Keele University has partnered with tech company Multiverse as part of a drive to increase efficiency and performance in a push for industry-leading professional services.
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 in data and digital skills since 2016.
Enrolled employees have been assessed on their suitability for five of Multiverse’s programmes, with an assessment carried out for each person based on existing skill level, seniority and role within the university.
Programmes include the 13-month ‘AI for Business Value’ level 4 apprenticeship, which will help learners to identify business value gains that can be achieved through using AI and how to execute AI projects responsibly.
The Data Fellowship (standard or advanced) will upskill employees in data analysis and data science, while the Business Transformation Fellowship will help Keele University to deliver strategic initiatives with an agile mindset and drive change in an evolving digital workplace.
In addition to establishing a culture of AI and data literacy across the university, Keele hopes support its future strategy through the automation of manual processes and the use of newfound skills to identify cost-and-time-saving opportunities.
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.
Tom Wilcock, Director of Transformation for Professional Services at Keele University, said: “Keele University is always looking to invest in enriching initiatives that improve our students’ experience. The new partnership with Multiverse will allow us to do just that by upskilling over 50 of our exceptional professional services personnel.”
Multiverse is a tech-first institution that combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunities 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: "Our recent report shows that education is the hardest hit sector when it comes to the data skills gap. Keele University’s investment in AI and data training will close this gap, empowering staff with key skills to deliver the best outcomes for Keele and its students.”
