As councils face mounting pressures and rapid technological change, Sheffield City Council is investing in its workforce to unlock the power of data and AI. In partnership with Multiverse, the authority’s Data Academy is embedding digital skills across the organisation — delivering measurable savings, stronger insight and better outcomes for residents.

As councils grapple with rising demand, constrained budgets and fast-moving technological change, digital transformation has become as much about people as platforms. That was the central message of a recent webinar hosted by LocalGov.co.uk in partnership with Multiverse, which explored how Sheffield City Council is building the skills it needs to become a truly data-driven organisation.

The session, chaired by LocalGov editor William Eichler, brought together Jo Charlesworth, head of learning at Sheffield City Council, and Pareesa Bina, account director at Multiverse, to discuss ‘Future Sheffield’ – the council’s transformation programme – and the role of its Data Academy in reshaping organisational capability.

From data rich to insight driven

Local government is awash with data. But as many authorities recognise, access alone is not enough. Without the skills and confidence to analyse and apply it effectively, data’s potential remains untapped.

That challenge is particularly acute at a time when digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) promise major productivity gains. Research highlighted during the webinar shows that local government staff spend a significant proportion of their time handling data inefficiently, contributing to slower services and missed opportunities to improve outcomes.

For Sheffield, this realisation was a catalyst for change.

Under its Future Sheffield programme, the council has committed to changing shape and becoming an organisation that is fit for the future. Charlesworth described a council that is ‘data rich – we’ve got it coming out of our ears – but analysis poor’. Decisions that affect residents’ lives demand robust insight, she argued, and that cannot sit solely within a central data team.

‘We need to spread data analysis skills throughout the organisation,’ she said. ‘We have an organisation-wide skills gap, and the Data Academy is the perfect way of addressing that gap.’

Rather than relying on one-off training sessions or external consultants, the council opted for an embedded learning model that integrates skills development into day-to-day roles.

A partnership approach

Multiverse’s Data Academy model is built around apprenticeship-style programmes focused on applied data and AI skills. Bina explained that the company works extensively across the public sector, where the need to digitise and make better use of data is particularly pressing.

In Sheffield’s case, the partnership began with a deep dive into the council’s ambitions and pressures. Leaders were clear: they wanted to improve outcomes for residents while driving efficiency and cost reduction. Crucially, there was cross-council sponsorship for the programme – something Bina said is not always present elsewhere.

‘That enterprise-wide commitment is where you see cultural change happen,’ she noted. ‘We had great champions across the council, and that was reflected in the learners we had on the programme.’

Participants were drawn from a wide range of services and levels of seniority, reinforcing the idea that data capability should not be confined to specialists. The academy, Bina emphasised, is ‘not the end – it’s really just the start’ of a longer-term transformation journey.

Selecting the right learners

For Charlesworth, the strength of the partnership lay in the trust that developed between the council and Multiverse. With limited in-house capacity to run an organisation-wide recruitment process, the provider worked directly with heads of service and directors to identify where the biggest impact could be made.

One key principle guided selection: data did not have to feature in a job title.

‘What we were really clear on is that you needed to be using data regularly,’ Charlesworth said. ‘We have people in business support roles and people in data scientist roles. They needed a willingness to learn and a clear idea of how they could apply it.’

Funding was straightforward. The programme is financed through the Apprenticeship Levy, with the council determined to maximise its use rather than return unspent funds to the Treasury. But Charlesworth stressed that the motivation was not simply to spend levy money – it was to tackle a genuine organisational skills gap.

Early and measurable impact

One of the most striking aspects of Sheffield’s experience has been the speed at which benefits emerged. Within three months, apprentices were already delivering tangible results.

Impacts have included significant time savings, cost reductions and even revenue generation. In one case, a data dashboard is contributing around £1m per year in value. Another learner identified £75,000 in savings. Overall, projects have saved thousands of hours annually across services. ‘These were very, very pleasant surprises,’ Charlesworth said. ‘To see outcomes that quickly was a huge boost for the apprentices and their managers.’

Beyond hard metrics, the academy has improved job satisfaction and confidence, while fostering networks across departments. Staff are learning from one another and applying their skills immediately in live service contexts.

Looking ahead, Charlesworth sees the next frontier as automation and AI. Learning how to create automations, deploy AI tools and even manage AI ‘agents’ alongside human teams will be essential. Equally important, she noted, is the often-overlooked work of designing robust standard operating procedures to underpin efficiency and consistency.

Challenges and lessons learned

Delivering apprenticeship-style learning in a busy local authority is not without its challenges. Bina acknowledged that while the first launch generated enthusiasm, not everyone fully understood the commitment involved.

Keeping excitement high while ensuring clarity at every layer of the organisation proved vital. One major learning was the importance of line manager engagement. In the second launch, information sessions were extended to managers so they could better support learners through demanding periods.

‘Leadership culture really does ensure the success of learners,’ Bina said.

Multiverse measures success not only through qualification completion but through real-world impact. A dedicated customer success team works closely with the council to align projects with organisational priorities – particularly resident outcomes and cost reduction – and reports back quarterly on progress. The council’s communications team then shares these successes internally, helping to build momentum for further learning. For Charlesworth, the partnership has been critical. ‘It’s not like having a provider over there who we hand a group of people to and they send them back with a certificate,’ she said. ‘It’s a real partnership.’

Advice for other councils

So, what should other local authorities take from Sheffield’s experience?

Charlesworth’s advice is simple: start with clarity of purpose. Identify what you want to achieve and define how you will measure success. Do not embark on a programme simply to use up levy funding. Once your objective is clear – whether a data academy, an AI academy or a management programme – commit fully.

Bina recommends bringing the most enthusiastic leaders on board first. Their energy and advocacy can help shape the partnership and accelerate wider buy-in. In Sheffield, once early champions were engaged, interest spread rapidly across the organisation.

As the webinar concluded with a lively Q&A session featuring more than 20 audience questions, one message stood out. Digital tools and AI can unlock major efficiencies and service improvements – but only if councils invest in the skills and confidence of their workforce.

Sheffield’s Data Academy demonstrates that with clear ambition, strong leadership and a genuine partnership approach, workforce upskilling can move from aspiration to measurable impact – embedding digital capability into the everyday fabric of local government.

This article was written with the help of AI.