ASOS extends Data Academy in link with Multiverse

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jul 25, 2022

ASOS has partnered with education technology start-up Multiverse to extend the online fashion retailer’s ‘Data Academy’ and help develop data skills across its business.

Multiverse, which is “on a mission to build an alternative to university and corporate training” has developed its links with ASOS to so far enrol 73 of its employees into the Data Academy,

Funded through the apprenticeship levy, it gives participants the opportunity to develop data skills across three different programmes: a 13-month Data Literacy programme covering the core technical skills required to transform data into insights; a 15-month Data Fellowship, teaching apprentices the skills to clean, analyse and model data, and tell data stories to non-specialists; and The Advanced Data Fellowship – a degree-level programme – which empowers apprentices to develop their skills in data analysis and data science.

Multiverse noted that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is at the heart of the initiative “particularly because, nationally only 18% of today's data science roles are occupied by women, and 11% of data teams don't have any women in them at all”.

As part of its long-running 'Fashion with Integrity programme', the retailer said it's working towards more than 40% female representation in Technology, Product Management and Data Science by 2030 (up from 28% currently), and over 15% ethnic minority representation at combined leadership level by 2023 (currently at 7%).

Notably, 75% of the apprentices enrolled with the ASOS Data Academy are female, and more than 50% identify as an ethnic minority. 

Euan Blair, CEO of Multiverse, added: "ASOS has rightly identified that there are two critical components to being a successful business; ensuring people at every level have a firm grasp on data, and spreading opportunity to talented people from all backgrounds. The extension of their world-class Data Academy, delivered in partnership with Multiverse, addresses both of those challenges.”