Mars, Incorporated, the multinational confectionery and pet food business, will expand its Data and Digital Apprenticeships offering for staff following a boost in efficiency.
The company began training staff from a range of functions in data and digital skills in 2021, and now will more than double the number of staff on apprenticeships.
The move follows a 16% increase in efficiency reported by apprentices on the existing apprenticeships, and the expansion will aim to encourage innovation, efficiency and opportunities for its people.
19 staff members are currently on programme, with 4 graduated. The expansion will more than double the number of staff that the Data and Digital Apprenticeships are offered to.
The training is delivered by EdTech start-up Multiverse, with apprentices enrolled on one of three programmes. The 13-month Data Literacy programme covers the core technical skills required to transform data into insights, while the 15-month Data Fellowship will give apprentices the skills to clean, analyse and model data, and tell data stories to non-specialists.
Others are enrolled on the Advanced Data Fellowship - a degree-level programme - that empowers apprentices to develop their skills in data analysis and data science.
Research by the UK Government has found that almost a quarter of employees use data skills(opens new window) in their work, yet a shortage of skills in this area is estimated to cost UK businesses £2bn a year. In 2019, one in 10 job vacancies required data expertise(opens new window), while over 100,000 data positions remain unfilled(opens new window).
Multiverse apprentices benefit from personalised coaching with an industry expert and are supported by a thriving community with events, socials, mentoring and leadership programmes designed to exceed the best of the university experience. In 2022, the company announced the closing of a $220 million Series D funding round and now trains over 10,000 tech, leadership and digital apprentices.
Multiverse President, Jeremy Duggan said: “Apprenticeships are simply the best way to deliver new skills at an individual and an institution level. Apprentices at Mars are not only enhancing their career, but they’re also adding measurable value to the business as they grow their competencies in vital skills such as data analysis and visualisation.”
