Apple announces $50 million development fund, with over 100,000 employees participating

Author: Ma Shiqian

On March 31, it was reported that Apple announced the launch of a $50 million "Supplier Employee Development Fund."

After the launch of the new fund, Apple will significantly increase its investment in education projects. The new education program will provide training and courses for employees of suppliers around the world. It will initially be launched in the United States, China, India and Vietnam. Apple expects more than 100,000 supplier employees to participate by the end of 2023. The content covers leadership training and technical certification, programming, robotics and advanced manufacturing basics.

To provide broader opportunities for workers in its supply chain, Apple is also working with the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and education experts around the world.

The Supplier Employee Development Fund also includes partnerships with leading rights advocates, renowned universities and non-profit organizations to strengthen the capabilities of employees in the supply chain and further advance Apple-related work projects.

At the same time, the "Supplier Employee Development Fund" also involves the scope of rights of employees in the supply chain: Apple and its supply chain partners have pledged to support the workers' rights guidelines developed by the International Labor Organization for the electronics industry to protect the rights of supply chain employees.

“We’re proud to announce that everything we do is grounded in human principles and is accelerating our progress to expand opportunities for people across our supply chain,” said Sarah Chandler, Apple’s senior director of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation. “We’ll also continue to drive new innovations to advance progress for people and the planet, working with rights advocates and education leaders.”

In addition, Apple also released its 16th annual "People and Environment in the Supply Chain Report", which comprehensively details how Apple and its suppliers support employees in the supply chain, transition to clean energy, and invest in cutting-edge technologies.

As part of its Supplier Code of Conduct, Apple requires all suppliers to provide training to their employees on relevant workplace rights.

Apple will then work with the IOM and ILO (UN agencies that advocate for workers’ rights) to increase rights training, which will include creating new programs and employee feedback mechanisms to ensure people throughout the supply chain have a safe and respectful working environment.

Apple will also create new collaborations with labor rights groups and experts, and UN agencies, including:

• Expanded new partnership with international labor rights organizations to protect fundamental labor rights in the electronics supply chain.

• Expanding best-in-class digital worker rights training programs across Apple’s supply chain.

• Expanding the partnership with IOM to extend the program developed with IOM to Apple’s entire supply chain, the program will be open to companies across a wide range of industries.

• Develop a communication platform to increase awareness of an existing independent worker hotline for supplier employees to share feedback or concerns about their workplace.