Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT

From first prompt to confident, safe everyday use

|
Platform:
Online
In-class
Revised and Updated: 08 October 2026
Date Venue Duration
28 October 2026 Sandton, Gauteng 1 Day
16 November 2026 Sandton, Gauteng 1 Day
02 December 2026 Sandton, Gauteng 1 Day

Course Introduction

This one-day, hands-on course gives you what you need to start using ChatGPT with confidence. Whether you have never opened it or have experimented a little and want to go deeper, the course walks you through the fundamentals step by step: setting up your account and privacy settings, understanding how the AI works, writing effective prompts, using its main features, and applying it responsibly in your work and daily life. 

By the end of the day you will be ready to use ChatGPT for emails, research, brainstorming, document summaries, image creation, and more, with a clear understanding of both its power and its limits. The skills carry over to other generative AI assistants, because they work in much the same way. 

Course Objectives

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

  • Explain what ChatGPT is, how it works, and where it fits in the broader AI landscape 
  • Choose a plan that suits their needs, and configure account settings, including data controls, security, and parental controls 
  • Write clear, structured prompts that produce accurate and useful responses 
  • Use core features: web search, voice, image and file uploads, image generation, memory, and projects 
  • Apply ChatGPT to practical tasks such as drafting emails, summarising documents, researching, and generating ideas 
  • Recognise its limitations, understand hallucinations, and verify what it produces 
  • Apply ethical, privacy, and copyright good practice, including what never to enter 
  • Build a personal workflow that fits ChatGPT into professional, educational, or personal tasks 

Who should attend?

  • Complete beginners curious about AI and ChatGPT 
  • Business professionals streamlining communication and workflows 
  • Educators exploring innovative engagement methods 
  • Anyone wanting to use AI as a daily productivity tool 
Finance Courses

Training Methodology

Our diverse instructional approaches ensure effective learning:

– Lectures & Presentations: Engage with expert-driven, stimulating content.
– Course Material: Access well-crafted supporting resources.
– Group Work: Collaborate on discussions and case studies for practical insights.
– Workshops & Role-Play: Participate in immersive, scenario-based activities.
– Practical Application: Focus on applying theoretical knowledge in real situations.
– Post-Training Support: Receive extensive support after training for skill implementation.

Training Outline

Day 1 — Using ChatGPT with Confidence
Session 1: Introduction to ChatGPT
  • What ChatGPT is and how it works, in simple terms: a language model that predicts text
  • The model family explained simply, and where ChatGPT fits among other AI assistants
  • Plans: Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise, and which suits you
  • Navigating the interface
  • Key limitations to know upfront, and what NOT to enter into ChatGPT

Practical Exercise

Create your account and explore the dashboard

Session 2: Settings and Account Setup
  • General settings and personalisation options
  • Data controls: what ChatGPT stores, whether your chats are used to improve the models, and how to manage it
  • Temporary Chat and chat history
  • Memory: what it remembers, and how to review and delete it
  • Enabling two-factor authentication
  • Custom instructions: teaching ChatGPT about you
  • Parental controls and safe use for younger users

Practical Exercise

Set up your privacy, security, and custom instruction settings

Session 3: Writing Effective Prompts
  • What makes a prompt effective?
  • The four elements of a strong prompt: Role, Context, Task, and Format
  • Positive and negative examples side by side
  • Adjusting tone, length, and style
  • Follow-up prompts and multi-turn conversations: asking ChatGPT to improve, expand, or simplify
  • Prompt templates for common tasks

Practical Exercise

Prompt workshop and peer review

Session 4: Core Features
  • Writing and refining professional emails
  • Searching the web, and checking the sources it cites
  • Using voice mode for hands-free interaction
  • Uploading images: analysing photos, diagrams, and screenshots
  • Uploading documents: PDFs, Word files, and spreadsheets
  • Creating images inside ChatGPT, and the rules for using them
  • Projects for organising ongoing work, and deep research for longer research tasks (plan permitting)
  • Sharing conversations and managing chat links

Practical Exercise

Feature exploration circuit

Session 5: Practical Applications
  • Summarising long documents and reports
  • Drafting proposals, agendas, and meeting notes
  • Research assistance and fact-checking workflows
  • Social media captions, posts, and content ideas
  • Learning a new topic step by step with ChatGPT as a tutor
  • Everyday uses: meal planning, event planning, gift ideas, and creative brainstorming

Practical Exercise

Build your own ChatGPT workflow for a task from your own work

Session 6: Ethics, Safety and Limitations
  • Understanding hallucinations: why ChatGPT makes things up, and how to fact-check and verify its output
  • Bias in AI: where it comes from and how to spot it
  • Data privacy: what you should never share, including client, confidential, and personal information (POPIA), and your employer's AI policy
  • Copyright and intellectual property considerations
  • Ethical use in the workplace and in education
  • Disclosure: when to tell others you used AI
  • Course wrap-up, questions, and next steps

Course Categories

Get a Quote Banner Outline

Request a Call Back

Your submission has been successful

Please check your email for confirmation

Success Stories

Discover how our courses enhance professionals’ effectiveness in their workplaces.

Revenue Appeals Tribunal Eswatini

AI Powered Communication and Branding Mastery

The Training was almost excellent and has now contributed in shaping my career and job prospects for the better.

Ikhala TVET College

AI Essentials for Office Managers & Secretaries

The facilitator was very passionate and course outline was much relevant for my designation at work and for my personal enhancement.

ECIC

The Evolving Role of Executive Assistants and AI Conference

The Facilitator was good and very professional, he outlined the course very well. A very good Job on his part

Forestry Commission

Artificial Intelligence in Accounting and Finance

Very interesting and interactive programme which is needed in the financial industry.

FAQs – Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT

Master the fundamentals of generative AI with ChatGPT, learning effective prompting techniques, practical workplace applications, content creation, information analysis, task automation, responsible AI use, and strategies for improving everyday productivity.

What topics are covered in the Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT course?
The course covers generative AI fundamentals, ChatGPT interface setup and navigation, effective prompt structuring, daily productivity workflows, generating creative content, data summarization techniques, and safety, privacy, and hallucination checks.
Who should attend the Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT course?
This course is designed for beginners, office administrators, business owners, professionals, marketing specialists, and anyone interested in integrating ChatGPT into their daily work to save time and automate routine tasks.
What skills will delegates develop through the Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT course?
Delegates develop practical skills in writing clear prompts, using ChatGPT for drafting emails and reports, brainstorming ideas, summarizing long documents, automating daily administrative workflows, and recognizing AI limitations.
How long does the Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT course take to complete?
The course is delivered as a focused short-course programme, with the duration determined by the scheduled programme and the specific training requirements of the organisation.
Do delegates need technical experience or paid ChatGPT subscriptions to join?
No technical background is required, and the core techniques taught apply directly to both the free and paid versions of ChatGPT, ensuring immediate practical value for all delegates.
Can Prospen Africa deliver the Generative AI for Beginners: A Practical Guide to ChatGPT course in-house?
Yes. Prospen Africa can deliver this course in-house, tailoring practical hands-on exercises around your organization's specific industry use cases, workflows, and data protection guidelines.

Related Courses