AI Training Certificate: How to Provide It
You provide an AI training certificate by giving each participant a dated document that states the title, objectives, duration and the result of the skills assessment. With a Qualiopi-certified provider, this document is generated at the end of the session. When you train people in-house, you have to rebuild these details yourself and archive the supporting evidence.
Since 2 February 2025, Article 4 of EU Regulation 2024/1689, better known as the AI Act, requires every employer that deploys AI systems to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy across its teams. The certificate is not a mere formality. It is the piece that turns a real training session into evidence you can produce the day a client, an insurer or an authority asks you to account for it. We set this in context in our complete guide to AI training for businesses.
What the law actually requires from a certificate
Issuing a certificate is an obligation, not a courtesy. Article L6353-1 of the French Labour Code states that at the end of training, the provider gives the trainee a certificate setting out the objectives, the nature and the duration of the action, along with the results of the skills assessment. This rule applies to every registered training provider, whether Qualiopi-certified or not.
The AI Act adds a second layer. Its Article 4 does not impose a specific certificate format, but it requires you to demonstrate that your staff have gained a level of AI literacy proportionate to their role and to the tools they use. In practice, the certificate becomes the central element of what you can show. To understand the exact scope of this obligation, see what Article 4 of the AI Act requires.
The two texts work together: the Labour Code sets the form of the document, while the AI Act sets the purpose, namely proving the rise in skills. A certificate that ticks the first box without reflecting AI-relevant content will not protect you.
The mandatory details of a compliant certificate
A usable certificate rests on a precise list of mandatory details. If one of them is missing, the document loses its value as evidence. Here is what must appear on it.
| Detail | What is expected |
|---|---|
| Participant identity | First and last name of the person trained |
| Provider identity | Legal name, activity registration number, contact details |
| Training title | Exact title of the action completed |
| Objectives | Target skills, stated in a verifiable way |
| Format and mode | In-person, remote or blended |
| Duration | Number of hours, with start and end dates |
| Assessment results | Result obtained in the skills assessment |
| Date and signature | Issue date and signature of the person responsible |
The activity registration number is often forgotten, even though it identifies the provider to the administration. Without it, an auditor cannot verify that the organisation is actually registered.
Qualiopi certificate or in-house certificate: what changes
The source of the certificate determines how strong your evidence is. Two cases come up.
In the first case, you go through a Qualiopi-certified provider. The certificate is produced at the end of the session, together with the programme, the attendance sheets and the assessments. Everything is documented under a framework checked by an external auditor. This is the highest level of evidence, and it is also what unlocks OPCO funding. We explain why this point is non-negotiable for AI training.
In the second case, you train your teams in-house, for example through an awareness session led by an internal lead. Nothing forbids it, and the AI Act accepts these internal approaches. But the burden of proof then rests entirely on you. You have to draft the certificate using the details above, have each participant sign it, and keep the material used. An in-house certificate is only worth as much as the file around it.
The contrast is simple: with a Qualiopi provider, the certificate is a natural by-product of the process; in-house, it is a document you build and must be able to defend.
The evidence file that goes with the certificate
The certificate alone is not enough in case of a review. It gains its value within a coherent set of documents. Prepare and file, as a matter of routine:
- the detailed programme, which must reflect genuinely AI-focused content (legal framework, risk identification, human oversight, responsible use);
- the signed attendance sheets, or the connection logs for remote sessions;
- the skills assessment, even a light one such as a quiz or a scenario, since it is what justifies the "results" line of the certificate;
- the teaching material handed to participants.
This file is exactly what a Qualiopi auditor examines, and it is also what demonstrates your good faith under the AI Act. To make sure you miss nothing, rely on our compliance training checklist for SMEs.
One point to watch on content: an honest certificate must match a training session whose programme fits each person's role. Training an accountant who uses a generative writing assistant in the same way as a director who decides which tools are deployed does not respect the proportionality principle set by Article 4.
How long to keep the certificate and its evidence
Keep the certificate and its file at least as long as the risk lasts. For funded training, providers keep the supporting documents for the period set by the agreement and by OPCO checks, often several years. For AI Act compliance, the logic is different: as long as a staff member uses an AI system, the proof that they were trained stays relevant.
A simple and prudent rule is to keep each certificate and its file for the whole time the employee holds a role exposed to AI, then a few years after they leave or after the tool stops being used. A file kept too long is better than one you cannot find the day it is requested. If your funding runs through an OPCO, align at least with its own retention requirements, which we detail in our article on OPCO funding for AI training.
Mistakes that make a certificate useless
A few oversights are enough to strip a certificate of any value. The most common ones:
- a certificate with no assessment result, which only proves attendance and not a skill;
- a missing date or duration, which makes it impossible to place the training in time, something that matters with the 2 August 2026 deadline;
- a vague title such as "digital awareness", which shows no link to AI;
- an in-house certificate with no file, and therefore impossible to back up;
- a generic programme copied over, with no fit to the participants' actual roles.
This last mistake is the most costly, because it exposes you to the charge of training for appearances. The penalties set by the AI Act target precisely the absence of serious measures, and the 2 August 2026 deadline is approaching.
How GrowthPerf provides you with solid certificates
GrowthPerf is a Qualiopi-certified training provider specialising in AI, no-code and automation for SMEs and nonprofits in the Paris region. Every session we run produces a certificate that complies with the Labour Code, together with the programme, the attendance sheets and the skills assessment. You leave with a file you can present directly in case of a review or a client request, and with content adapted to each participant's role.
If you already train in-house, we can audit your setup and provide you with certificate templates and a reusable evidence framework. To review your situation, book a free 30-minute AI training audit at cal.com/growthperf/audit-gratuit. It all fits within the approach described in our guide to AI training for businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Is an AI training certificate mandatory? Yes for every registered training provider, under Article L6353-1 of the French Labour Code. And even for in-house training, the certificate remains the best proof that you meet the AI literacy obligation set by Article 4 of the AI Act.
Can I issue a certificate to my employees myself? Yes, nothing forbids it for training run in-house. You then have to include every mandatory detail, have each participant sign, and keep the programme, the attendance sheet and the assessment. The burden of proof rests on you.
Which details make a certificate valid? The identity of the participant and the provider, the activity registration number, the title, the objectives, the format, the duration, the result of the skills assessment, the date and the signature. If the assessment is missing, the document only proves attendance.
Is a certificate enough to comply with the AI Act? Not on its own. It must rest on a programme that is genuinely AI-focused and adapted to each role, along with the evidence file (attendance, material, assessment). It is the whole set that demonstrates your good faith.
How long should certificates be kept? At least as long as the employee holds a role exposed to AI, then a few years afterwards. If the training is funded by an OPCO, also follow its own retention periods.
Is a Qualiopi certificate worth more than an in-house one? On substance, both can be valid. In practice, a certificate from a Qualiopi-certified provider comes with a file checked by an external auditor, which makes it the strongest evidence, and it conditions access to OPCO funding.