Microsoft Copilot for Excel: From Beginner to Advanced

Overview:

Option 1 - Beginner to Advanced Excel Skills Focus: This session, led by Ray, takes you from your first Copilot prompt in Excel to genuinely advanced analysis.

You start with the essentials - what Copilot is, what it costs, and how to navigate it inside Excel - then build up through formula generation, data cleaning and chart creation, finishing with trend and outlier analysis across larger datasets. Every stage builds on the last, so beginners aren't left behind and experienced users still walk away with new techniques. By the end, you'll see exactly how this applies to your own recurring workbooks and reports, with nothing left theoretical.

Key Benefits:

• Progress from Copilot basics to advanced Excel analysis in a single session
• Build formulas and clean data faster, without memorising syntax
• Finish with real techniques for spotting trends and outliers in large datasets

OR

Option 2 - Practical Data Analysis and Productivity Focus: Built for Excel users who want Copilot doing the heavy lifting on real data, this session is guided by Ray. You learn to frame prompts that get accurate formulas and summaries, then apply Copilot to clean messy data, build charts and uncover trends across larger workbooks. Licensing, costs and data-privacy essentials are covered along the way, so you know exactly what Copilot can and can't be trusted with. By the end, you'll see exactly how this applies to your own recurring workbooks and reports, with nothing left theoretical. Expect a hands-on pace, plenty of real examples, and time to ask questions specific to your own role.

Key Benefits:

• Get accurate formulas and summaries from Copilot on the first try
• Clean and structure messy data in a fraction of the usual time
• Spot trends and outliers across large datasets with confidence

OR

Option 3 - Easy Start with Copilot for Excel Focus: A clear, no-jargon starting point for Excel users new to Copilot, delivered by Ray. You cover what Copilot is, what it costs, and how to navigate it, then move straight into practical use - generating formulas, cleaning data and building charts - before a taste of more advanced analysis for those ready to go further. Every part of the session is built to have attendees using Copilot in Excel with confidence from their first task. By the end, you'll see exactly how this applies to your own recurring workbooks and reports, with nothing left theoretical. Expect a hands-on pace, plenty of real examples, and time to ask questions specific to your own role.

Key Benefits:

• Get a simple, practical starting point for Copilot in Excel
• Learn formula and data-cleaning techniques that work from day one
• Leave with a clear next step toward more advanced analysis

Why you should Attend:

• Understand what Microsoft Copilot for Excel is and where it earns its keep
• Learn Copilot licensing, costs and limits before you roll it out more widely
• Navigate Copilot with confidence directly inside Excel
• Write clearer prompts so Copilot gives you accurate formulas and results the first time
• Build formulas, clean data and create charts faster than working manually
• Progress to advanced analysis - spot trends and outliers across large datasets
• Understand data privacy and responsible-use essentials for everyday Copilot use

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Microsoft Copilot for Excel Explained - how it works and where it fits within Excel
• Reusable Project Toolkit - keep a running record of your strongest prompts using the referenced template provided, so you can organise and reuse them across every AI platform
• Projects - Understand, Create and Manage - bring your files, instructions and conversations together like a power user, for genuine everyday efficiency
• Upload a File for Analysis - learn when to upload a file to a project versus a single chat, and why it matters
• Copilot Plans, Costs and Licensing - understand Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing, included features and key limitations
• Navigate Copilot in Excel - find Copilot in the ribbon and understand the chat pane
• Write Effective Prompts for Excel - frame clear requests that produce accurate formulas and insights
• Analyse and Summarise Data - turn raw spreadsheet data into clear summaries in seconds
• Generate Formulas with Copilot - build complex formulas without memorising syntax
• Clean and Structure Data with Copilot - fix messy data and structure tables ready for analysis
• Build Charts and Visual Insights - create charts and visual summaries straight from your data
• Advanced Analysis: Trends and Outliers - spot patterns across large datasets with confidence
• Data Privacy and Responsible Use - practical essential protections when using Copilot with business data

NOTES:

• Topic sequence may be subject to slight variation
• All Learning Guides include a wide range of keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac

Who Will Benefit:

• Excel users at any level who want a clear path from Copilot basics to genuinely advanced analysis, with real, applicable skills rather than abstract AI theory
• Administrative staff, business users, analysts, coordinators, finance and accounting staff, managers and anyone who works with spreadsheets, data or reports will benefit from the beginner-to-advanced structure