At the recent DATA:Scotland conference I gave a talk on how we, as a community of data professionals, can encourage more young people in Scotland into a career in data. It’s something I am passionate about and it is a big part of my work.
There are a growing number of opportunities to work in this exciting space and I’d like to see more young people being made aware of these opportunities and taking them up. We have an education system which has the potential to support young people in developing their data skills; skills which they will require to be active citizens, informed consumers and skilled workers. This work has only just begun.
Here at effini, we’re playing our part by creating educational resources that educators and learners can use to develop data science skills. These lesson resources, which are free-to-use and can be found here, are designed to help teach the NPA for Data Science here in Scotland and allow learners today to get skills needed in the modern world. I’m delighted to be involved in this work, because as an experienced teacher, I know how important it is for learning to be engaging, interesting and relevant. I want the learners who use our resources to enjoy learning about data and consider taking up a career in this area, and to encourage a more diverse group of young people to get interested in it.
It was great to get so much positive feedback during and after my talk at the conference, where I was able to share examples of some of the good work that’s going on in the Scottish education system, and where there was recognition that there is still lots to do.
Our work at effini is key if we want Scotland to become a world wide leader on data. Investing in this area will bring long term benefits for business and citizens alike, and continued support from organisations to fund these activities is critical.
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