News

Following on from the recent appointment of Jillian Gillespie as CFO and Martha Lane Fox to the board, the tech credentials of the new VP appointees underline Multiverse’s ambitions to be a generational technology company.

Helen Greul joins Multiverse from a varied career at Spotify, having most recently headed up its open source Backstage product, which streamlines workflows for developers. Prior to this she worked on the infrastructure of Spotify’s content platform, contributing to the successful launch of Podcasts in 2018. With more than 15 years in the tech industry Helen will help supercharge Multiverse’s high-performing engineering team, enabling Multiverse to deliver its AI-driven education platform to learners across the world.

She said, “Growing up in a family of educators, I understand the transformative power of education. In the current macro economic environment where upskilling is a necessity for every field, I’m looking forward to creating a learning experience in which the next generation of talent can learn the skills they need to thrive.”

Asha Haji, meanwhile, joins Multiverse having successfully built and exited her own edtech company, Framework, prior to which she spent almost seven years at Education First. In her time as an entrepreneur she secured investment from Google’s Black Founders Fund and earned a finalist slot in Harvard Business School’s New Venture Competition. Haji also secured funding from VCs, founders and CxOs behind the likes of Netflix, Calm and YouTube. Having reskilled many times, working in everything from sales and partnerships, to talent acquisition and product management, she is well-placed to steer Multiverse to success in its operations.

She said, “I'm passionate about helping people from all backgrounds grow further in their careers and develop technical aptitude, so I’m hugely excited by Multiverse’s mission. I’m looking forward to helping it tackle the problem of delivering high quality, applied learning at scale.”

Euan Blair, Founder and CEO of Multiverse, said: “Continuing to build a world-beating senior team is essential for Multiverse to achieve its ambitions. I’m beyond excited to be welcoming two more brilliant individuals to the organisation, who will help continue our rapid growth in the right way and enable us to realise our far-reaching ambitions.”

The University of Manchester is launching AI and data programmes for 70 professional services staff through a new Data & AI Academy, in partnership with Multiverse. This new initiative is part of a drive from the University to better leverage its technology tools and data.

The development of these skills will increase staff efficiency through the automation of manual processes and future proof the workforce for the next decade. The ambition of the Data & AI Academy is to expand across the University’s professional services teams in 2025.

Training is funded by the apprenticeship levy and delivered by Multiverse, a tech company that specialises in high-quality training through applied learning. Multiverse has trained more than 16,000 apprentices at over 1,500 organisations in data, AI and digital skills since 2016.

Programmes include ‘AI for Business Value’, which will help learners to identify operational and commercial gains that can be achieved through using AI responsibly. This will allow them to design AI solutions with key areas like student experience and organisational development in mind.

The ‘Data Fellowship’ will upskill employees in data analysis and help the University develop a team of data specialists to implement its 10-year futureproofing framework. Meanwhile ‘AI Powered-Productivity’ will help teams to boost their output at work through the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot. This will be crucial to help deliver value from the University’s forward-looking investment in the technology.

According to Multiverse’s Skills Intelligence Report, the education sector is most impacted by a lack of data skills, with 38% of employees’ time working with data spent unproductively, compared to the average of 30% across 18 other sectors.

The University of Manchester’s Data & AI Academy will lead the way in mitigating this risk by offering tailored training programmes to enhance data analytics and AI skills among staff. This will foster a more data-driven workforce that can effectively leverage technology to improve student experiences.

PJ Hemmaway, Chief Information Officer at The University of Manchester said: “I’m thrilled to be partnering with Multiverse to offer these unique and highly relevant professional development opportunities to our colleagues. Together, we have developed an approach to increase our digital confidence around data and AI which will help us immensely to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.

“Data and AI skills will be critical in the future and I’m eager to see the first cohort of colleagues upskill and learn how to harness the power of innovative technologies for the benefit of our University community and our student experience, as we prepare ourselves for what’s to come.”

Robert Williams, Apprenticeships Programme Manager at The University of Manchester said: “We are excited to join forces with Multiverse to introduce the Data and AI Academy, a dynamic addition to our growing apprenticeship offering at the University of Manchester. This partnership underscores our commitment to supporting staff development and highlights the vital role apprenticeships play in driving personal and professional growth across our institution”

Euan Blair, CEO at Multiverse said: “The University of Manchester is adopting a strategic approach to give its skilled teams more time, enabling them to concentrate on what truly matters. Already recognised as a leading institution for students, this new academy demonstrates its commitment to supporting employees as well.”

Hillingdon Council is launching a new Digital Excellence Academy for 75 staff members, as part of a specialist upskilling drive. The project will help the council execute a new digital strategy to better integrate services and improve quality of life for the community.

By building its digital capabilities, the council is looking to empower colleagues to improve their efficiency with digital and data while utilising these new skills to inform better decisions for residents and enable financial sustainability.

Training is being delivered by Multiverse, a tech company that identifies, closes and prevents skills gaps, through personalised, on-the-job learning. Multiverse has trained more than 16,000 apprentices in AI, data and digital skills since 2016.

Hillingdon Council’s new Digital Excellence Academy will see 75 employees enrol onto programmes such as ‘Data & Insights for Business Decisions’, a Level 3 apprenticeship which covers core technical skills including cleaning, formatting and preparing data. ‘Transformative Leadership’, a Level 5 course, is designed to help employees build strong leadership foundations, manage high-performing teams and drive continuous improvement.

Multiverse’s Skills Intelligence Report found that more than a quarter of local government and council employees’ time spent on data-related tasks could be more efficient if skills were enhanced. Hillingdon Council is ensuring it is ahead of the sector status quo by making significant steps to enhance the digital skills of employees.

Matthew Wallbridge, Chief Operating Officer of Hillingdon Council said:“Our Digital Strategy sets out our vision to embrace technology to be more efficient and make it easier for residents to use council services, including supporting those who are unable to use technology. Upskilling our teams in digital and data is a clear demonstration of our commitment to this, and in driving positive outcomes for our community.”

Multiverse combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone. It works with more than 1,500 organisations to close critical skill gaps in the workforce in AI, data and tech, through a new kind of apprenticeship.

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse, said: “We’re confident that Hillingdon Council’s Excellence Academywill both improve its services and create a culture of continuous learning, driving innovation within the organisation. Staff will be better equipped to understand and use data, leading to more effective and efficient service delivery.”

Leading built environment consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) UK & Europe has launched a Data & AI Transformation Academy, designed to digitally upskill its team and leverage innovative data solutions, providing an enhanced service offering to clients.

Established to reinforce RLB’s positioning as a leader in data-driven construction consultancy by harnessing the power of data analytics and research, this academy plans to offer a continuous learning programme to RLB employees across the UK and Europe. RLB will look to launch additional cohorts every six months to maximise impact for clients in the face of rapidly changing technology.

RLB has partnered with tech leader, Multiverse, which provides personalised, on-the-job learning. RLB’s academy features programmes like the 13-month ‘AI for Business Value’ programme, and the Data Fellowship, a level 4 apprenticeship programme. Learners will gain hands-on training in AI implementation and business intelligence tools, fostering a future-ready, data fluent culture, with apprentices taking part from teams including cost management, sustainability, built asset consultancy and project management.

Matt Sharp, Chief Digital Officer at RLB said: “This academy lays the foundation for transforming the skills of our team and the service offering to our clients. As our business, projects, clients, and industry undergo significant digital and data transformation, it is crucial that we equip our people with the necessary digital and data skills. With more data at our disposal, RLB needs individuals who can unlock its potential and tell compelling stories through data.”

Susan Nelson, Digital Change and Adoption Manager at RLB said: “By launching this programme, we’re building a data-fluent culture. This will drive digital innovation and agility, preparing our team to shape the future of construction and property management consultancy.”

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse said: “RLB is cementing its position as a sector pioneer by equipping employees with vital business efficiency tools. Our research shows that the construction industry struggles with a data skills gap. Closing this will have a profound impact, accelerating project timelines and reducing errors; even helping to better measure and improve the sustainability of building projects.”

Tech company Multiverse, which has recently introduced powerful AI capabilities across its offerings, will launch the AI-Powered Productivity apprenticeship, the UK’s first accredited apprenticeship to fully embed Microsoft 365 Copilot. This program is eligible for public funding via the apprenticeship levy. The skilling of the wider workforce in AI tools is a crucial step to ensuring the productivity benefits are widely felt across the economy.

Research by Multiverse has found that more than half of workers (51%) have received fewer than 5 hours’ training on AI. 63% of tech leaders say the biggest blocker to further AI investment is their teams’ inability to fully use existing AI technology.

The apprenticeship will see learners develop the skills to boost their output at work by using Microsoft 365 Copilot, while understanding the ethical and data protection implications of using AI. It will be delivered using Multiverse’s measured, applied, guided, and equitable approach, which incorporates personalised, on-the-job learning to maximise business impact. The programme is suitable for a wide range of roles and levels of experience.

Launched in 2023, Microsoft 365 Copilot embeds generative AI into Microsoft’s suite of productivity apps – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, OneDrive – to unleash creativity, unlock productivity, and uplevel skills.

Microsoft expanded its skilling program Get On – established in 2020 to empower 1.5 million individuals with tech skills by 2025 – with the added aim of equipping 1 million more people with the AI skills ranging from AI fluency to technical and business transformation.

Microsoft UK CEO, Darren Hardman, said: “To fully capitalise on AI's economic potential and drive growth, we must equip people with the necessary knowledge and tools. By investing in AI skilling, we not only enhance our own capabilities but also drive innovation and productivity across the entire economy.

“The AI-powered Productivity apprenticeship from Multiverse is a great example of a programme that places AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot at the heart of building the skills for the future. We are excited to see the impact of this programme on the future workforce.”

The UK’s first edtech unicorn, Multiverse, is a tech company that identifies, closes and prevents skills gaps, through personalised, on-the-job learning, and is one of the world’s largest apprenticeship providers.

AI-Powered Productivity joins a suite of AI apprenticeships launched by Multiverse, including AI for Business Value and Transformative Leadership, targeted at individuals across every age and every stage of a business.

Multiverse has trained people at 1,500 organisations including the NHS, KPMG, and Capita.

Multiverse CEO, Euan Blair, said: “We know that Gen AI will unlock a surge of productivity in UK businesses, but it requires a combination of the right tools and the right skills to be successful.

“That’s why businesses that want to win in the AI age must make a deliberate effort to upskill and reskill workers with what they need to harness this opportunity. We’re taking market-leading tools like Microsoft Copilot and empowering workers to drive real outcomes using them.

“Not only will it enable businesses to get the best out of AI, but it’ll also set individuals up with the skills to drive their careers for years to come.”

Businesses and organisations can enrol their employees onto the programme, where they will cover modules on AI technologies, prompt engineering, data privacy, and tool utilisation. Participants will learn to measure the impact of AI on their roles, advocate for its use in the workplace, and follow ethical practices.

Employers will be able to fund the programme fully from their Apprenticeship Levy, an additional payroll tax, which is ringfenced for apprenticeship training. The Levy is currently set at 0.5% of an employer’s annual pay bill and applicable to employers with an annual pay bill of over £3 million.

Baroness Lane Fox is a serial entrepreneur and tech leader with three decades of experience - guiding multiple companies to public markets. She now serves as President of the British Chambers of Commerce, Chancellor at The Open University, and co-chair of a new government panel tasked with driving improved adoption of technology in the public sector. In addition, she currently serves on the board at Chanel and previously served on Twitter’s board (now X) for almost 7 years until 2022.

The company has also appointed Jillian Gillespie as Chief Financial Officer. Jillian joins from MongoDB, the developer data platform with a market capitalization of $20 billion, where she was Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations. She led the company through major milestones and international expansion over ten years, from its Series F funding round in 2013 through to IPO in 2017, followed by success as a public company.

Multiverse is a tech company that identifies, closes and prevents skills gaps, through on-the-job learning, apprenticeships programmes, and a personalised AI platform. The appointments come off the back of two consecutive record breaking quarters for the company. In October, the company launched an ‘AI-Powered Productivity’ apprenticeship, the first apprenticeship in the country to fully embed training on Microsoft 365 Copilot. AI training programs now make up 22% of Multiverse’s revenue.

Multiverse's research shows 64% of businesses lack confidence in deploying AI and associated technologies – a skills gap that has become more acute with rapid technological advancement. They also support Multiverse's continued expansion in the United States, where 87% of business leaders believe they have skill gaps. The company already partners with more than 1,500 companies across the US and UK.

Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse: "Multiverse has the capacity to be a generational British tech success story - ensuring people globally can embrace tech with confidence by embedding learning in tech, data, and AI into their daily work. In Martha and Jillian, we're adding two exceptional leaders who understand both the scale of the global skills crisis and how to build and scale transformative solutions. As we expand our footprint with new products and partnerships, their experience in scaling high-growth tech companies will help us seize this moment and reshape how organisations develop talent in the AI era."

Baroness Martha Lane Fox: “The promised gains from technology will never be delivered unless people have the skills to take advantage of them. This is becoming urgent in the boardrooms of every organisation, and Multiverse is perfectly positioned with its model of continuous, applied learning. Across the UK we won’t unlock growth without giving employers access to the skills they need to thrive. The debate about skills reform sorely needs the voice of employers, and I’ll be working to deliver it, alongside companies themselves and learners’’.

Jillian Gillespie, Chief Financial Officer of Multiverse: "I am thrilled to join Multiverse at such a pivotal moment in its journey. What really attracted me is the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented, genuine, and ambitious team in a fast-growing, dynamic, and rewarding business. I firmly believe that applied, on-the-job learning represents the future of workforce development and I look forward to applying my experience to an exciting new challenge.”

Today, the first cohort of learners graduate from tech company Multiverse’s degree apprenticeships. This marks the first time an independent apprenticeship provider has awarded its own undergraduate degrees.

Forming part of Multiverse’s commitment to promoting equitable access to economic opportunity, the graduating cohort from the Advanced Data Fellowship Level 6 programme will be the first of 850 learners on Multiverse’s degree apprenticeship programmes to receive a Multiverse-awarded degree. The National Student Survey from this programme scored higher than all other providers offering the same standard, with an overall satisfaction rating of 89.5%.

With businesses citing data skills gaps as a key barrier to AI success, and half of employees unable to use data to make analysis more efficient or automate processes, degree apprenticeships offer a way for employers to upskill their workforce while solving real business challenges in the face of rapid technological change.

During the programme over half secured promotions, while the whole cohort have benefited from earning a salary and developing valuable real-world experience while they learned. By comparison, 1.8 million people in the UK are currently saddled with more than £50,000 in student debt. Half of Multiverse’s degree apprentices have not previously pursued higher education, and 30% meet one or more markers of socio-economic disadvantage. This demonstrates how apprenticeships can provide a lever for social mobility alongside their outcomes for business value.

Not only have these apprentices boosted their career prospects, they have also driven value for their employers: apprenticeships generate around £28 for every £1 invested. Tangible projects that this cohort of apprentices have completed include building an invoice reading app using the ChatGPT API and developing a dashboard for the new revenue system that reduced the percentage of hotels with a failed stage gate by 16%.

Liam Cottrell, an apprentice at Mars UK, said: “I was Mars’ first digital apprentice and I’ve been amazed at how much I’ve learnt throughout the process. Never thought I’d be able to build my own data pipeline to help with a work project, which I did as part of the data engineering module.”

Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the apprentices graduating today. CEOs tell me time and time again that they learnt their most important skills on the job, so giving learners the opportunity to apply practical skills to real-world projects is key. We set out to deliver degree-level apprenticeships at Multiverse not because of any attachment to the concept of a degree, but because we believed these programmes could deliver real world value that accelerates careers, and delivers value to employers. These apprentices have proved that.”

Multiverse has partnered with more than 1,500 companies across the US and UK including Meta, Citigroup, KPMG, Capita, and Just Eat, with 16,000 apprentices now in its community. Multiverse apprentices have tracked more than £2 billion in return on investment.

Essex County Council (ECC) has launched training for 40 of its staff through a new Data Academy, as part of its ambitious plans to become a data-led organisation.

The goal is to strengthen the organisation’s data capabilities, while boosting productivity and data literacy across teams.

Teaching is being delivered by Multiverse, a tech company delivering high-quality training through applied learning. Multiverse has trained more than 16,000 apprentices in data and digital skills since 2016. According to Multiverse’s Skills Intelligence Report, local government and councils are notably impacted by a lack of data skills, with 26% of employees’ time working with data spent unproductively.

Programmes include ‘Data Insights for Business Decisions’, which equips commissioners working within ECC with the technical skills and knowledge to navigate the data landscape confidently.

The 13-month ‘Data Fellowship’, a Level 4 apprenticeship, will upskill data professionals, while the degree-level ‘Advanced Data Fellowship’ will give graduates the tools to build data analytics capabilities within the organisation and use data to support decision-making.

Staff enrolled in the Academy also have the opportunity to complete a 13-month ‘Business Transformation Fellowship’, which covers key competencies that are most relevant to doing business in the digital age, including defining business objectives, exploring opportunities for digital innovation and adopting agile ways of working.

The Data Academy is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, a UK tax on employers that is used to fund apprenticeship training.

Nicola Mallett, Head of Profession Analytics and Data Science at Essex County Council said: “Essex County Council provides a diverse learning programme designed to help our colleagues confidently engage with data, fostering evidence-based decision-making at every level. By participating in the Data Academy through the Apprenticeship Levy, we are further investing in our workforce, ensuring they understand the purpose and potential of data. This initiative encourages responsible data use, strengthens robust data processes, and promotes collaboration with our partners. Ultimately, it enables us to leverage data insights to enhance social good and improve outcomes for communities across Essex.”

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse said: “Essex County Council will be on the front foot in data-led decision making and process modernisation thanks to the skills they will gain on these apprenticeships. All the while, by developing the skills of its people the Council will enhance their careers and access to the best opportunities.”

Multiverse works with more than 1,500 organisations to close critical skill gaps in the workforce in AI, data and tech, combining work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone.

Thurrock Council has launched training for 30 of its staff through a new Data Academy, as part of its plans to modernise processes and provide better services for residents, while helping deliver savings.

The academy will include staff from key departments of the council, such as Corporate Services, Place, Adults, Public Health, and HR. This initiative aims to foster a culture of data confidence, while supporting critical organisational activities and advancing the broader programme to modernise technologies and transform the delivery of council services.

Skills attained by the cohort will also mean the accuracy of decision making at all levels will be better-informed than ever before, reducing room for error and supporting the ambitious cost-saving drive. Increased accuracy will also mean the upskilled staff can track and surpass goals set during the Council’s era of technological transformation.

Training is being delivered by Multiverse, a tech company delivering high-quality training through applied learning, funded by the apprenticeship levy. Multiverse has trained more than 16,000 apprentices in data and digital skills since 2016.

The Data Academy programmes include ‘Data Insights for Business Decisions’ which will equip the cohort with the technical skills and knowledge to confidently navigate the data landscape and make organisational decisions informed by data.

The 13-month ‘Data Fellowship’, a level-4 apprenticeship, will upskill data-literate colleagues into high-performing analysts and data science professionals, while those completing a 13-month ‘Business Transformation Fellowship’ will learn the skills most relevant to organisational operation in the digital age, including defining objectives, exploring opportunities for digital innovation and adopting agile ways of working.

Dan Fenwick, Executive Director Corporate Services at Thurrock Council said: “By giving specialist learning opportunities for 30 of our colleagues, we’re taking a step forward to maximise the use and value of data improving our ability to make evidence based decisions benefiting Thurrock’s residents.”

Multiverse is a new tech-first institution that combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone. It works with more than 1,500 organisations including 50+ UK councils to close critical skill gaps in the workforce in AI, data and tech, through a new kind of apprenticeship.

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer at Multiverse said: “The data Councils have access to can be crucial to the delivery of essential services that directly impact people's lives. Putting it to use can be transformative. With the launch of this new Data Academy, Thurrock Council is taking a proactive approach to strengthening its future as an organisation, by encouraging a progressive, data-led culture through the training of its dedicated team.”

The programme will include the themes of AI in action, data democratisation and engaging with the customer, and is designed to equip participants from various business functions with advanced, industry-relevant data capabilities. The Data Academy will support Hearst UK’s ongoing journey to understand and super-serve its valued audiences and clients.

The programme will include:

• The Data Fellowship: A 14-month course delivering best-in-class training in data analysis. Apprentices will master data analysis techniques as well as data science, Python and an introduction to machine learning
• AI for Business Value: A 13-month programme, which provides participants with the skills to identify business value gains that can be achieved through using AI, and execute ethical AI projects through best practices in stakeholder engagement and change management

Katie Vanneck-Smith, CEO of Hearst UK, said: “Talent development is core to our business, and this partnership with Multiverse demonstrates our ongoing investment in our people as we continue to build an even stronger data culture here at Hearst UK.”

Multiverse combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone. It works with more than 1,500 organisations to close critical skill gaps in the workforce in AI, data and tech, through a new kind of apprenticeship.

Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning Officer of Multiverse, said: "The effective use of AI and big data have the potential to radically transform organisations. Through this learning initiative, Hearst UK is not only investing in operational efficiency but also enriching the career trajectories of its team members.”

Hearst UK, whose iconic brands include Good Housekeeping, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Country Living, Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Esquire, will run the initiative twice a year.