SAN FRANCISCO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Apple Wednesday announced a 50 million U.S. dollars Supplier Employee Development Fund to expand access to learning opportunities and skills development.

       Working alongside supply chain partners, the fund also includes new and expanded partnerships with rights advocates, universities, and nonprofits to drive Apple's ongoing work to empower supplier employees and drive improvements in knowledge of and respect for workplace rights across industries, the announcement said.

       To date, Apple's supplier employee educational programming has reached more than 5 million people. With the launch of the Supplier Employee Development Fund, Apple is expanding the scope of these offerings, with new educational resources for people in its supply chain and the surrounding communities to develop the skills necessary for the jobs of today and tomorrow, according to the company.

       "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.

       The new education initiatives will make training and coursework available to supplier employees around the world, with programming initially available in China, the United States, India, and Vietnam, Isabel Ge Mahe, Apple's vice president and managing director of Greater China, told Xinhua.

       By 2023, Apple expects more than 100,000 supplier employees to participate in new learning opportunities from leadership training and technical certifications to classes on coding, robotics, and advanced manufacturing fundamentals, including green manufacturing, she added.

       Apple also released its 16th annual People and Environment in Our Supply Chain Report, which provides a comprehensive account of how Apple and its suppliers are supporting people across the company's supply chain, and transitioning to clean energy.