Inside Apple's Internal Training Program

The New York Times has posted a profile of 'Apple University', the company's internal training program that introduces employees to Apple's business culture and educates them about its history.

Steve Jobs created the program back in 2008. It's highly secretive and rarely written about. Employees are discouraged from talking about it, no pictures have ever surfaced, and Apple refuses to make instructors available to discuss the training.

'Apple University' is run year round. The program was designed by Joel Podolny, formerly the dean of the Yale School of Management. Faculty members come from various universities including Yale, Harvard, the University of California, Berkeley, M.I.T., and Stanford.


Employee can use an internal website to sign up for courses tailored to their position or background. Three employees agreed to talk to the NYT anonymously about their experiences.

The classes are taught on Apple’s campus in a section of buildings called City Center and are as thoughtfully planned as an Apple product, the employees said. The rooms are well lit and built in a trapezoid shape; seats in the back rows are elevated so that everyone has a clear view of the instructor. Occasionally, classes are given in Apple’s overseas offices, like one in China, and the professors travel there to teach. Randy Nelson, who came from the animation studio Pixar, co-founded by Mr. Jobs, is one of the teachers of “Communicating at Apple.” This course, open to various levels of employees, focuses on clear communication, not just for making products intuitive, but also for sharing ideas with peers and marketing products.

If you are interested in learning more about Apple University, the full profile can be found at the link below.

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