What comes to mind when you hear the words Data Scientists or Data Analysts? There has been a growing demand for data science professionals over the last five years. Nearly every industry is re-tooling its strategies to accommodate analytical capabilities, which will keep them ahead of the competition. This justifies the fact that the scramble for data science professionals is not slowing down any time soon.
Unfortunately, there are still not enough people to meet the ranging demand. On the other hand, businesses are not going to wait for 60+ days to recruit for a data science position or enough talent. They must continue to incorporate continuous intelligence to scale up their operations. As such, they may turn to apprentices.
Apprenticeship vs. Learning Data Skills
Despite the current shortage of data science talent, hundreds of organizations invest heavily to tap into what the market is offering; apprenticeships. This is suitable for those trying to learn new skills data science and analytic (DSA) included. Their skills may be inadequate for an organization’s immediate needs, but there are diverse DSA employees ready to grow along with today’s enterprises’ demands.
A majority of DSA jobs require a mixture of business, statistical and interdisciplinary. They can also be categorized into three; data science, data engineering and data analytics, and business intelligence. The good news is that even non-technical skills such as sales and marketing or HR require data science skills. Hence apprenticeship could be work as a defined route for upskilling.
But Boot Camps and Degree Programs for Data Science Talent Are Getting It All Wrong
Data Analyst apprentices are typically taught how to collect, manage, organize, cleanse, abstract, and study a wide range of analytical data. They should understand data structures, database systems, procedures, and the use of analytical tools.
However, the data analytics courses and degree programs created by universities and colleges are not being helpful for new learners. They are typically for master’s students. Additionally, those teaching the courses put more emphasis on research than practical application. Thus, they don’t offer the apprentices the DSA knowledge and toolkits required for entry-level DSA jobs.
