Apprenticeship Overview

A work-based learning programme for employees in any sector that uses data for business decisions. Data analysts may work in departments like finance, sales, HR, or marketing, across public or private sectors, including retail, banking, media, and local government.

Their main role is to use data to answer questions and solve problems, involving requirement gathering, inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modelling data. This helps in making evidence-based decisions and improving organisational efficiency.

Data analysts may analyse social media trends, sales figures, staff retention rates, or hospital wait times. They interact with internal and external clients, usually working office hours. They ensure data compliance and stay updated on industry trends, tools, and software.

Apprentices must achieve Level 2 English and maths before the End-Point Assessment. Those with an education, health, and care plan or a legacy statement need Entry Level 3. British Sign Language can replace English for those using BSL as their primary language.

DEVELOPING CORE KNOWLEDGE:

• Understand current legislation, organisational security standards, and data policies. Learn data lifecycle principles, including routine analysis steps, and the differences between structured and unstructured data.
• Know the fundamentals of data structures and database systems. Grasp the principles of user experience, data quality risks, and customer requirements for analysis. Familiarise yourself with tools and methods for data analysis and organisational data architecture.
• Study principles of statistics, descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. Understand the ethical considerations in data use and collation, and approaches to combining data from different sources.

DEVELOPING CORE SKILLS:

• Use data systems securely, following organisational procedures and legislation, including Privacy by Design. Implement stages of the data analysis lifecycle and apply data classification principles. Analyse data sets considering various data structures and database designs.
• Assess user experience impacts, escalate data quality risks with mitigation suggestions, and analyse customer requirements for data planning. Identify data sources, assess risks in combining them, and apply organisational architecture and statistical methodologies.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, using appropriate communication styles. Use techniques like data mining and forecasting to identify trends. Interpret data into visual formats and select suitable tools for optimal outcomes.

DEVELOPING CORE BEHAVIOURS:

• Maintain a productive, professional, and secure working environment. Show initiative and resourcefulness in solving problems within your remit.
• Work both independently and collaboratively. Quickly identify issues, investigate complex problems, and apply appropriate solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Be resilient, viewing obstacles as challenges and learning from failures. Adapt to changing project contexts, organisational direction, or data analysis requirements.

*The End Point Assessment duration for this Apprenticeship is 3 months