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talent 23, a year of talent and skills

a year of talent and skills

Sheffield City Council set to upskill 150 staff in new Data Academy

The Council has announced a new training initiative to improve productivity and enhance services to residents.

Sheffield City Council is investing in a strategic upskilling initiative for 150 of its team, allowing the organisation to leverage technology to improve operational performance and resident experience. As well as enabling the Council to maximise the value of data, this move will also contribute to the pool of digital skills in our city. Read on for more details from the press release, plus some thoughts from Sheffield Digital Director, Mel Kanarek.

The Data Academy will contribute to the Council’s Future Sheffield initiative, providing staff with enhanced digital skills to modernise processes and improve efficiencies. This will allow the Council to focus more time on providing services to Sheffield residents while making the organisation more cost-effective.

Funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, training is being delivered by Multiverse, a tech company that identifies, closes and prevents skills gaps, through personalised, on-the-job learning. The company has trained more than 20,000 apprentices in AI, data and digital skills since 2016.

The Sheffield City Council cohort will embark on a range of courses, including ‘Data & Insights for Business Decisions’, a level 3 apprenticeship, and ‘Data Fellowship’, a level 4 programme. Once completed, colleagues will be able to conduct data-led projects and encourage data driven decision making, to unlock cost saving opportunities.

The Multiverse Skills Intelligence Report, released in August 2024, highlighted a significant challenge faced by local governments and councils due to a lack of data skills. This shortfall leads to 26% of employees’ time spent on data-related tasks being unproductive. The new academy demonstrates how Sheffield City Council is taking action to reduce the skills gap.

Cllr Fran Belbin, Deputy Leader at Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Future Sheffield Members Working Group, said: “The launch of this 150-strong Academy not only marks a commitment to our colleagues’ professional development, but also to our local community. As we seek to enhance operations and reduce time spent with data, we can focus on what matters – providing residents with the highest quality service.”

Mel Kanarek, Sheffield Digital Co-founder and Director commented: “The Council is setting a great example for other large organisations in Sheffield. Data is a vital ingredient in our society, but many organisations lack the skills and understanding to maximise its value. It makes sound economic sense to invest in those skills and, through this initiative, the Council will also be adding to the pool of talent in the city.”

You can read more about the Future Sheffield plan here.