Apple has announced a new $50 million “Supplier Employee Development Fund,” which it says will help “support expanded initiatives for people across its supply chain. As part of this announcement, Apple says it is teaming up with the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and education experts.
Apple made the announcement in a press release on Wednesday morning. The company explains that the $50 million fund will “expand access to learning opportunities and skills development” for members of its supply chain. The press release explains:
This $50 million investment will include new education initiatives for “leadership training and technical certifications to classes on coding, robotics, and advanced manufacturing fundamentals, including green manufacturing.”
As part of the new $50 million commitment, and building on Apple’s long history in the space, the company is working alongside supply chain partners to amplify worker voice. That includes supporting the worker rights programs created by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for people in the electronics sector, and the work the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is doing to expand rights trainings and scale its industry-leading responsible labor recruitment tools.
With the IOM and the ILO, Apple will also expand this work to create new programs and trainings to ensure workers are part of environments where safety, respect, and growth are part of the codes of conduct.
Apple has also released its 16th annual “People and Environment” supply chain report, which includes additional details on “how Apple and its suppliers are supporting people across the company’s supply chain, transitioning to clean energy, and investing in cutting-edge technologies.”
You can find Apple’s full Newsroom post announcing this new initiative on its website.
