Quick Update: My Journey into AI-Powered Productivity (apprenticeship program)

If you know me, you know I’m always looking for ways to make things run a little smoother or smarter. Well, for the last seven months, I’ve been on a journey that is right up that alley.

I’m incredibly happy to share that I am part of the AI-Powered Productivity apprenticeship—a programme run by Multiverse in partnership with my employer, the John Lewis Partnership (JLP).

One of the things I truly value about being a Partner at JLP is the culture. We aren’t just employees; we own the business. That ownership mentality drives a massive focus on upskilling. JLP understands that to build a “happier business” and stay ahead, we can’t just watch technology evolve from the sidelines—we need to be the ones driving it. This apprenticeship is a huge investment in us, designed to give us the confidence to experiment and the skills to make a real difference.

So, what am I actually doing?

I am currently in Module 7 (month 7) of this 13-month journey. The course is intense in the best way possible. It’s not just theory; it’s about getting our hands dirty. Since JLP is a Google Workspace organization, we are diving deep into Google Gemini to solve actual business problems.

Enough thinking. It’s time for doing.

Here is a quick look at the road map:

The Foundation: We started by stripping back the hype. I’ve learned about “prompt engineering” (it’s an art form!), AI literacy, and the massive importance of data privacy and ethics.
The “Now” (Productivity): This is where I am today. I’m learning to automate those boring, repetitive workflows and use Google Gemini to analyze data faster. It’s about freeing up time to focus on the creative, human side of work.
The Future (Innovation): The next few months will be about looking bigger—driving business transformation and helping my colleagues adopt these tools responsibly.

This isn’t just a “one and done” announcement. I want to take you along for the rest of the ride and mention what I did in the previous 6 modules.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be posting deeper dives right here on the blog. I’ll share what I’m learning, the “aha!” moments, and maybe even a few frustrations as I figure out how this technology fits into our daily working lives.

Watch this space.