Digital Academy - FAQs

The ADEPT Digital Academy, supported by Colas and delivered by Multiverse is a bespoke learning programme designed to accelerate digital and data skills across local authorities and is fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy.

The ADEPT Digital Academy will equip place directors and their teams with the capabilities to lead change, use data more effectively and deliver better outcomes for people and places. 

A fully funded programme, it combines hands-on, role-relevant training with expert coaching and community learning to respond directly to the challenges and opportunities that Place Directors are facing – from climate action and infrastructure to inclusive growth and digital delivery.

The ADEPT Digital Academy has been developed in partnership with Colas and will be delivered by Multiverse, the leading provider of applied digital and data skills. The programme is fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy and a year-long pilot programme commenced in Autumn 2025.

It has been specifically designed to meet the needs of place directors’ teams in local authorities and will respond directly to the challenges and opportunities in place leadership, from climate action and infrastructure to inclusive growth and digital delivery. The initiative supports the government's digital transformation agenda, which commits to one in ten civil servants working in digital roles by 2030, as announced in Spending Review 2025.

Multiverse is an ed-tech company that aims to address the global skills gap by providing applied learning in critical areas like AI, data and tech. Our role is to not only work with organisations to improve their digital and technical skills, but also to drive meaningful business impact using that new capability.

To accomplish that, we’ve designed a best-in-class learning experience that leverages leading technology, expert coaching, and personalised, role based projects to equip you with the skills you need most today and in the future and to transform your current ways of working. 

Colas is a subsidiary of the Bouygues Group, has one mission: to imagine, build and maintain sustainable transport infrastructure. Backed by a network of 1,000 construction business units and 3,000 material production units in more than 50 countries on five continents, the Group’s 65,000 employees act locally to connect communities and foster exchanges for today and tomorrow. Colas’ ambition is to be the world leader in innovative, sustainable mobility solutions. 

Applications for the Autumn 2025 cohort are now closed.

To express your interest in participating in a future cohort please complete the application form/s below:

Data Fellowship (Level 4)

Data Insights for Business Decisions (Level 3)

• You have lived in the UK/EEA for the last 3+ years.
• You work at least 28 hours per week and spend 50% of your time working in England.
• You don't have a formal qualification or extensive experience in this specific discipline.
• You’re not currently enrolled in another apprenticeship or have any other qualification that uses government funds.

There are no limits on the number of participants, but we advise speaking with your apprenticeship team and Multiverse ahead of committing people to the programme

This programme will run as an ADEPT cohort, made up exclusively of place services employees from local authorities across England. That means you’ll be learning alongside peers tackling similar challenges, with opportunities to collaborate and share best practice.

In addition, Multiverse is the only education provider rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in all four categories and currently delivers over 60% of data apprenticeships in the UK.

Participants gain proficiency in tools like Excel, Power BI and Tableau, alongside critical skills in data analysis, visualisation, storytelling and data-driven decision-making. 

The Level 4 programme (Data Fellowship) also includes machine learning, and advanced analytics.

• All sessions take place online. Apprentices engage with online content at their own pace to build foundational skills for each module. 
• There are also live, interactive sessions led by instructors in small groups. These sessions dive deeper into and reinforce the asynchronous content.
• Apprentices receive personalised 1-to-1 coaching from industry experts, as well as opportunities for group and peer support.
• A significant portion of the learning is applied directly to the apprentice's day-to-day role. This includes structured tasks and independent application of learning to their existing activities.

The programmes are set to begin in September and will last between 13 and 14 months.

On average you will be spending three hours a week learning new skills and three hours applying those new skills into your role. This equates to the six hours per week off the job training requirement. 

Costs are between £12,000-£15,000 

The programmes are fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, making it a cost-free opportunity. 

• Dedicated 1-to-1 coaching.
• Live group learning sessions and workshops.
• Comprehensive learning platform (My Multiverse/Atlas).
• Applied learning and work-based projects.
• Support hub and chatbot.
• Additional learning needs (ALN) support.

Yes – you’ll work on applied projects throughout the programme that relate directly to your role. The final End Point Assessment takes place after the programme ends, where you’ll present one of your key projects to an independent assessor. You can find more info here.

This is a professional apprenticeship, meaning all work is applied directly to your current role. Multiverse or ADEPT will not own or retain your data – everything you use will remain within your organisation’s systems and relate to your day-to-day activities.

If you have any questions, please contact Oliver at Multiverse: [email protected]