What is a data apprenticeship really about?

I have always loved numbers and data. The messier the numbers, the better. If you can tidy it up and put some logic to it, you can find some brilliant business outcomes. Data analysis skills are increasingly important for businesses and provide them with a much-needed competitive edge. I joined AXA because I wanted to continue working on all things data, which was a big priority for the company. I was working with data as a part of my role but had always been open to the idea of learning new data skills, which is why I was introduced to Avado’s data apprenticeships.

I like to think I was already quite the expert in excel and that I already had an intermediate level understanding of Power BI when I started the apprenticeship. Still, the entire experience taught me that data analysis is bigger than any one programme. From day one, I learned so many incredible tools, systems and applications like BigML and SAS – all of which I use all the time now. The apprenticeship has opened up my choices and made me more efficient at work throughout the process. This increased efficiency is one of the best outcomes I’ve taken from the whole experience, as it’s improved my knowledge and confidence and taught me new ways to approach my day-to-day work.

Because of the apprenticeship’s approach to learning, I’m now confident I can collect, clean, analyse and present data more efficiently and concisely. I feel confident in teaching others the approaches I’ve learnt. I feel like I have largely benefitted from the programme’s overall structure, including working with a schedule each week to monitor my progress and ensure I was dedicating the number of hours needed to study. At no moment did I feel like managing my learning and work were two separate tasks, which I think is important to note. Working full-time alongside studying might put some people off, and though my workload increased, what I was studying often overlapped with the tasks assigned to me from AXA, meaning they were often in harmony.

Furthermore, the support provided throughout the apprenticeship from tutors was incredible and meant we could ensure there was minimal disruption to our work lives. As each week and month passed within the data academy, I decided to dive back into the reports I had learnt from previously to find a better, cleaner, way to produce them.

As documenting this was a part of the portfolio, I feel the base study provided a wonderful introduction to the basics of data analysis. Much of my development came from revisiting tasks I had done previously and reworking them with the information. It has been reinforced in my mind that there are always new and improved ways of working with data, which is why I’m still so excited by it.

It was an incredible experience, and after I completed the apprenticeship, I reworked even more internal reports on behalf of AXA across the delivery office. I have created dashboards for the CIO and the senior leadership team, and it’s great to know I am applying the skills I have learnt to the business and seeing first-hand that they are having a positive impact on others.

By Susie Worthington, Senior Delivery Office Analyst at AXA and Data Science Graduate at Avado