More than 5,000 apprentices at charities and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) could be trained free of charge in the next twelve months.
Employment company Multiverse will be offering the apprenticeship training in technical skills such as data analytics and digital marketing.
The news comes at a time when technology is becoming even more crucial to charities, as the pandemic has caused a rise in hybrid and remote fundraising.
Indeed, in March Gemma Sherrington, executive director of fundraiser and marketing at Save the Children, told delegates at Fundraising Live that the charity’s supporters “demand that we are brilliant at digital”.
£30m of levy funding available
The money has been made available via the apprenticeship levy, a charge introduced by the government in 2017. It ensured companies with a payroll of more than £3m paid 0.5% of an employer’s pay bill to the levy.
Multiverse’s £30m of levy funds has come from its partnerships with companies like Morgan Stanley, Amazon and Deloitte.
Secretary of state for apprenticeships and skills, Alex Burghart, said: “Apprentices are at the forefront of our skills revolution, driving cutting edge industries such as tech or data analytics. It is exactly these kinds of partnerships between businesses that are helping to deliver better options for learners, and to create a skilled workforce which meets the needs of the economy.”
This is why the government introduced the levy, Burghart said.
He continued: “Multiverse is helping to lead this push and I look forward to hearing the success stories these 5,000 apprentices will undoubtedly produce.”
Through its partnership with Deloitte, Multiverse has already delivered training to over 200 individuals across 60 organisations.
Emma Cox, managing partner of Deloitte Private, said: "Through working with Multiverse, we can ensure that a wider selection of businesses and workers across the UK benefit from upskilling. Not only will this ultimately help close the digital skills gap, it will also improve diversity across the UK technology industry."
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