EA Course

EA Course for Assistants Ready to Work More Strategically An advanced EA course for assistants who want to master Microsoft 365, AI and automation. A 10 week live transformation programme for Executive Assistants and senior support professionals who want to use Microsoft 365, Copilot, AI and automation to redesign how work gets done. Known as the Executive Assistant Productivity Architect Programme, this is not a standard Microsoft course. It is a practical, workflow led programme delivered by Paul Pennant, Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 and Copilot, former Executive Assistant and founder of Today’s PA. You will learn how Microsoft 365, Copilot, AI and automation connect across real EA workflows, so you can reduce manual work, improve clarity and support your leader more strategically. Graduate recognition Successful participants are awarded the EAPA Grad designation, recognising completion of the Executive Assistant Productivity Architect Programme. View available dates Enquire about team delivery From reactive support to Productivity Architect Most Executive Assistants are not short of effort. They are working inside systems that were never properly designed. Requests arrive by email, Teams, forms, meetings and conversations. Files sit in different places. Actions are tracked manually. Follow up depends on memory. Information is copied from one tool into another. AI feels important, but it is not always clear where it fits or what is safe to use. The result is familiar: ◆Too much manual admin ◆Too much duplication ◆Too many disconnected tools ◆Too much pressure on the EA to hold everything together The Executive Assistant Productivity Architect Programme helps you change that. What changes after this EA course By the end of the programme, you will not just know more about Microsoft 365. You will know how to use it as a connected productivity and automation system. ◆Build clearer workflows across Microsoft 365 ◆Reduce repeated manual work ◆Use AI and Copilot more safely and strategically ◆Improve communication, actions and follow through ◆Create better visibility for your executive and stakeholders ◆Move from reacting to work to designing how work flows Why this matters now AI is changing the assistant role. The risk is not simply that AI replaces assistants. The bigger risk is that assistants who understand Microsoft 365, AI and automation become far more valuable than those who do not. This programme helps you move from AI anxiety to AI leadership. You will learn how to advise your executive on practical AI opportunities, sensible automation ideas, safe use of Copilot, permissions, information access and organisational guardrails. That makes you more than a support professional. It makes you a trusted adviser on how work should happen. Why this EA course is different Most courses focus on tools. This programme focuses on how work actually gets done. ◆It connects Microsoft 365, Copilot, AI and automation across real EA workflows ◆It focuses on implementation, not theory ◆It is designed around assistant work, not generic use cases ◆You leave with practical systems you can use immediately ◆Completion is based on applied change, not passive attendance Your 10 module journey This is not a tour of Microsoft apps. Each module connects the tools to real EA workflows, so you can build systems that improve control, communication, follow through and decision support. Completion outcome On successful completion of the live sessions and applied implementation work, participants receive their certificate and the EAPA Grad graduate designation. 1. From Busy EA to Productivity Architect Understand what is changing in the assistant role and how to move from reactive support to workflow design. 2. AI, Copilot and Safe Productivity Learn where AI fits, what to use it for, and how to think about safety, judgement and information risk. 3. Prompting, Copilot Chat and Agents Build stronger prompts and explore how Copilot Chat and agents can support real EA workflows. 4. SharePoint, Groups and File Architecture Create better structure for files, access, ownership and collaboration across Microsoft 365. 5. Lists, Metadata and Workflow Control Use lists and metadata to make work visible, trackable and easier to manage. 6. Outlook and Teams as the Executive Communication System Redesign communication, follow up, actions and visibility across inboxes, meetings and Teams. 7. Forms, Planner and Intake Management Build cleaner ways to capture requests, prioritise work and reduce scattered communication. 8. Excel for Workflow Evidence and Reporting Use Excel to analyse activity, show progress and create evidence for better decisions. 9. Power Automate and Power Apps for EA Workflows Explore practical automation and app building opportunities for assistant work. 10. The Productivity Architecture Project Bring everything together by designing and presenting one real workflow improvement. 2026 and 2027 cohort dates Live sessions take place on Wednesdays. Time: 1:00pm to 4:30pm GMT | 8:00am to 11:30am ET October 2026 7, 14, 21 and 28 October 2026 November 2026 4, 18 and 25 November 2026 December 2026 2 and 9 December 2026 Final strategic integration session 13 January 2027 Next cohort starts 24 February 2027 The structure gives you time between sessions to apply, test and refine what you are learning. Your Productivity Architecture Project This is not a certificate for attendance. To graduate, you complete one practical Productivity Architecture Project. This is a working Microsoft 365 workflow improvement that shows you can apply what you have learned. Your project should demonstrate: ◆The old process ◆The problem or friction ◆The redesigned workflow ◆The Microsoft tools used ◆The AI, automation or workflow improvement applied ◆The time saved, risk reduced or value created ◆The guardrails, permissions or safety considerations Where possible, your project should be based on your real role. If your organisation restricts what you can build or share, you may use a sample scenario provided during the programme. What is included 10 live half day sessions Expert teaching with hands on implementation throughout the programme. Printed EAPA Implementation Playbook Your guide for audits, workflow design, AI guardrails and practical application. 100 plus workflow templates and examples Practical starting points you can copy, adapt and apply to your own role. 12 months of access to Ask Paul Exclusive AI support built from Paul’s Microsoft 365, AI, automation and productivity resources. 12 months of access to the private EAPA Teams community Private cohort and alumni support, with Paul answering questions directly. Session recordings for 12 months Revisit the live sessions when you need to catch up, review or implement. EAPA Grad designation Recognition of successful completion that graduates may use on LinkedIn profiles, CVs, professional biographies and email signatures. Who this EA course is for This programme is for professionals who support leaders, manage complexity and want to modernise how they work. ◆Executive Assistants ◆Personal Assistants ◆Senior EAs ◆Chiefs of Staff ◆Business Support Managers ◆Office professionals who want to improve how work flows You do not need to be an advanced Microsoft user before joining. What matters is that you are willing to learn, change and apply the tools properly. Who this programme is not for This programme is not for passive learners. It is not for people who only want to watch demonstrations. It is not for people looking for a simple certificate without applying the learning. EAPA is for professionals who want to build real capability and prove they can use Microsoft 365, AI and automation to improve work. Why learn with Paul Pennant Paul Pennant is a Microsoft MVP in Microsoft 365 and Copilot, founder of Today’s PA and a former Executive Assistant. He has spent more than 20 years helping assistants and office professionals master Microsoft tools and improve the way they work. Today’s PA has trained professionals from over 4,000 organisations worldwide and has been recognised as Best Assistant Training Provider in the UK for seven consecutive years. That means this programme is not generic training. It is practical Microsoft 365 transformation delivered by someone who understands both the technology and the pressure of the assistant role. Why organisations invest EAPA helps organisations get more value from Microsoft 365 by developing support professionals who can improve workflows, reduce manual work and use AI more safely. The return is not only time saved. ◆Better executive support ◆Fewer manual handoffs ◆Clearer information flow ◆Stronger follow through ◆Reduced duplication ◆Better use of existing Microsoft licences ◆More confident AI and automation adoption ◆Support professionals who can advise leaders, not just react to them Ready to secure your place? Complete the programme. Earn the EAPA Grad designation. Join the next generation of Executive Assistant Productivity Architects. If you are ready to stop juggling disconnected tools and start designing smarter ways of working, the next step is to secure your place. Places are limited to maintain quality, support and accountability. Booking options Book your place Enquire about team delivery