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The programmes aim to equip team members from various business functions with advanced, industry-relevant data capabilities.

Programmes will be delivered as apprenticeships, by the tech company Multiverse, and include the Data Fellowship, a 15-month level 4 apprenticeship programme delivering best-in-class training in data analysis. Learners will master data analysis techniques as well as data science, Python and an introduction to machine learning.

The Data & Insights for Business Decisions programme, meanwhile, is a 13-month level 3 apprenticeship course designed to impart both core technical skills required to transform data into insights and softer skills such as building narratives and presenting findings.

These programmes have been launched to equip Hoare Lea’s people from all areas of the business with the skills to make faster, data informed decisions, to create compelling stories using data visualisation and to drive transformative change across the business. The skills developed will benefit Hoare Lea’s clients by helping them to deliver high performance buildings, using data-driven methods to arrive at better outcomes whilst saving time on manual data processes. Through the training, Hoare Lea’s employees will develop the skills to analyse and present data to clients, to identify cost savings and efficiencies that deliver better projects.

Hoare Lea, part of the Tetra Tech High Performance Buildings Group, has pioneered the delivery of data training within the group, and will be joined by employees from technical services firm RPS, also a part of Tetra Tech.

Tom Collins, Digital Director at Hoare Lea, said: “Building a data culture is integral to how we make good decisions, design for net zero carbon, and plan for our future as a business. This training is enabling us to offer our people new skills, build our capabilities and, ultimately, make better use of data. Just as importantly, it gives our people access to some of the most in-demand skills in the workplace today, in turn equipping them to make use of data and AI to create a huge positive impact on building performance for our clients.”

Multiverse is a new tech-first institution that combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone. It offers apprenticeships targeted in areas including software engineering and data analytics.

Noah Stevenson, Vice President GTM at Multiverse, said: "The effective use of data has the potential to radically transform organisations, and Hoare Lea have recognised this potential. Not only is this an investment in operational efficiency and net zero, but it’s also an investment in people: enriching the career trajectories of the team at Hoare Lea.”

Companies use the insights they gain from business analytics to create data-driven strategies. These approaches can improve customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and profitability. Retailers, for example, can use data analytics to predict which products will sell fastest and optimise its supply chain management.

The people who wrangle data to create strategies are Business Data Analysts. Business Data Analysts and professionals with similar titles help companies make sense of data and apply insights strategically. This career path often appeals to people who enjoy solving problems and crunching numbers. But is it the right path for you? Below, we break down everything you need to know about becoming a Business Data Analyst, including responsibilities, skills, and salary. Let’s dive in.

What is business data analytics?

Business data analytics uses software and statistical techniques to interpret data and gain meaningful insights. This process allows organisations to understand their operations better and improve performance. Business analytics also assists with strategic planning and risk management.

Say, for example, a national restaurant brand wants to update its menu. Data analytics allows the company to interpret customer reviews and sales trends to determine which meals and ingredients perform best. Based on these insights, the restaurant can tailor its menu to satisfy customers and boost sales.

Understanding business data analysis

You may have already started to master some of the components of business data analytics. This process involves a few basic steps:

1. Ask a question - Start with a specific question or concern you want to address with data. For instance, you could explore customer trends to discover why your business's sales have declined.
2. Data collection - Identify relevant data sources and gather information. You could survey customers or use data mining techniques to harvest social media posts.
3. Data cleaning and processing - Organise the raw data into a usable format. This often involves transforming data by loading it into an environment optimised for analysis. You’ll also fill in missing data, remove inconsistencies, and correct errors.
4. Data analysis - Apply statistical techniques and software to reveal patterns and correlations in the data set.
5. Data visualisation - Use software to transform the data into easy-to-understand graphics. These visualisations may include charts, graphs, and maps.
6. Data interpretation - Study the results to extract meaningful insights. For instance, you might determine your target audience’s interests have changed, leading to a sales dip.
7. Communicate findings - Share your results with decision makers and recommend the next steps. In this scenario, you might advise developing new services that better align with your consumer base.

Real-world applications of business data analytics

Business data analytics has many practical applications across industries. Here are three case studies that illustrate the value and versatility of this approach.

Tracking Machine Health in Manufacturing

The manufacturer John Deere uses data analytics to improve its customer service and repair machines more effectively.

The company instals advanced telematics software in its construction machinery. The software collects data about different aspects of machine behaviour, including fault codes, fuel consumption, and idle time. This data gets streamed through the cloud to John Deere’s Machine Health Center in Iowa.

Local dealers use this data to diagnose machine problems remotely instead of travelling to construction sites or farms. They can select the necessary parts and repair tools to bring to the service appointment, saving time and reducing trips. Additionally, John Deere uses this information to identify and fix potential manufacturing errors.

These applications allow John Deere to improve its performance over time and provide more efficient service.

Improving patient care in healthcare

Data analytics allows Stanford Medicine Children’s Health to understand and improve the patient experience.

The organisation uses evaluation forms to collect data about patients’ experiences during their hospital stays. Analysts use AI tools to synthesise the information and reveal patterns, such as complaints about staff responsiveness and wait times.

According to Chief Analytics Officer Brendan Watkins, the organisation places these insights “directly into the hands of the folks who can make a difference, make systemic change with this data.” These stakeholders include healthcare providers who can use the information to deliver better patient care.

Boosting productivity in retail

The American grocery chain Kroger has developed two data-driven applications to improve employee productivity.

First, the company created a task management application for Night Crew Managers. This application displays each store’s inventory and merchandise deliveries in real time. It also uses data analytics to optimise employee to-do lists to help them restock stores efficiently.

Additionally, Kroger uses a store management application to streamline store audits. This tool also automatically recommends tasks for employees as they prepare for audits.

Both applications help Kroger associates adapt to changing store conditions and improve the customer experience.

The role of a Business Data Analyst

A Business Data Analyst uses data to solve business problems and identify growth opportunities. They also support decision makers by offering recommendations based on their findings.

The day-to-day responsibilities of these professionals vary by role but typically include these tasks:

• Collect data from a wide range of sources, such as customer feedback forms, financial records, or in-product data from a software application
• Develop databases to organise information
• Process raw data to prepare it for analysis
• Build and train machine learning (ML) models to analyse enormous data sets
• Design predictive models to forecast potential outcomes
• Create data visualisations
• Deliver presentations about their findings
• Collaborate with colleagues in marketing, sales, and other departments
• Learn about the latest advancements and trends in business data analytics

Business Data Analysts wield significant influence in their organisations. Leaders rely on their expertise for a broad range of business decisions, such as:

• Choosing marketing and sales tactics
• Deciding whether to invest in a new venture
• Managing financial resources
• Selecting prototypes to develop into new products
• Scheduling manufacturing equipment for maintenance and replacement

Because Business Data Analysts deliver considerable value, they can earn relatively competitive salaries. According to Glassdoor, the median salary for this career is £38800 per year in the United Kingdom.

Essential skills for Business Data Analysts

You’ll need the right technical and soft skills to thrive in a business data analytics role. If you’re interested in this career path, focus on developing these foundational abilities.

Technical skills

Business Data Analysts rely heavily on technology to interpret data. After all, you wouldn’t get very far if you had to analyse a spreadsheet with thousands of data points by hand. These technical skills will help you manage and process data effectively:

• Structured Query Language (SQL) - This language allows you to organise, manipulate, and search structured databases.
• Programming languages - Use R for exploratory data analysis and data visualisation. Python enables you to automate tasks, clean data, and build ML algorithms.
• Statistical analysis - Understand how to use statistical methods to interpret data. For example, descriptive analytics evaluates historical data to understand events and patterns. Prescriptive analytics uses past and present data to recommend future actions.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and ML - Companies increasingly rely on AI and ML to analyse data and predict future trends. Study foundational ML concepts like clustering algorithms, decision trees, and linear regression. You should also know how to use ML frameworks and libraries like PyTorch and TensorFlow.
• Data visualisation - Transform data into accessible and visually appealing graphics. Popular data visualisation platforms include Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, and Zoho Analytics.
• Reporting - Use business intelligence tools like Qlikview and Sisense to create interactive dashboards and reports for stakeholders.

Soft skills

Data Analysts need strong interpersonal skills to excel in the workplace, including:

• Adaptability - Business analytics evolves quickly, so prepare to embrace new approaches and tools.
• Collaboration - Share ideas and responsibilities with team members from different backgrounds and departments.
• Communication - Express your ideas clearly in conversations, presentations, and written reports. You should also learn to translate complex technical concepts for lay audiences.
• Critical thinking - Evaluate the accuracy of data, identify potential biases in the results, and assess potential recommendations for feasibility.
• Negotiation - Collaborate with multiple stakeholders to develop solutions that meet everyone’s needs.
• Problem-solving - Learn how to approach problems from different angles and devise novel solutions.

Steps to becoming a Business Data Analyst

There’s no universal blueprint to becoming a Business Data Analyst. You can use many resources and strategies to gain the knowledge and skills required for this career. Here are a few common pathways.

Study at university

A university education is a traditional — but not required — educational pathway for Business Analysts. Many colleges and universities offer degrees in business analysis, data science, mathematics, and other relevant fields.

Enrolling in a business data analytics program offers several benefits. A structured curriculum gives you a solid foundation in data management, statistical analysis, and other necessary skills. You’ll also receive feedback and guidance from faculty.

But a university education has a few drawbacks. First, a three-year degree requires a significant investment of time and money. In England and Wales, full-time students pay £9,250 on average annually for tuition, books, and other expenses, according to the BBC. You’ll also need to dedicate extensive time to studying and attending classes. People with full-time jobs, families, and other obligations may struggle to balance their responsibilities with a college education.

Many universities also provide limited hands-on experience. A student reading business data analytics may learn foundational theories but not be able to apply these concepts in the real world. As a result, they may lack the experience and portfolio needed to land a position.

Obtain relevant certifications

Certifications enable you to develop your skills and showcase your abilities to potential employers. Here are a few relevant credentials that could help you prepare for data analytics roles:

• Entry Certificate in Business Analytics (ECBA) - The International Institute of Business Analysis offers this certificate for aspiring and entry-level data professionals. The certification demonstrates foundational competencies in business analysis planning, elicitation and collaboration, and other areas.
• Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) - The Project Management Institute designed this certification for Business Analysts who use data to support projects.
• Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst - The International Qualification Board for Business Analysis offers this foundational certification. It demonstrates proficiency in business modelling and creating business solutions.

Certifications cost much less than the average four-year degree and typically take less than a year to earn. They can accelerate your professional development and prove your commitment to the field to potential employers.

Upskilling

If you’re an established professional, you may already have many skills needed to succeed in business analytics. But everyone has areas for improvement. Thankfully, upskilling can fill any gaps in your knowledge — making you more productive at work and better prepared to advance in your career.

In fact, according to Gartner, 75% of employees who participate in upskilling programs agree it contributes to career progression.

Multiverse’s Advanced Data Fellowship is one of the most effective ways to level up your skills. This free program allows you to immerse yourself in the field of business analytics — all while working for your current employer.

The apprenticeship includes 23 immersive modules that teach you how to make data driven decisions and improve business processes. You’ll also learn data analysis and visualisation skills you can immediately apply in. This fusion of structured learning and hands-on experience will help you grow your career in business analysis.

Gain hands-on experience

Developing practical experience strengthens your skills and gives you a competitive advantage in the job market. Look for opportunities to apply your skills with real data sets.

For example, you could volunteer to analyse customer data for your current employer and recommend ways to improve marketing initiatives. You could also help clients solve business problems as a freelancer or consultant.

As you create projects, assemble them into a digital portfolio. Include a detailed description of each project and highlight their measurable outcomes. Potential employers can review your portfolio to gauge your experience level and skills.

If you’re looking for hand-on projects, Multiverse’s Applied Analytics Accelerator equips you to upskill your data chops while staying in your current role.

Take the next step in your data analytics journey with Multiverse

As a Business Analyst, you play a critical role in business decision making and strategic planning. Your insights can help companies develop cutting-edge innovations, improve customer experiences, reduce costs, and more.

Prepare for a career in this in-demand field with a Multiverse apprenticeship. Apprentices get paid to upskill and gain hands-on experience with real business analytics projects. They also receive one-on-one tailored to their goals.

Tell us about yourself by completing our quick application, and the Multiverse team will get in touch with the next steps.

We launched this tool to be there for apprentices whenever they have questions, with no delays: real-time, personalized, expert support delivered on-demand.

Atlas is our biggest step towards AI-enhanced learning, and the great news is that learners are using Atlas even more than we anticipated, and overwhelmingly finding it a helpful tool to understand course material, overcome challenges, and brainstorm ideas more efficiently. We're also building evidence that these technologies can be particularly useful for meeting the needs of some historically underserved communities, supporting more equitable access to high-quality training and education.

Atlas enabling scale

In a matter of months, 3,600 learners - that’s more than a quarter of our active learners - have asked more than 40,000 questions to Multiverse Atlas. With our bold ambitions to reach 100,000 learners before the end of the decade, it’s hugely important that we have confidence we can deliver personalized learning, at scale, and Atlas is enabling this.

While ensuring adoption was crucial, we wanted to make sure Multiverse Atlas provides genuine value and facilitates better learning outcomes, rather than driving superficial usage.

One of the measures we use to track this is a ‘response helpfulness score’ where we ask all users to say whether they find the responses provided by Atlas useful. The data showed consistently high helpfulness scores, slightly above 91%.

About half of the learners that message Atlas once will become frequent users: they are coming back again and again after seeing the value this on-demand coaching can offer.

Driving real business impact

While hard data is always going to be our guiding star, it’s qualitative feedback that really brings the impact of tools like Atlas to life.

Some highlighted the speed and accessibility as a big advantage. For example, one apprentice said they used Atlas to catch up after a hospital appointment which meant they had missed some sessions. Another said it helped keep them focused, as they could quickly locate answers without navigating through lots of different documents or waiting for a coach to reply.

Others emphasized the benefits of a flexible learning style. One person said they already liked to teach themselves by researching online, so this approach suited them very well. Atlas also allows learners to specify and personalize the type of responses they prefer. A number of users said they found this helpful as it felt harder to do with human coaches.

Ryan, a production controller at an aerospace company and an apprentice on our Data Literacy program, uses Atlas every day to solve functions and macros as he’s working with data. He said: “Whenever I’m stuck on something I can just pop it into Atlas and it works - it seems to be really good at interpreting what I need.

“I used to spend hours on YouTube following it step-by-step and I’d keep rewinding it back to the right bit so I can follow along. It was a really slow process and didn’t always work even then.”

These examples clearly demonstrate how Atlas is fulfilling our vision of blended, guided support that is delivering real impact for our learners and their employers.

Supporting apprentices at every age and every stage of their career

More than 50% of our learners are over the age of 30 on upskilling and reskilling programmes, and we know the benefit apprenticeships can have for those of any age. Any tool that we build cannot simply be there for so-called ‘digital native’ generations, it needs to be accessible and useful to everyone.

Contrary to assumptions that AI is grasped more intuitively by younger digital natives, Atlas has seen the highest adoption among apprentices over 40 years old. More than four in ten (46%) of learners in this age group have used it so far, compared to 31% of users aged 24 and under.

We think this is happening for two reasons. Our main hypothesis is that our younger apprentices are regularly using other AI tools (such as ChatGPT) already, as lots of research has found higher adoption among Gen Z and Millenials. For many of our apprentices over 40, Atlas may therefore be helping to familiarize them with gen-AI tools.

During user research interviews several older apprentices also said they liked the anonymity it provides and allowed them to ask questions they might have been embarrassed to ask otherwise. This is a good example of where Atlas can help remove perceived stigma around knowledge gaps.

The equity imperative

Research and media coverage scrutinizing the risks of AI bias, continually shows how these systems can accidentally reproduce and amplify societal prejudices and inequalities from the real world, while accessibility is often an after-thought. From the outset, we were determined Atlas would be different.

Atlas was designed with a big focus on accessibility - including by following AA level Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - to make it easy to use for those with a variety of disabilities. This included features like keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility. Strong guardrails were also built into Atlas to reduce biases and ensure professional and contextually appropriate responses.

Atlas has seen slightly higher adoption rates among those with additional learning needs. 46% of learners with critical additional learning needs have adopted Atlas so far, compared to 37% with no additional needs. This clearly demonstrates the value of investing in accessibility.

We're also seeing equitable usage across ethnicities, with similar adoption levels for Asian (37%), Multi-racial (36%), and White (41%) apprentices. However, Black apprentice usage is lower at 32%. We believe this can be attributed to the higher Atlas take-up among our older apprenticeship cohorts, which are less ethnically diverse than younger groups. However, we’ll be investigating further to make sure there’s nothing else that could be contributing to the difference.

Gender adoption has been pretty much equal too, with 38% of male apprentices and 40% of female apprentices using Atlas to date. This is significant as a study carried about by the University of Chicago found that “women are about 20 percentage points less likely to use ChatGPT than men in the same occupation”.

A continuously improving, context-aware companion

While we’re encouraged by these initial results, we're just beginning our exploration of Atlas's potential as an AI-powered learning companion.

Our long-term vision is for Atlas to become an advanced, deeply personalized, and context-aware AI coach. Working alongside human coaches it should be capable of supporting apprentices at every step of their journey towards competency, mastery, and career success. We've already making progress and identified where we’ll focus next:

• Continue to closely track user experience data and gather in-depth feedback from apprentices and coaches. Their perspectives matter most in shaping Atlas's future development.
• Make it easier for apprentices to personalize and fine-tune Atlas to their own preferred learning styles through tailored settings and configurations.
• Enhance Atlas with advanced capabilities to provide hyper-contextual support mapped to each learner’s precise journey and progress through their apprenticeship program.
• Integrate Atlas more closely within the workflows of our human coaches teams with auto-suggested tailored content and guidance to facilitate more seamless hybrid human-AI instruction.

We're excited to build a future where everyone can access the personalized learning support they need to enable support upskilling and career growth - regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, wealth, or learning style.

Through AI powered tools like Atlas, we’re also able to do this at even greater scale, helping lots more companies to deliver continuous learning and close their skills gaps as they prepare for the AI-enabled future.

And just as we ask our apprentices to commit to their learning journeys, we'll continue our unwavering commitment to place equity at the heart of our approach to AI in education. We do this because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s needed if we want to close the large skill gaps that exist right across society.

As part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, leaders across the country are seeking to modernise the organisation’s digital and data infrastructure. By making more effective use of data, they aim to better meet patient needs and offer a higher level of personalised care.

Since 2020, Multiverse has partnered with over 40 different NHS bodies – ranging from NHS trusts, to whole integrated care systems like Leeds Health and Care Academy – to launch NHS Data Academies, designed to embed data skills across the workforce, support NHS digital transformation strategies, and improve patient outcomes.

Equipping NHS employees with in-demand data skills

Through the NHS Data Academies, over 500 NHS employees have enrolled on Multiverse data upskilling programmes in the past three years. This includes personnel in clinical, operational, administrative, and IT-related roles – laying the necessary foundations to improve data literacy organisation-wide.

Employees are empowered to upskill, improve their data literacy, and develop digital skills across a range of learning pathways.

Each of the NHS Data Academies share a common set of goals:

• Improving operational efficiency by helping staff improve their confidence and efficiency in handling data. Across the NHS data academies, apprentices have tracked an average time saving of 6.4 hours per week from improving their data skills.
• Enabling data-driven decision-making by extracting actionable insights from complex data sets.
• Supporting improved patient outcomes by leveraging data to provide more personalised care.

During their programme, employees gain new skills through applied learning – using their new skills in real-time, on projects at the front lines of the NHS. It’s this combination that drives measurable impact.

Improving operational efficiencies and patient outcomes at North London Mental Health Partnership

When North London Mental Health Partnership (NLMHP) launched its Digital Academy with Multiverse, it took another stride towards a more efficient way of working. The initiative emphasises the intelligent use of data to drive improvements and efficiencies, by providing employee training to more than 100 staff across every division of NLMHP.

Sarah Wilkins, Chief Digital Information Officer at NLMHP, says, ‘‘Being part of this initiative means understanding of our data and insights will be embedded through the organisation, enabling us to enhance our services and improve patient and service user outcomes.

"Not only will it drive operational efficiency, but it will also serve as a stepping stone in our commitment to professional development for our staff."

With improved digital capabilities, NLMHP aims to help employees become more efficient across a wide range of workflows, including project management, analysis and forecasting. The training aims to make the Partnership more data-driven and productive, ultimately resulting in improvements to patient outcomes and services.

Driving digital transformation at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) helps practitioners and commissioners get the best care to people, fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer. NICE does this by producing useful and usable guidance for health and care practitioners.

NICE had access to plenty of data to help inform their people and services, but wanted to leverage it more effectively, to boost productivity.

Elena Doyle, Associate Director of Data Management at NICE, says, "NICE is on a transformation journey to ensure we’re meeting the changing needs of our nation’s health and care systems. Improving the data and digital skills of our people is an essential part of this transformation.

“That’s why in June 2023, we launched our Data Academy, so we can deliver even more relevant, timely, usable and impactful guidance for our partners.”

At the start of the partnership, Multiverse conducted a skills gap analysis across each division at NICE, which identified the target areas that would see the biggest impact from an upskilling programme.

“To date, 10% of our workforce has joined the Academy, with every directorate represented. This is so we can reach a transformational tipping point,” says Elena.

“We have seen significant productivity improvements, growth in awareness of how to leverage data the right way, as well as better use of tools we have invested in like Power BI.”

Unlock digital transformation with employee upskilling

To learn more about how Multiverse can support your own digital transformation goals through upskilling, get in touch.

What is MVLA?

The Multiverse Leadership Accelerator (MVLA) is a 12-month leadership programme, sponsored by our Founder & CEO Euan, that offers mentorship, sponsorship and coaching to employees on their leadership journey at Multiverse. To be eligible for the programme, employees must meet certain demographic criteria, so that we are developing employees from backgrounds currently underrepresented within our leadership team.

The MVLA was built as part of our strategic approach to creating a more diverse senior leadership team. This initiative is a testament to our belief in the power of diversity to drive innovation, creativity, and success. MVLA fits into our Career mobility strategy as a “Grow” initiative; implementing the infrastructure to foster career mobility.

The story so far:

Now 2 cohorts in, the programme has already begun to yield tangible results. Results that have not only transformed participants' professional trajectories but have also enhanced Multiverse’s culture.

So far we’ve seen:

• Progression: Promotion rates above the company average
• Retention: Attrition rate lower than company average
• Satisfaction: High programme satisfaction scores

Participants have spoken to the power of group coaching, applied learning opportunities, and one-on-one mentoring offered throughout the programme as game changers to their careers, unlocking insight, enhanced skills and added confidence; skills that participants are now passing onto their direct reports and peers.

More than just a programme:

This success is only the beginning. As we continue to support and develop underrepresented individuals through MVLA, we look forward to sharing more successes, more breakthroughs, and more impact. The MVLA is not just about creating leaders; it's about redefining what leadership looks like and ensuring that the path to the top is open to all.

We're inspired by the progress and eager to see what the future holds for MVLA and our other career mobility initiatives planned for FY25.

If you're inspired by our commitment to growth and diversity and wish to be a part of a company that invests genuinely in its people, we would love to have you on board. See open roles.

By 2028, the cloud computing market is expected to reach a record value of $1.24 trillion. As a result, the demand for highly skilled software engineers, capable of developing advanced cloud-based solutions, is set to rise.

Building a software team capable of driving innovation through emerging technologies is a top priority for leaders. But this mission presents talent acquisition challenges – externally hiring and retaining mid-senior level software engineers is a time and capital-consuming process.

Keep reading to learn how upskilling your junior tech workforce can help your organisation to accelerate innovation, unlock productivity, and reduce costs.

We’ll explore some of the key obstacles facing leaders today, and discuss some of the transformational benefits you can expect from building a high-performing software engineering team from within your ranks.

What are the common barriers to building high-performing software engineering teams?

The software engineering job market has seen a turbulent few years, cycling between talent shortages and layoffs. But throughout this, hiring for mid-senior level talent has remained a slow and often expensive process, leaving teams short of crucial expertise.

Leaders want to fill these skills gaps, but they face several barriers to creating high-performing software engineering teams. These include:

• A lack of emerging skills: Software engineers today need the skills to capitalise on emerging new technologies like AI and cloud. With skills gaps in the workforce, many companies struggle to innovate in these fast-moving domains.
• Heavy reliance on junior talent: As we often hear from Multiverse customers, hiring junior software engineering talent is easier. As a result, development teams are often made up of less experienced developers, requiring more time from senior software engineers to provide mentoring and Quality Assurance (QA).
• High demand and limited availability for mid-senior engineers: There’s currently a lack of long-term solutions to the shortage of mid-senior talent, presenting an ongoing challenge for companies, and resulting in a small, overstretched talent pool. Burned out software engineers can struggle to feel motivated and engaged with their progression, leading to retention issues.

Overall, these challenges can result in a productivity decline, a slow speed of innovation, and mounting costs for hiring and retaining skilled developers.

The solution: Upskilling your software engineers

It’s clear that technology and engineering leaders need a new approach to navigate these challenges.

That’s why as demand for skills increases, many organisations are divesting from hiring software engineers externally to upskilling and reskilling their existing workforce. With our data suggesting that 69% of businesses will need different workforce skills to stay competitive by 2030, this comes at an opportune time.

By providing junior software engineers with opportunities to learn, improve their skills, and apply their new training on the job, leaders can increase mid-senior level engineering capacity and address challenges head-on.

The business benefits of a high-performing software engineering team

Upskilling junior software engineers presents an opportunity to deliver financial, talent, and business benefits. These are some of the top advantages:

1. Increased productivity

Upskilling can deliver measurable productivity benefits by increasing the overall capacity of your software engineering team – without adding to headcount.

Offering additional, advanced on-the-job training opportunities can reduce the time it takes to ramp junior talent up to mid-senior productivity levels, as they gain expertise across many engineering disciplines, including cybersecurity, software development, and testing principles.

In turn, output volume and accuracy are increased, with less intervention required from senior engineers, who can focus their time on more complex or strategic priorities.

2. Faster speed of innovation

Upskilling your software development team empowers them to leverage new technologies and drive digital transformation. For example, many programmes explore emerging business applications for cloud, data strategy, and AI.

Equipping your staff with the skills to meet today’s demands paves the way for technology-powered business change in the years to come.

The culture of innovation established with upskilling can also help bring products to market faster, and drive efficiencies through new ways of working.

3. Reduced costs

Our data shows that 76% of leaders plan to increase their spending in upskilling – and it’s an investment that can provide impressive returns. By filling in-demand mid-senior level roles through levelling up existing employees, you can reduce hiring costs that would have been required to source talent externally.

Investing in your employees’ professional development also has proven benefits for retention, saving further costs through reduced attrition. When employers provide opportunities to learn new skills and advance their careers, employees feel more motivated and engaged at work – 93% of leaders report improvements in workforce retention and resilience after launching upskilling initiatives.

Understand the skills gaps in your software engineering team

Upskilling is the key to building high-performing software teams, offering substantial benefits to organisations striving to deliver ambitious software engineering strategies.

It’s particularly useful for teams feeling the pinch on mid-senior level developer capacity, helping transform more junior members of staff into experienced engineers.

What are the key areas to upskill your software engineering teams?

In our eBook, "How to build high-performing software engineering teams", we explore four essential areas to upskill your existing employees and unlock full potential.

Want to learn more? Explore our upskilling courses for software developers.

ERGs are groups created for employees and led by people that share common life experiences or identities. Typically, these groups are comprised of people within communities that have been historically and systemically marginalised.

ERGs provide support and safe space for underrepresented and/or marginalised communities. They help employees in their professional development, increase engagement and retention, and drive towards organisation-wide goals. LGBTQ+ @ Multiverse is a community for those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer as well as nonbinary or anyone who identifies as intersex, pansexual or asexual, as well as allies to this community. Currently 12% of our workforce self-identify as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.

We sat down with Julia Paolillo, a Project Manager based in our New York office and the new LGBTQ+ @ Multiverse Chair, to talk about her new role.

What inspired you to run for Chair of LGBTQ+ @ Multiverse?

Multiverse is the first place I’ve ever worked that has ERGs, and one of the first workplaces where I’ve been fully out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The sense of belonging that I felt as a member of the LGBTQ+ @ Multiverse was so unique and compelling - the perfect mixture of learning, advocacy, and plain old fun. I knew I wanted to do my part in helping the community grow and flourish - and here I am!

What is the main goal of your ERG?

Our mission is to create an inclusive space for all LGBTQ+ Multiversers to create community, and for allies to learn about our community. We uphold this work with three pillars:

• 📣 Awareness - Sharing the richness of our community with others at Multiverse.
• 🌈 Inclusion - Creating a space that is inclusive of the many different identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella... no small feat!
• 🪩 Celebration - Creating both informal and formal spaces in which we can enjoy our culture.

Why do you think the ERG is important?

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I've loved the experience of learning and expanding my mindsets and definitions during the 10 years that I've been publicly "out" (🎉). Constant growth and learning are often hallmarks of the ever-evolving queer community, but far too often the LGBTQ+ world exists in siloes.

LGBTQ+ @ Multiverse can help us break down those siloes, and bring together lesbian women, gay men, bisexual people, trans people, and non-binary or gender nonconforming folks into a space where we learn from each other, support each other in the workplace, and share our unique experiences navigating life and work as members of this community. Additionally, I hope that we can create a truly supportive internal community at Multiverse, I believe there’s also work to be done in promoting awareness about our group to allies within the company.

What are the big plans for the ERG this year?

We’re kicking off with a bang for Pride Month in June! We are co-hosting a networking event in London with the PRISM Network, an apprentice-led group committed to creating space for LGBTQ+ Multiverse Apprentices, past and present.

For the rest of the year, we plan to organise volunteer days across the UK and US, to host external speakers and come together with the other Multiverse ERGs to practice what we preach: that we are stronger and better together.

If our commitment to diversity inspires you and you wish to be a part of a company that invests genuinely in its people, we would love to have you on board. See open roles.

Amidst all these changes, Multiverse hosted author, Bloomberg columnist, and all-round future of work expert, Julia Hobsbawm, for a Q&A to celebrate the launch of her latest book -“Working Assumptions”. Jimmy McLoughlin, the podcast host and former advisor to the UK Prime Minister, hosted the discussion.

From the discussion, we’ve pulled out five of the most important trends that are shaping the future of work today.

1) It’s early days but AI is already augmenting the way we work

While there are fears about AI potentially replacing human workers, the current reality is that it's being used to augment and assist them in diverse areas from research and marketing, to medical diagnostics.

As Hobsbawm shared, "I use a tool called Perplexity daily. Sometimes I have questions where I need the facts at my fingertips, and the answer comes up very clearly. AI is everywhere - I also went to the eye hospital recently and they were using it for patient diagnostics.”

Hobsbawm also discussed how AI capabilities could help upskill and "level up" workers by taking over specific tasks and automating processes to allow more strategic work. But, there were open questions about whether AI could standardise work too much, depress wages for certain roles, or privilege some workers over others in accessing and leveraging these AI tools effectively.

This continues to underscore the importance of learning new skills, particularly for those in roles at risk of automation or those looking to enter the workforce. As AI improves and our ability to use it matures, it will become increasingly important to ensure everyone can take advantage of the opportunities it brings.

2. Continuous skills-based learning is the future

It’s clear that an iterative skill mindset is replacing the ‘one-and-done’ education paradigm.

As Hobsbawm said, "If I was starting over, I would think about constantly developing and evolving my skills. I certainly wouldn't tell someone, if you go to a certain university, or do an MBA, and you're sorted. That's over."

In this new world, we must adopt a mindset of lifelong learning. Whether that’s shifting our workspaces to provide opportunities and cultivate new skills or learning new technical capabilities and enhancing soft skills like communication. Individuals will need to continuously upskill throughout their careers, not just frontload knowledge through degrees or certifications acquired years ago. The shelf life of a static skill set is rapidly diminishing.

3. The importance of equitable reskilling

AI can help level the playing field, because the least skilled and least qualified tend to get better faster using AI. However, there is still a need to translate access to information into applicable skills among different ethnic, socioeconomic, and generational groups.

For example, Hobsbawm highlighted the paradox that although there has never been more equal access to information, those from privileged backgrounds are still better at knowing how to access and use it. Similarly, she said that “class is fantastically important” for shaping attitudes towards safety, security, and risk appetite when it comes to building and maintaining careers.

Networks and mentorship were called out as potential solutions to overcome systems of inequity. “If you put people in an equal space, and you give them time, and you show them interest, and you teach them curiosity, they will learn. They will have that competence. Nobody is inherently better or smarter.”

4. Gen Z represent a new generation of workers with different priorities (for now)

Compared to prior generations, younger generations like Gen Z have very different attitudes toward job security, career paths, and the types of work they find appealing, As Hobsbawm noted, "They want different things. They don't want the kinds of jobs with rigid hierarchies and linear paths. They want good, purposeful work, and they want flexibility. But the symbol of the fancy office building is no longer enough.”

This generational mindset shift is upending traditional office cultures centred on degrees, titles, and ladder-climbing. As a result, companies will need to rethink how they structure jobs, progression, amenities, and their employer branding to attract and retain this new generation.

However, Hobsbawm asked whether this would persist as Gen Z gets older. “What happens when this generation starts to have babies? Are their values going to shift? Are they going to want stability and mortgages? Or will they have swung to this solopreneur and freelancing mindset?”

5. Flexibility is now (almost) universal

The debate about remote work has been fought fiercely, but Hobsbawm was clear in her view that “fully remote doesn’t work, except for a minority of businesses.” However, the good news is that some degree of flexibility to work from home and the office is now offered “almost universally.”

While some remote-work advocates might want the 100% remote world, the shift to more flexible working patterns still marks a significant shift from the pre-pandemic norms. This is forcing a rethink around city economies, commuting patterns, and even home setups, as people want to spend more time living and working from the same place.

The most profound change in a century

"This is the biggest moment in 100 years” - said Hobsbawm. “Technologically, culturally, politically, generationally. We really haven't seen anything like this since Henry Ford brought in automation."

At Multiverse, we can’t predict the future, but we do know that by helping organisations equip their staff with the skills to take advantage of new technology they will be well-placed to navigate the ever-changing work of work, whatever comes their way.

This program underscores the council's commitment to continuous learning and development, preparing its workforce for an increasingly digital future. The initiative is part of the council’s 2024-2026 Technology & Digital Strategy to lead the way in harnessing data and technology to drive its services.

The apprenticeships are delivered by tech company Multiverse and include training in Data and Insights for Business Decisions and Business Transformation.

Dionne Lowndes, Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Southwark Council, said: “As part of our Digital Journey, we are focussed on giving our workforce the skills they need to deliver the ambitions of our newly launched Technology and Digital strategy. Enabling our workforce is key to giving the council the opportunity to use emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, automation and using Data as a key enabler.

Working with Multiverse has allowed us to make this an organisational wide opportunity. We have over 100 Digital Champions in our network who work across the organisation to support others with training and support on new systems. This has given the opportunity for them to become specialists and potentially move into a career within the technology Industry.”

Launched in March, the first cohort of more than 40 have already enrolled on professional apprenticeships, with 80 more set to start over the next 2 months, and continued launches throughout the rest of the year.

The training will be delivered by tech company Multiverse, which has created more than 15,000 apprenticeships in the UK and US. Multiverse apprentices receive access to on-demand coaching, personalised learning, and an active community where they can learn from peers and grow their network.

Alex Varel, CRO at Multiverse, said: “ A councils’ ability to deliver the best services for residents is contingent on having high quality skills in their teams. Southwark Council has recognised this - and through their investment in people they will be able to better serve the people of Southwark in a more data-driven way.”

The demand for highly skilled software engineers is skyrocketing. There are over 113,000 software engineering professionals in the UK, who need to keep their knowledge up-to-date with the latest emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

Companies are crying out for these advanced skillsets, that can help them reap the benefits of new technologies – and there’s an opportunity for individuals who can learn them to access these jobs.

Our original software engineering apprenticeship has helped those at the start of their career to learn the foundational skills to start coding and access well-paid careers at companies like Vodafone and Sky.

Now, we’re bridging the gap between entry-level coding and advanced skills – and creating a route to the best jobs with our latest degree-level programme.

Advanced Software Engineering at Multiverse

Delivered over 2 years, the Advanced Software Engineering programme heightens the knowledge of software engineering and broadens skill sets. Apprentices learn how to drive complex advanced projects in the field of software engineering including cyber security, machine learning and working with the cloud.

The programme includes live coaching, asynchronous learning, and on-the-job learning. Upon completion, apprentices will gain a Multiverse Degree: a Bachelor of Science Degree (Honors) in Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineer).

The first cohort will launch later this year.

Unlocking high-quality careers and business transformation

For individuals, this programme is the key to unlock the best-paid, most prestigious software engineering jobs at companies across industries and across the country. UK workers with advanced digital skills (such as cloud architecture, software development and machine learning) earn 30% more than those with no digital skills.

For companies, upskilling software engineering teams will be key to harnessing the technical innovations that will drive forward their ambitions. Companies and business leaders know that they need to keep investing in technology and improving their products, services, and internal operations in order to remain competitive. But in many cases, too few of the existing employees have the necessary skills required to take advantage of the opportunities presented by AI and other emerging technologies.

But hiring is expensive, and slow. Recruiting a software engineer takes 42 days, and upskilling existing employees is estimated to save businesses as much as £36,000 per employee compared to hiring from outside. Our new programme takes existing talent within an organisation and upskills them to fill in-demand mid-senior level roles.

Our Advanced Software Engineering programme will unlock potential. It will enable individuals to reach high-quality, high-paid jobs in software engineering, while enabling companies to reach their digital transformation objectives by upskilling their teams. And it creates another debt-free route to world-class education and careers.

Transform teams with Multiverse

Want to learn more about how to future-proof your workforce? Explore our upskilling solutions for software engineering teams or get in touch.