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A McKellar learner training toward their next belt
The McKellar Belt System

Everyone starts at White.
How far will you take it?

McKellar certifications follow a progressive belt system.

white
yellow
green
black

You don't choose your belt. You earn it.

Explore Certification Pathways
White BeltYellow BeltGreen BeltBlack BeltProgressionWhy BeltsPathways
The Journey

One profession. Four levels of capability.

The belt system provides a visible progression — from understanding AI within your profession to developing increasingly sophisticated applied capability.

White BeltFoundation

I understand.

Professional foundations + AI foundations.

White Belt is where every McKellar journey begins. Before applying AI to a profession, you need a strong foundation in both. White Belt brings you up to speed on the essential concepts, principles and current context of your professional field, while introducing the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and how they relate to that profession. Think of it as establishing a common starting point: refreshing what matters in your field, understanding what AI can and cannot do, and beginning to connect the two.

Next
Yellow Belt
You'll build towards
Refreshing essential concepts and current developments within your professional field
Reconnecting with the principles, terminology and professional context relevant to the pathway
Understanding the fundamentals of artificial intelligence
Recognising the main capabilities and limitations of AI
Exploring how AI is beginning to influence your profession
Identifying appropriate and inappropriate applications
Understanding the foundations of responsible, ethical and professional AI use
Beginning to recognise where domain expertise and AI capability intersect
By the end of White Belt

I understand my professional foundation.

I understand the foundations of AI.

I understand where the two begin to connect.

White Belt creates the common foundation every learner needs before moving from understanding to application.

Entry requirement

Meet the pathway's initial entry requirements.

Outcome

You understand your professional foundation, the foundations of AI, and where the two begin to connect.

Yellow BeltPractitioner

I can apply.

Practical application.

Yellow Belt moves from understanding to doing. Apply AI across defined professional tasks and workflows, evaluate its outputs and learn where your own professional judgement needs to intervene.

Requires
White Belt
Next
Green Belt
You'll build towards
Applying AI to relevant professional tasks
Selecting appropriate approaches
Improving everyday workflows
Evaluating and verifying AI-generated outputs
Recognising where human judgement must take over
Applying AI within appropriate professional boundaries
Entry requirement

Must have successfully completed White Belt in the same pathway.

Outcome

You can apply AI appropriately to defined professional tasks and workflows.

Green BeltSpecialist

I can integrate.

Integration and evaluation.

Green Belt moves beyond individual tasks towards more sophisticated professional applications. Explore how AI can be incorporated into workflows, research, analysis and decision-making while accounting for evidence, reliability, ethics, privacy and professional standards.

Requires
Yellow Belt
Next
Black Belt
You'll build towards
Designing AI-enabled workflows
Addressing more complex professional use cases
Evaluating different AI approaches
Assessing quality, reliability and limitations
Considering governance, privacy and ethical implications
Identifying opportunities for responsible process improvement
Communicating and defending AI-assisted approaches
Entry requirement

Must have successfully completed Yellow Belt in the same pathway.

Outcome

You can integrate AI into complex professional contexts with judgement, responsibility and impact.

Black BeltProfessional Leader

I can lead.

Responsible professional leadership.

Black Belt is the highest level within a McKellar certification pathway. The focus expands beyond your individual use of AI to how it can be evaluated, introduced and applied responsibly within a wider professional environment. It brings together everything developed throughout the pathway: domain expertise, AI capability and professional judgement.

Requires
Green Belt
Highest
McKellar Belt
You'll build towards
Identifying meaningful opportunities for AI adoption
Designing and evaluating AI-enabled solutions
Assessing evidence, limitations and risk
Considering implementation and governance
Communicating recommendations to stakeholders
Challenging inappropriate applications of AI
Contributing to responsible AI initiatives within your professional environment
Entry requirement

Must have successfully completed Green Belt in the same pathway, plus any additional pathway-specific requirements.

Outcome

You can help lead the responsible evaluation, adoption and use of AI within your professional environment.

The progression is simple

Understand. Apply. Integrate. Lead.

I understand.

I understand AI's possibilities, applications and limitations within my profession.

I can apply.

I can apply AI appropriately to defined professional tasks and workflows.

I can integrate.

I can evaluate and develop more sophisticated AI-enabled professional workflows.

I can lead.

I can contribute to the responsible evaluation, implementation and leadership of AI-enabled work.

The four belt levels

One framework, six capability domains.

The four belt levelsCapability domain
White Belt
Understand
Build your foundation
Yellow Belt
Apply
Use AI in your work
Green Belt
Integrate
Embed AI in your workflow
Black Belt
Lead
Drive transformation
AI literacy
Understand
Apply
Evaluate
Lead
Domain application
Recognise
Perform
Design
Transform
Evidence & verification
Understand
Verify
Evaluate
Govern
Workflow integration
Observe
Use
Build
Lead
Responsible AI
Understand
Apply
Assess
Govern
Professional judgement
Recognise
Exercise
Defend
Lead
What this means for you
Structured progression
Clear levels from foundational to leadership.
Profession-specific
Built around real professional contexts and use cases.
Credible and verifiable
Demonstrate capability, not just course completion.
Globally relevant
Designed for professionals across healthcare, pharma and life sciences.
More than a skills framework

The McKellar Professional AI Capability Framework goes beyond technical skills. It integrates domain knowledge, ethical practice and professional judgement - so you can use AI with confidence, responsibility and impact.

Why belts?

Because “completed” doesn't tell you enough.

Each belt represents a distinct stage of development. It gives you a clear place to begin, meaningful milestones along the way and a visible progression as your capability develops.

Your certification doesn't just show what you studied. Your belt shows how far you've progressed.

A conventional short course answers

“Did you finish it?”

McKellar's belt system answers

“How far have you progressed?”

Across every pathway

Same progression. Different profession.

The McKellar belt structure remains consistent across our certification pathways. What you learn within it changes according to your profession.

Public Health + AI

Population health, evidence, surveillance and decision-making.

Explore pathway

Clinical Research + AI

Research workflows, evidence, analysis and documentation.

Explore pathway

Pharmaceuticals + AI

Research, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance, regulatory activities and evidence.

Explore pathway

Health Systems + AI

Hospital operations, informatics, digital health, quality and innovation.

Explore pathway

Economics + AI

Analysis, modelling, research and economic decision-making.

Explore pathway

The technology may be similar. The professional context isn't.

Explore Certification Pathways
Build capability

Belt by belt.

McKellar isn't designed around collecting disconnected certificates. It's about building capability progressively.

Each belt is valuable on its own. Together, they demonstrate how far you've taken your capability.

Complete White Belt and leave with a stronger understanding of AI within your profession.

Continue to Yellow when you're ready to apply it.

Progress to Green as you develop more sophisticated capability.

And work towards Black Belt when you're ready for the highest level of the pathway.

Everyone starts at White.
Not everyone will finish at Black.

That's what gives progression meaning. Black Belt isn't simply more content — it's the culmination of a journey from understanding AI to applying, integrating and ultimately helping lead its responsible use within a professional environment.

Everyone starts at White. How far will you take it?

Start Your Pathway
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