As part of the University of Bristol’s Jean Golding Institute Data Week 2019, Engine Shed hosted a Dive into Data event, for University of Bristol and local school students interested in working in data on Monday 20th May. It was run in collaboration with Data Recruitment experts ADLIB recruitment.
The event was an opportunity for young people to hear from speakers, including Bank of Ireland UK Analytics Enablement Manager, Daniel Keast, Co-Founder of Qflow and University of Bristol alumnus, Brittany Harris, AI Technology Consultant, Rob Griffith and Technology Consultant Ni Zhu from BJSS, and Helen Tanner of Data Cubed Ltd, a SETsquared Bristol company who work from Engine Shed. The line up of tech and data experts shared their career journeys and experiences.
The talks were followed by a workshop with Engine Shed partner, Geovation, in which students discovered the different components that make up an image and the tools used to analyse imagery. Geovation is the innovation arm of Ordnance Survey, and the initiative accelerates early stage businesses who have a Location or Property focus. Combining Geovation thinking with Ordnance Survey data, the students learned how to use open-source Python software to derive information on the health of vegetation, from an aerial image.
Engine Shed Partnerships Manager, Lorraine Fairbanks, said:
“We are committed to working with young people from local schools and universities to inform and inspire around the career paths available to them. Data is a fast-growing industry, and there are a number of hard and soft skills that young people will need to develop if they hope to follow this path. We’re pleased to be hosting the ‘Dive into Data’ workshop as part of the University of Bristol’s Data Week 2019, offering students exclusive access to data experts and their journeys.”
Students left with an increased knowledge of the responsibilities of data professionals, what a ‘typical day’ working in data entails, the top skills needed to follow a career in data, and the most exciting ways in which this career path goes above and beyond ‘just data’. Tips were to access online courses if you wanted to learn new skills, contact the universities for competitions they run that might give you access to some experts from the Jean Golding Institute and their partnership with the Alan Turing Institute and, if you setup a business trying to solve a challenge but don’t have the skills, hire people that do to support your growth.
Scott Rogers, Recruitment Consultant -Data Engineering & Development at ADLIB: “The ADLIB Data recruitment team’s mission beyond recruitment is to change the misconception what it takes to break into and build a long-term career in data. Specifically, we feature the different backgrounds that can lead to a career in data. We share real life examples of how to get into fields such as Digital Analytics, Data Science, Marketing Analytics, Data Engineering , Data Analysis and Data Visualisation, whilst showcasing real life examples of the career paths that have unfolded. We hope that this will make a real impact, to clear some myths and assumptions, in turn building confidence across a wider audience that a career in data may be for them. “
Data Week is a week-long series of workshops, talks, and events run by the University of Bristol to inspire students around data science and data-intensive research, and careers in these fields. Subjects covered in Data Week include Python, open data, reproducible research, data analysis, live coding, and deep learning.
To find out more about Engine Shed’s work with young people, inspiring them around future careers, and the opportunities available in the tech, creative, and digital industries, visit ours Projects page.