The £1.4 billion tech firm founded by Tony Blair’s son has been accused of placing young people on ill-suited apprenticeships as part of an ‘aggressive’ push to sign up more learners.
Multiverse, established by the former Prime Minister’s son Euan Blair, uses software to match apprentices with corporate giants such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Pfizer and Net-a-Porter where they can learn while being paid.
It has been recognised as one of the world’s fastest-growing tech firms after being valued at £1.4billion in 2022, with Blair himself owning an almost 19 per cent stake.
But, the firm has recently faced scrutiny after figures revealed only half of its apprentices complete their courses and it is currently being inspected by Ofsted, despite being rated as ‘outstanding’ only five years ago.
Now, in further turmoil for Blair’s business, it has been reported that bosses are co-ordinating an ‘aggressive’ push to sign up large numbers of learners for courses in a bid to fill more seats.
There have reportedly been cases of NHS workers undertaking data focused programmes, while a security guard was supposedly enrolled on an AI course.
A funeral plan consultant also complained that her data apprenticeship was ‘not relevant’ to her role and therefore quit the course as it was taking up time from her ‘busy work schedule’.
Multiverse, set up by the former Prime Minister’s son Euan Blair (pictured) has been accused of placing young people on ill-suited apprenticeships as part of an ‘aggressive’ push to sign up more learners
A secondary school teacher and a parking enforcement CCTV manager were also supposedly studying for data or AI qualifications.
Multiverse has reportedly claimed that role fit criteria are applied to its courses as part of the onboarding process and it was unaware of any case where this had not been implemented.
But a former senior member of Multiverse’s sales team claimed leaders were driving an ‘aggressive’ push to ‘fill seats’ by signing up large numbers of learners.
The ex-employee claimed sales staff were incentivised to maximise the number of people enrolling in courses, adding there was ‘limited downside’ if they eventually dropped out.
They also alleged that concerns about quality and suitability were not ‘meaningfully addressed’, and the company was facing ‘intense pressure’ to grow in line with its market valuation.
In a blog posted on the company’s website earlier today, Euan Blair admitted that the company’s completion rates were too low and he wants them higher.
‘Our highest-level programmes complete at c.70%, our software developer programmes complete above 80%, and our data degree apprenticeship has topped the National Student Survey for satisfaction two years running,’ he pointed out.
Blair added that even those who withdraw form its AI courses, 70 per cent have already ‘generated measurable value for their employer’, adding that a ‘pay rise or promotion during or after the programme is the majority outcome for our learners’.
The posted also highlighted: ‘An NHS worker used data modelling to cut an assessment waiting list from 25 patients to one. A council employee built an AI tool that flags illegal landlord eviction notices on the spot. A retail assistant created a stock-out alert system saving hundreds of thousands in lost revenue.
‘None of them had a computer science degree. None of them were new hires. All of them did this during an apprenticeship.’
Euan Blair co-founded Multiverse, then known as WhiteHat, with friend Sophie Adelman in 2016. Pictured with Multiverse board member and president, Jeremy Duggan (right)
It comes after statistics released by the Department for Education last month show approximately only half of Multiverse’s cohort complete their courses – and other programmes are performing even worse.
The figures, showed the completion rate for Multiverse schemes to be at 52.6 per cent – despite the sector rising overall to 65.4 per cent.
Under current guidance, education providers with an achievement rate of under 50 per cent are classed as ‘at risk.’
If the provider falls significantly below its previous Ofsted rating – which for Multiverse was ‘outstanding’ only five years ago – the Department for Education can intervene.
At present, it is understood that the Department for Education has undertaken audit and assurance work on Multiverse. The company has also been inspected by Ofsted, with a report expected in the coming weeks.
A decade from it was founded in 2016 as WhiteHat, the company is yet to turn a profit, leading some to question the sustainability of its growth model.
And despite revenues rising sharply, it has experienced losses of more than £60 million and a decline in cash reserves.
