Words by Smiley Team
Apple is committed to investing in developing the opportunities and skills development for their workers – so much so, it has invested $50m (that's nearly £40m) into the cause.
It's called the 'Supplier Employee Development Fund' and will expand access to learning opportunities and skills development. The fund also includes partnerships with leading rights advocates, universities, and nonprofits to drive Apple’s ongoing work to empower employees and drive improvements in knowledge of and respect for workplace rights across industries.
“We put people first in everything that we do, and we’re proud to announce a new commitment to accelerate our progress and provide even more opportunities for people across our supply chain,” said Sarah Chandler, Apple’s senior director of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation.
“Together with rights advocates and education leaders, we are continuing to drive new innovation to support people and the planet.”
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As part of the $50 million commitment, 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.
“At IOM, we understand that supply chain responsibility is complex, and must be driven by innovation, results, and partnerships,” said Amy Pope, IOM’s deputy director general for Management and Reform.
“Improving people’s lives must be at its core. The IOM and Apple partnership has proven results in Apple’s own supply chain and paves the way for others in the industry to follow. To effect real change, we need global collaboration that engages workers, NGOs, government, and industry. Apple’s new commitments will have tangible, meaningful benefits for workers around the world.”
Follow more news about companies giving back to people and the planet on LinkedIn.
