First of 850 Multiverse degree apprentices from companies including Capita, Mars UK and IHG Hotels and Resorts graduate with a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions (Data Analytics).
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.(opens new window) 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(opens new window). 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.
