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A Seat at the Table Starts Here
A free, CPD accredited Data & AI course from the Black Data Professional Network. 16 weeks, instructor led, live on Microsoft Teams. Designed so that no one is left behind in the AI age.
Why this course, why now?
Something big is happening. AI is changing how every industry works, from hospitals to banks to broadcasters, and the people who understand data and AI will shape what comes next. The people who don't risk being shaped by it.
We started the BDPN because we believe Black professionals deserve more than a seat in the audience. We deserve a seat at the table, in the rooms where the decisions of the AI age are being made. That belief has carried us through two years of academies, hundreds of events, and a community that is now more than 4,000 strong.
This course is the next chapter, and honestly, it's the one we're proudest of. For the first time, we're able to offer a full CPD accredited, certified Data & AI programme, completely free for BDPN members. A course of this depth, at this moment in history, at no cost. That has never been available to our community before, and we're thrilled to be the ones to deliver it.
Whether you're 22 and building your first career or 52 and building your next one, this course was made for you. No technical background needed. Just curiosity, commitment, and 16 Saturdays.
About the course
The BDPN Data & AI Course is a 16-week, instructor led programme delivered live on Microsoft Teams. It's CPD accredited and certified, which means you finish with a recognised professional qualification, not just a certificate of attendance. Real evidence of real skills, the kind employers look for.
You'll learn across four modules, each taught by practitioners who do this work every day:
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AI Engineering — understand how AI models work, how to call them, prompt them and build with them, from your first API call to working AI applications.
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Data Analytics — turn raw data into answers. Analyse, visualise and present findings that drive real business decisions.
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Data Science — learn how predictions are made. From framing the right question to building models that answer it.
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Data Engineering — the foundations everything else stands on. How data is moved, stored and made ready for the people who need it.
The details
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Cost: free for BDPN members. No fees, no catch. We removed the biggest barrier to career change so you don't have to climb over it.
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Length: 16 weeks, instructor led.
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When: Saturdays, 11AM to 1PM. Two focused hours that fit around work and family.
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Where: live on Microsoft Teams. Join from anywhere, and every session is recorded so life happening one weekend never knocks you off course.
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Certification: CPD accredited and certified. A recognised professional qualification when you complete the course.
Who this course is for?
This course was designed for two groups of people we care deeply about.
The career changers. If you've spent years in retail, care, education, admin, finance, or anywhere else, and you've watched the data and AI world grow while wondering if it's too late for you, hear this: it isn't. You don't need a technical background. Your experience is an asset, because domain knowledge plus data skills is one of the most powerful combinations in the modern job market.
The next generation. If you're at the start of your working life, data and AI literacy are the essential skills of tomorrow. A professional qualification now, before or alongside your first job, puts you ahead of the queue and gives you a community of people who look like you and have walked the road before you.
Built on a track record
This isn't our first time doing this. In 2024 we ran the BDPN Data Academy, and in 2025 our Data Engineering Academy took another cohort of members through hands-on technical training. Those academies taught us what works, what our community needs, and how to deliver training that actually changes careers.
This course takes everything we learned and goes further: four modules instead of one discipline, CPD accreditation, and free access for every member. We're thrilled to be able to deliver it.
The people behind the course
Ian Benjamin · Founder & Managing Director
An experienced recruiter in the digital sector and a committed DEI advocate, Ian co-founded the BDPN to do three core things: upskill, mentor, and connect underrepresented Black data, digital and tech talent to inclusive employers. His vision is to make the BDPN the global brand employers turn to when they want the best Black talent across data, digital and technology.
Dr Stephen Nwoye · CPD Course Designer
Stephen is a Senior Data Engineer working in the NHS and Founder of The AI Workshop CIC, a community interest company democratising data and AI skills. He holds a PhD in Computer Science, is a Chartered Member of the BCS, and speaks regularly at UK and European data conferences. He brings that real-world rigour to designing BDPN's CPD courses.
Phillip Machoka · CPD Course Designer & Instructor
A data and AI professional with over 10 years of experience across telecommunications, utilities, insurance, local government and heavy industry, Phillip designed, developed and authored the BDPN's complete suite of four CPD-accredited programmes, from curriculum and learning outcomes to practical labs and real-world case studies. His teaching bridges theory and practice, making complex concepts accessible and hands-on.
Rahul Kapoor · Marketing Manager
A strategic storyteller and brand champion, Rahul leads the marketing that amplifies our mission and connects it with our audience, building campaigns and partnerships focused on innovation, inclusivity and meaningful connections that inspire action.
In good company
The BDPN is proud to partner with organisations that share our vision, including the BBC, British Airways, AWS, Salesforce, Snowflake, Autotrader and the Greater London Authority. When you complete this course, you join a network these employers already know and trust.
Closing call to action
The AI age is here. The only question is whether our community watches it happen or helps build it. We know our answer.
Membership of the BDPN is your door in, and the course is free once you're through it. Sixteen Saturdays from now, you could be holding a professional qualification in data and AI.
Come one, come all. Your seat at the table is waiting.