The Multiverse blog

Upskilling platform Multiverse is delivering a specialist AI training programme to KPMG UK, a leading professional services firm, to help build the digital skills needed to service clients in the AI era. The first 134-strong cohort, ranging from early-careers up to partners in the Advisory business, will have the opportunity to build greater AI literacy. This will enable them to better support clients as they navigate their own AI journeys, while also evolving the way services are delivered by harnessing AI tools.

Recognising the increasing opportunity for AI adoption across the public and private sector, and the transformational impact it is having, KPMG UK aims to help clients build responsible implementation roadmaps and enable the organisational change needed to embrace AI.

As part of the new AI Upskilling Programme, learners will be enrolled in Multiverse’s Level 4 AI for Business Value programme, which will provide participants with a formal qualification. They will undertake learning in how to use AI strategically and source new revenue opportunities. By increasing AI literacy, KPMG UK is driving improved client services that deliver the largest business impact and enable strategic data and AI-informed decisions.

Lisa Fernihough, Head of Advisory at KPMG UK said: “The potential for AI to transform our industry is really exciting, both in terms of the way we deliver our services to our clients, and in how we help shape what our clients themselves are thinking and doing. So it’s really important that we continue to upskill our people at all levels, from the most senior to those who are just starting their career.”

“By offering this enhanced training programme with Multiverse, it means that our people have the chance to develop their AI skills and receive a formal qualification that will showcase their skills in the emerging AI space, meaning we remain ahead of the curve for innovation and leading consultancy services.”

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse, said: “KPMG UK is built on a foundation of strategic business transformation practises for its customers and its own team development. By embracing increased AI capabilities from junior to senior levels of the business, employees are more equipped than ever to provide informed AI-focused services, while the deployment of AI tools internally will save hours of time spent on manual tasks.”

Multiverse is the upskilling platform for AI and tech adoption, which delivers personalised, on-the-job learning. Multiverse has trained more than 20,000 apprentices in AI, data and digital skills since 2016.

Over 1,500 companies work with Multiverse to deliver a new kind of learning that’s transforming the workforce at scale. Programmes are targeted at people of any age or career stage.

As we learned, successful AI implementation doesn't start with models—it starts with data. For any organisation aiming to harness the full power of AI, establishing the right data foundations and culture is paramount. AI is only as intelligent as the data it is trained on.

Here are three core pillars for building a robust data foundation and culture ready for the AI transformation:

The agility vs. scalability challenge

One of the biggest data challenges in an AI transformation is finding the right balance between agility and scalability. Since AI is a rapidly evolving technology, moving fast often means experimenting quickly, even if initial methods aren't scalable.

• Embrace agility for experimentation: A successful AI strategy involves enabling experimentation and allowing teams to try new things without immediately requiring a massive, fully developed data pipeline. This might mean starting with simpler, non-scalable methods to quickly prove a concept.
• Scale for sustainability: Once a concept is proven, the key is to transition to scalable solutions. An effective strategy involves doing both—experimenting quickly and building scalable structures—by knowing when to do one and when to do the other.

Building a data-first culture

Formal training is essential for building data literacy. However, training alone is not enough; success hinges on integrating data into the very DNA of the organisation.

• Consistency is key: A strong data culture means data is part of the day-to-day language and ways of working. Key metrics and definitions must be clear and consistently used across all settings, including meetings and documents.
• Empowering the whole organisation: Effective AI implementation requires giving data access to everyone, not just data scientists, and teaching them how to use it. Upskilling the entire organisation ensures the best possible use is made of the data.
• The consumption shift: As companies embrace AI, the way people and machines consume data changes. While dashboards were once common, organisations now increasingly need data formats that machines can easily read, such as APIs. Consistency in definitions is critical for trusting AI to correctly interpret the data and provide answers in natural language.
• Security and Compliance: The foundation of a trustworthy data strategy is ensuring that data is handled securely and responsibly. We demonstrate this commitment to our clients and apprentices, ensuring their sensitive information is handled with the highest level of care. Multiverse has achieved SOC 2 Type 1 certification, a result of third-party audit from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, confirming our internal controls exceed the necessary, rigorous standards.

Data as your competitive advantage

The most advanced AI applications are widely available to virtually everyone. What truly differentiates a company and drives value is its proprietary data, and what they build with it.

• Unlock internal value: Well-structured, proprietary data can unlock powerful AI solutions. For example, taking unstructured data, structuring it into a knowledge graph, and sharing it can provide valuable insights for customers.
• Move ahead of the pack: If a company wants to build something truly differentiated and make a real difference, it must connect AI to its unique internal data. The sooner an organisation commits to structuring and leveraging its data, the sooner it will gain a competitive edge.

By focusing on structuring data, fostering a company-wide data culture, and strategically balancing speed and sustainability, any organisation can build the solid foundations necessary to deliver powerful and effective AI transformation.

The rapid evolution of AI and data is creating an urgent demand for a digitally skilled workforce. At Multiverse, our commitment is to equip the workforce to succeed in this new era. We achieve this not through solitary effort, but through strategic alliances that unlock transformative value for our clients and drive market acceleration.

Our newly announced partnership with Palantir exemplifies this philosophy in action. Together, we’re building Federated Data Platform (FDP) apprenticeship programmes for the NHS, equipping staff with the skills needed to improve patient care and operational efficiency. It provides a model for how software and skills work together to deliver real-world impact at scale.

The strategy: Aligning to accelerate enterprise adoption

Multiverse deliberately seeks partnerships that solve the critical skills challenges facing British institutions. We focus on becoming the essential enablement layer for major technology platforms.

1. Maximising platform investment

Technology is only as powerful as the people using it. Large-scale digital transformation initiatives often struggle due to a skills gap. Multiverse’s partnerships are designed to close this gap, ensuring clients realise the full potential of their technology investments.

• Solving a critical need: The collaboration with Palantir addresses one of the UK’s most significant tech initiatives: the NHS's digital transformation. It’s a commitment to enhancing staff training to support the implementation of the FDP.
• The full-stack solution: Palantir provides the proprietary Foundry platform and data analytics command, while Multiverse provides the bespoke, FDP-specific apprenticeship programmes tailored to a diverse range of NHS roles, from analysts to clinical staff. This creates a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for workforce transformation and platform adoption.

2. Driving measurable, mission-critical impact

Our partnerships are structured to drive tangible results where they matter most. We believe collaborations must directly impact the client's mission. For the NHS, this means:

• Focus on applied learning: The new programmes focus on practical, applied learning to help NHS organisations implement the FDP directly into their work.
• A proven track record: We leverage Multiverse's proven capabilities in digital skills training, having already upskilled more than 100 NHS trusts. This history gives our partners confidence in our ability to scale impact.
• Real-world outcomes: The ultimate goal is clear: by investing in the workforce, the NHS will reap benefits like improved operational workflows, more efficient resource allocation, and a tangible impact on patient health.

Expanding commercial horizons

For Multiverse, these partnerships are a key component of our commercial growth strategy, significantly expanding our market opportunity and reinforcing our position in the enterprise learning space.

The strategic decision to integrate our training with platforms like Palantir's Foundry positions Multiverse as an essential partner for technology providers seeking to accelerate user skill and adoption. This strategy ensures that as major enterprises continue to invest in core AI and data infrastructure, Multiverse is there to ensure their human capital keeps pace. This is a significant step toward unlocking the full potential of AI.

Multiverse, the AI upskilling platform, and Palantir, a leading provider of AI-enabled software, are partnering to upskill staff on the use of the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) across the NHS. Together, the organisations will launch new, FDP-specific apprenticeship programmes, equipping staff with the critical AI and data skills needed to improve patient care and operational efficiency.

The NHS FDP, which is supplied by Palantir, connects vital data which is currently stored in separate systems, enabling staff to access the information they need in one safe and secure environment, and use it to improve how they work and deliver care for patients. It is currently delivering benefits such as more operations and quicker discharge in 77 NHS Trusts, with a further 73 signed up to the programme, along with 41 Integrated Care Boards.

This strategic partnership will leverage Multiverse’s proven capabilities in digital skills training to help NHS staff unlock the full potential of the NHS FDP to increase operations, improve care, drive up efficiency and drive down waiting lists. It marks a commitment to putting staff training at the heart of FDP implementation and broader healthcare data initiatives for patient benefit.

“To truly unlock the power of the NHS Federated Data Platform, the NHS needs a workforce that is confident and skilled in using data and AI,” said Euan Blair, Founder & CEO at Multiverse. “This partnership isn't just about implementing new technology, it's about investing in the people who will use it every day to make a tangible difference to patient care. We're proud to be a part of this crucial step in the NHS's digital evolution, deepening our existing relationship with the NHS.”

"The NHS FDP is already improving care for patients while cutting paperwork for doctors and nurses,” said Louis Mosley, Executive Vice President, UK and Europe at Palantir. “It has delivered 80,000 additional operations and reduced discharge delays by 15 per cent, while the Government is forecasting that it is on track to deliver £150 million of benefits each year by the end of the decade.”

“Now we need to double down on training to keep driving up the number of NHS staff who are trained on the technology – and this partnership will be central to that.”

Multiverse and Palantir will collaborate to create a suite of new apprenticeship programmes featuring training on the FDP, with the first cohorts launching in February 2026. The curriculum will be tailored to the unique needs of a diverse range of NHS roles, including analysts, administrators, managers and clinical staff. With a focus on practical, applied learning, the programmes will help NHS organisations implement the FDP directly into their work.

By further investing in the skills of its workforce, the NHS will reap the benefits of its technological investments, leading to improved operational workflows, more efficient resource allocation, and a tangible impact on patient health. This partnership represents a significant step towards unlocking the full potential of AI and data to support the NHS and its mission to deliver world-class care.

As other People leaders scramble to compete for a scarce pool of highly skilled external AI talent, we have fundamentally shifted our approach to talent development to focus on building our own AI-ready workforce internally.

The shift: Hiring for AI will, not just skill

We recently launched a new hiring framework that focuses on assessing a candidate’s interest in AI. Why? Because we don't want to miss out on brilliant talent just because they haven't had the opportunity to engage with AI tools in their previous roles.

Our framework assesses candidates’ current level of AI competence through a series of questions and tasks built into our hiring process, matching them to one of four levels of AI maturity. The only group we exclude from hiring are those who demonstrate no will towards learning about AI. Everyone else, we’re confident we can equip with the necessary skills to fully adopt AI.

Bespoke onboarding: Building AI skills

This commitment to developing talent continues the moment a new hire joins. We have committed to our employees that they will become the most AI-powered versions of their profession.

Based on their assessed AI maturity, new hires are placed into a custom onboarding programme, receiving more than 20 hours of training in their first three months.

Demonstrable ROI: Quantifying the impact

Our internal upskilling isn’t just a feel-good initiative: it delivers measurable business impact. Last year, we grew our revenue per employee by 37% through strategic investments in AI and a cultural transformation to enable it.

We track several key outcomes, starting with tool usage. We’ve been able to demonstrate that those who engage with our AI upskilling programmes use our AI tools much more frequently than those who don't: for example, they log 73% more Gemini interactions.

We also look for impact stories, quantifying the results of the training, such as the reduced number of hours spent on certain activities or specific cost savings. Across our departments, we’ve logged more than 220 AI use cases created, representing how our team has reimagined their workflows to be more efficient and effective.

If you are a People leader looking to future-proof your organisation, the answer isn't a complex, expensive external hiring spree. The answer is empowering every member of your team with the skills and confidence to excel in the AI-driven future, right now.

Recent Multiverse analysis of more than 2,500 people on AI apprenticeship programmes shows that over two-thirds are not in roles traditionally associated with tech. With AI learners with job titles like nurses, fundraisers, librarians and supply chain managers, we are helping to forge a new definition of ‘AI talent’.

This is the fifth piece in our series hearing from Multiverse's AI apprentices, based in varied jobs around the country. These learners are part of this emerging class of AI jobs - the 'invisible' AI workforce.

Birmingham is one of the top ten AI talent hotspots outside of London, according to our analysis of our 2,500+ strong AI apprentice base.

Read on to hear more about Birmingham-based startup employee Baljinder’s story.

Reducing stock waste at a nutrition company

For a growing nutrition business like Rem3dy Health, effective inventory management is critical, but a commercial ERP system can cost upwards of £70,000. Baljinder Singh, then a stock controller, was spending a full day each week manually tracking stock and updating spreadsheets.

Using skills from his AI apprenticeship, he designed and built a custom AI-powered dashboard that automates the entire process, creating a single, real-time view of all inventory. This has eliminated eight hours of manual work per week, improved accuracy, and reduced waste by providing a clearer picture of expiring stock.

Now Head of Supply Chain, a promotion earned through his initiative, Baljinder is expanding the project into a predictive tool that will function like a bespoke ERP system, saving the company tens of thousands of pounds and revolutionising its supply chain management.

Newark and Sherwood District Council (NSDC) is strengthening its digital capabilities by launching an AI and Data Academy with Multiverse. The 50-strong training cohort follows a successful pilot programme of 28 learners and will support the council to further increase digital literacy and AI adoption while helping to develop a digital culture that aligns with the council’s new Digital Strategy for 2025-2028.

With ambitions to become the most digitally equipped council, NSDC’s strategy aims to empower teams with the skills and knowledge to boost productivity through the use of AI tools and gather insights without the need for additional IT and technical support. This will help reduce admin bottlenecks and free up time that can be spent on improving public services.

Through the new Academy, staff will learn how to further improve efficiencies and make data-driven decisions through programmes such as ‘Data Insights for Business Decisions’. Meanwhile, the Level 3 ‘AI Powered Productivity’ will introduce AI fundamentals and upskill teams in tools such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gemini.

Sanjiv Kohli, Deputy Chief Executive at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “Our new Digital Strategy builds on our commitment to empower our staff with critical and future-proofed skills, embracing key technologies and collaboration that yield smart and sustainable services to our region. With more change on the horizon, our partnership with Multiverse will help us to continue delivering on these commitments while building a digital-focused culture that ensures our services work for everyone. Our digital approach also ensures that no customer is left behind and through focusing on data led services, we really can target our services directly to our residents’ wants and needs providing them with the best service possible.”

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse said: “Public sector workers have a valuable opportunity to capitalise on the efficiencies that AI and digital skills can provide. By harnessing AI tools and improving digital capabilities, Newark and Sherwood District Council will be able to put AI-supported insights into action while improving productivity and preparing teams for future change.”

Multiverse is the upskilling platform for AI and tech adoption, which delivers personalised, on-the-job learning. Multiverse has trained more than 20,000 apprentices in AI, data and digital skills since 2016.

Over 1,500 companies work with Multiverse to deliver a new kind of learning that’s transforming the workforce at scale. Programmes are targeted at people of any age or career stage.

This is not a theoretical goal, it’s the driving force behind everything we do. Today’s workforce needs new skills to thrive, and without them, organisations and their employees will get left behind. We are going to transform both how our customers operate with AI, and crucially, how we operate with AI.

To do that, we’ve intentionally and strategically shifted our culture and established four new, highly actionable Operating Principles that define our standard of performance.

These principles aren’t just aspirational - they are embedded into how we work, how we hire, and how we measure performance at every level of the organisation. So if you’re joining the team or considering a role at Multiverse, be sure to read and understand how they might apply to your work.

The Operating Principles

These principles are an integral part of how we define high performance and potential. When we interview you, when we onboard you, and as you grow here - this is the standard we’ll measure against.

1. Solve for Customer Value

Every decision starts with: how does this create value for our customers?

We aren’t building Multiverse for ourselves. We’re doing it for the people who need and use the transformative upskilling that we make happen. Your work, regardless of your role, must connect back to our customers.

• The Multiverse Standard: You define the customer problem and the value of solving it before you start work. You choose the path that creates the most customer value, even when it’s harder.
• What we avoid: Measuring success by activity (features shipped) instead of customer outcomes (problems solved). Every workstream starts with a clear line of sight to the customer impact.

2. Drivers, Not Passengers

Be an owner, take accountability, and drive outcomes, while taking others along the journey.

We value accountability and proactively taking charge of your work, your career and the business’s success.

• The Multiverse Standard:You don’t duck the hard conversations - instead, you “Bottom line it”, which means solving problems the right way, not the easy way.
• What we avoid: Building for individual or department priorities over the business' best interest. You withhold bad news because it’s uncomfortable to deliver.

3. Be Decisive, Even in Ambiguity

Be bold: don’t stifle innovation through a fear of making the wrong call. Speed is the strategy.

To thrive in the rapid development cycle of the AI era, we must operate with velocity, valuing swift action over total certainty.

• The Multiverse Standard:We provide clarity on ownership so that everyone knows what decisions they can own. You embrace a test-and-learn mindset, finding opportunities to try out solutions and converting successful ideas into quality impacts. You course-correct quickly, and you challenge ideas early.
• What we avoid: Letting the fear of reversing a "fast" decision stallmomentum. We don't begrudge ambiguity, because change is part of Multiverse; we see it as an opportunity to own a problem and design a solution.

4. AI to Deliver Outcomes

AI is our engine, not an add-on. We become the defining case study for our customers.

This principle complements our ongoing transformation to being an AI-first business, ensuring we attract people that are AI-enabled, and willing to go on the upskilling journey to stay ahead of the curve.

• The Multiverse Standard: You ask “How would AI do this?” before starting any process improvement. You rethink existing problems as opportunities for design, not just resource, and explore AI solutions first. You demonstrate continual curiosity in AI, proactively upskilling,and always applying an ethical and compliant approach.
• What we avoid: Failing to engage with our AI-first approach or resisting AI-driven changes to workflows. We don't treat AI as a convenient tool, but rather as the core redesign approach for everything we do.

This is our operational standard for career and company success in the AI era. These four principles are how we deliver on that promise. If you’re excited by the challenge of transforming how the world works, and if you can embody these behaviours in our hiring process and beyond, then you are ready to lead the charge of transforming the workforce for tomorrow - here at Multiverse.

Join us today.

Facilities Management company VIVO Defence Services has joined forces with upskilling platform Multiverse to provide its employees with data and AI training. VIVO is seeking to improve its team’s skills in data analytics, AI, and predictive modelling to help future proof its workforce and meet the increasing and changing needs of the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

As one of the largest providers of estate services to the MOD, VIVO collects crucial data. This partnership with Multiverse will enable VIVO’s staff to fully explore and utilise the insight this data provides.

The training programmes include Data and Insights for Business Decisions and AI for Business Value, designed to develop the technical skills required to effectively leverage data and AI to deliver business outcomes. This will empower the apprentices to make more informed operational business decisions.

The new training will inevitably play a part in ensuring VIVO has the resources in place to provide the best service possible for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and carry out its important work for many years.

Paul Roberts, VIVO’s Energy & Sustainability Director and Innovation Champion, said: “The data we collect across our organisation is a strategic asset that provides us with real-time insights into the work we do. Further enhancing the way we use this data and AI to influence our operational business decisions will benefit our customer - the UK military. This is all about our mission to improve the lived experience for service personnel and to play our part in enhancing the UK’s defence capability.”

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse said: “VIVO Defence Services is demonstrating a clear commitment to its people and its mission by investing in these critical skills. By training its team in data and AI, it is not just future-proofing its workforce: it is directly enhancing its ability to serve the UK military and make a real-world impact. We are incredibly proud to partner with them on this journey.”

VIVO, which is 50/50 owned by Serco and Equans, works on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). It provides maintenance, asset management and project management services at more than 100 military bases across the Buit Estate and at more than 27,000 Service Family Accommodation homes. It also works for the MOD’s Volunteer Estate and the government agency, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

These two new training programmes with Multiverse will strengthen VIVO’s commitment to provide employees with career enhancing training and development opportunities.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has saved more than three-thousand hours following the successful rollout of a data upskilling programme in partnership with Multiverse. The training of the 60-strong cohort has enabled the MCA to develop a data-first culture, supporting the organisation’s goal to harness data to improve safety at sea and to make our oceans cleaner.

Using new insights from machine learning and statistical modelling, data apprentices have started to drive significant value for the MCA, such as helping to predict vessel risks and environmental hazards and reporting on new insights across their remit.

Through improving and increasing the flow of data into the MCA Data Platform, utilising a Databricks data environment, learners have also driven improved uptake of data visualisation tools like Power BI across the agency. This helps key stakeholders like coastguards, surveyors and customer teams to do their jobs more effectively by enabling greater access to digestible, up-to-date information.

The training delivered by Multiverse, a Databricks and Microsoft partner, has assisted the MCA to drive greater adoption of data tools, and lay a strong foundation for developing more complex AI capabilities in the future. Combined with the Databricks data platform, the agency now has access to consistent and reliable data that is updated in near real time.

Since training began in 2022, nearly three quarters of the agency have become active data users with Power BI usage increasing from 43% to 94%. The MCA’s digital apprentices are now a primary engine behind data innovation, with over half of all 2024 and 2025 reports, dashboards, and apps created in the Power BI platform by an apprentice. The number of data super users, those who create multiple reports frequently, has also increased seven-fold since
the training.

Charis Doidge, Head of Data Science and Analytics at MCA said: “Ensuring safety in the maritime sector is our priority, and technology plays a key role in our ability to effectively deliver life-saving initiatives like responding to coastguard incidents and maintaining our UK Fleet.

“Multiverse’s training has helped our teams unlock insights from data, but it has also improved the adoption of data tools across the whole agency. The MCA Data Platform, which uses Databricks, gives us a foundation of analytically ready data, which is available 24/7 and refreshed daily. Now that we have this strong foundation, we’re excited to explore what’s next, including how AI can support our mission in saving lives, safer ships, and cleaner seas.”

One example of training in practice includes Senior IT Business Partner, Anna Stampira-Zerva, who harnessed skills curated during her programme to analyse the MCA’s coastal incident data and uncover regional and seasonal trends.

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse said: “At Multiverse, we want to make sure organisations don’t just have advanced tools, but also the skills and enthusiasm to use them effectively. As we’ve seen with MCA, improving data expertise in a long-term, scalable way across an organisation frees us time for more impactful work, improves productivity and opens doors to future AI opportunities.”