ADEPT introduces Digital Academy to upskill UK local authority teams in data and digital delivery
Funded through the Apprenticeship Levy, the year-long program will support civil service digital goals with training designed for place leadership roles across local government.
Photo credit: ADEPT
A new Digital Academy has been launched by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) to support the development of digital and data skills across local authority teams in the UK. The year-long pilot program is fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy and will begin in autumn 2025.
Targeted at place directors and their teams, the initiative combines technical training, role-specific coaching, and access to a peer learning network. It aligns with the UK government’s Spending Review commitment to increase the number of civil servants working in digital roles to one in ten by 2030.
Partnership model brings together public and private sector delivery
The program is being delivered by Multiverse, a provider of digital and data skills training, with additional support from infrastructure services firm Colas. Local authorities can now register expressions of interest, with introductory webinars scheduled for June 23 and July 10.
Angela Jones, president of ADEPT, says: “ADEPT has developed this new, unique programme that will provide place directors’ teams with the capabilities to lead change, use data more effectively and deliver better outcomes for people and places. The programme reflects the government's commitment to building digital capability across the public sector, as outlined in the recent Spending Review. The ADEPT Digital Academy will play a crucial role in ensuring local authorities have the skilled workforce needed to deliver on the digital transformation agenda. I would like to encourage local authorities to consider how this fully funded opportunity could strengthen their teams' capabilities and better serve their communities in our increasingly digital world.”
Focus on local delivery, from transport to environmental services
The academy builds on previous ADEPT initiatives, including its recently announced Carbon Leadership Programme. Participants will have access to more than 3,000 minutes of training across topics such as data analysis, AI, digital transformation, and risk management.
Claire Davenport, chief operating officer at Multiverse, says: "There's a huge opportunity in the public sector to embrace digital technologies to improve services and increase efficiency. Our work with more than 50 local authorities has proven that there is substantial ambition and appetite among council workers for digital, data and AI upskilling. We're looking forward to working with ADEPT to translate the benefits of new technologies into impact across critical Place services, from local highways to recycling."
David Ogden, executive director at Colas, adds: “Having worked with Multiverse at Colas, we know from experience the huge benefits this programme will bring to develop the data and digital skills of the people and teams who are delivering for their local communities on a daily basis and are delighted to be supporting this new programme from ADEPT.”
