AI Course Check

Cardiff and Vale College

BCS Foundation Award: Award in Understanding the Role of Ethics in the Responsible Use of AI (PLA)

This course is a free course from Cardiff and Vale College, online. It's free under Personal Learning Accounts. It ends with an exam certification. Next: 8 Mar 2027.

We rate it beginner level; the provider doesn't say.

Before you sign up

Suits employed adults in Wales, from service desk staff to chief information officers, who want a formal BCS award on AI ethics rather than a general AI overview. What stands out is the free place under PLA and a fixed evening timetable from March 2027. The main caveat is the narrow scope: it covers ethics and responsibility, not how to use AI tools. A free self-paced alternative on the same theme is Ethics of AI from Elements of AI.

Good to know
  • Dates may change. Check the provider's page before you book.

Properties

Provider
Cardiff and Vale College
Format
Live sessions
Delivery
Online
Duration (as stated by provider)
Part Time 3 hours per week
Level
Beginner (our rating)
Cost
Free under Personal Learning Accounts
Certificate
Exam certification
Language
English
Funding
Personal Learning Accounts
Next start
Next: 8 Mar 2027

Checked against Cardiff and Vale College on 26 Oct 2026

Go to course on cavc.ac.uk

We're independent. Providers can't pay to be listed or ranked.

What you'll learn

Evening course on Microsoft Teams leading to a BCS Foundation Award on the ethics of AI. It covers organisational and individual responsibility for AI, wider social and economic effects, potential harms and safeguards, and human oversight. Assessment is a short multiple-choice exam that can be taken remotely.

More courses on responsible AI and ethics.

See also: AI certifications compared.

Who it's for

Level: beginner (our rating). Delivery: live online.

Prerequisites

GCSE English at least a C grade.

Is BCS Foundation Award: Award in Understanding the Role of Ethics in the Responsible Use of AI (PLA) free?

Free under Personal Learning Accounts. Free for employed adults eligible for a Personal Learning Account (PLA), funded by the Welsh Government; full fee not shown.

Certificate: exam certification. BCS Foundation Award (multiple-choice exam).

Funding

Where to take it

  • Free (funded in Wales) on cavc.ac.uk, checked 26 Oct 2026.

Taking this course from the UK

Cardiff and Vale College is a UK provider. We checked this course on its own page on 26 Oct 2026.

The price is shown in pounds, as the provider states it.

If you want a free, government-backed start instead, AI Skills Boost gives every adult in the UK free AI courses, and finishing selected ones earns an AI foundations badge.

UK funding: Personal Learning Accounts.

Other UK courses on responsible AI and ethics: Living with AI (Scottish AI Alliance), Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Online (Forth Valley College), Responsible AI Innovation for SMEs (University of Edinburgh).

See also: free and funded training by nation, AI courses for managers and leaders.

Dates

Next: 8 Mar 2027.

Questions people ask

How much does this course cost?

It's free under Personal Learning Accounts.

Is there a certificate?

Yes: exam certification. The provider calls it "BCS Foundation Award (multiple-choice exam)".

Do I need experience first?

It's a beginner course (our rating; the provider does not state a level). Prerequisites: GCSE English at least a C grade.

When does it start?

Next: 8 Mar 2027.

Are Cardiff and Vale College AI courses free?

Yes, every one we list is free or free to learn, including BCS Foundation Award: Award in Understanding the Role of Ethics in the Responsible Use of AI (PLA) and BCS Foundation Award: How AI Can Support Your Organisation (PLA).

How much do Cardiff and Vale College exams cost?

BCS* Essentials Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (AI) (PLA): Free under Personal Learning Accounts, BCS Foundation Award: Award in Understanding the Role of Ethics in the Responsible Use of AI (PLA): Free under Personal Learning Accounts, BCS Foundation Award: How AI Can Support Your Organisation (PLA): Free under Personal Learning Accounts, BCS Foundation Award: Award in Machine Learning (PLA): Free under Personal Learning Accounts and BCS* Foundation Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (AI) (PLA): Free under Personal Learning Accounts. Fees are shown as Cardiff and Vale College shows them and never converted.

Alternatives

How we chose these

Similar courses on responsible AI and ethics

Other responsible AI and ethics courses, same level first.
CourseDeliveryCostLevelHoursCertificate
Ethics of AIElements of AI (University of Helsinki / MinnaLearn)Online, self-pacedFreeBeginnerNot statedFree certificate
Responsible use of ChatGPT at workOpenAI AcademyOnline, self-pacedFreeBeginnerNot statedNo certificate
Responsible AI Innovation for SMEsUniversity of EdinburghOnline, self-pacedFree to learnCertificate paidBeginner4 weeksDuration (as stated by provider)Paid certificate
Ethics of AILondon School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)Live online£650Beginnerruns over three weeks, with a time commitment of 6–8 hours per weekDuration (as stated by provider)Certificate

How we chose

  • Alternatives: Chosen from other certification exams, part-time first, then by shared topic. At least one is a UK course where one fits. Closed courses are left out.
  • Similar courses: other responsible AI and ethics courses, same level first.
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Go to course on cavc.ac.uk