AVADO Data Academy and the University of Buckingham launch new Data Science Masters Degree Apprenticeship

Digital learning specialist AVADO have teamed up with the University of Buckingham, home of the two-year degree, to release an exciting new Data Science Masters Degree Apprenticeship, designed to remedy the UK’s shortage of data scientists amongst the workforce.

The new qualification is an offering from AVADO’s new Data Academy which aims to help businesses solve their data talent challenges. The Academy can transform data capabilities across all skill levels with programs either fully funded for levy payers or 90% funded for all other organisations. The Data Science Masters Degree Apprenticeship is just one of the programs on offer.

Data is playing a bigger role in the way businesses operate, with the term ‘data science’ seeing a 1150% increase in search traffic in the last decade. Data scientists are in short supply, with demand predicted to soar 28% by 2020. However, finding the requisite talent is both tricky and costly, resulting in the European Commission warning that 346,000 more data scientists are needed by 2020.

Data scientists, employed to analyse and interpret complex digital data, are few and far between. Not only are the well qualified hard to come by, but sometimes the deep technical experts too often lack the ability to communicate, spot commercial opportunities or affect change.

Launched by the Government, Degree Apprenticeships fuse both higher education and vocational learning together to develop skills and knowledge specifically for careers. In this case, in 18 months, across nine modules with up to eight hours a week contact time, whether you’re an existing employee or a new recruit you can achieve a fully accredited Masters qualification in data science with business context.

What differentiates this course from a traditional data science course, is the combination of technical skills required for complex data science with the development of a business focused, entrepreneurial mindset. This includes teaching data students how to best communicate their value to internal stakeholders that are less technically minded, as well as how to identify commercially valuable areas within a business where they can best offer support.

Business focused modules include Sales, Marketing & Negotiation, Finance, Product Management, Communication & Presentation, as well as a Business Strategy project. From a data science perspective, these include Machine Learning, AI, Big Data, Algorithms, Visualisation and Statistics.

Dr Harin Sellahewa, Interim Dean of Computing said: “Artificial Intelligence and Data is one of the first Four Grand Challenges set out by Industrial Strategy to put the UK at the forefront of technological change. At the University of Buckingham we’re at the heart of cutting edge research in AI and Data Science and we’re extremely excited to begin our partnership with AVADO to deliver the new Data Science Masters Degree Apprenticeship.”

The course launched in early 2019 and details can be found on the University of Buckingham website.

Phil Hullah, Deputy Chairman, AVADO:

“AVADO are delighted to deliver this new qualification in partnership with the University of Buckingham, the pioneers of the 2 year degree. Our Data Science Masters Degree Apprenticeship, one of many innovative courses on offer within The Data Academy, not only boasts practical skills akin to a traditional data science course, but crucially offers technical skills transferable to business. In a world where data knowledge is becoming increasingly expected on a CV, with businesses desperate to upskill in order not to get left behind, this innovative combined qualification looks to help tackle the UK’s shortage head on”