The art(s) of data science:
ADVOCATING FOR STORYTELLERS IN ANALYTICS
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e live in a business world that has never been as flush with data as it is today. 97% of organisations are now investing in big data and AI, with 95% citing the need to manage unstructured data as a problem for their business, according to TechJury. There’s so much data coming at businesses so quickly that most aren’t ready to handle it effectively yet. Making the most of this wealth of information isn’t just about having the right tools, but the right people. Data scientists are the specialists capable of taking billions of bytes of structured and unstructured data and creating concise, tangible business insights, weaving them into a compelling narrative that can have a real impact on the bottom line of any business. This has made the role of a data scientist one of the most in-demand of any sector. Harvard Business Review labelled the data scientist ‘the sexiest job of the 21st century’ in 2012.
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Less than a decade later PwC estimated that there would be more than 2,900,000 job listings for data science roles by the end of 2020 – that’s enough to populate Jamaica! While the Royal Society has suggested that demand for data scientists has risen by 231% in the last five years. However, there currently isn’t enough supply of skilled individuals to meet this growing demand. With that in mind, there is clearly work to be done by educators and businesses to nurture talent and equip our future workforce with the right skills and knowledge to consider a career in data.
Where it all begins Our recent study found that half (49%) of those aged 16-21 don’t consider data science as a career option. Less than half (43%) consider themselves data literate, and almost half (48%) feel that their education hasn’t given them the confidence or skills to use data.
We need these young prodigies to be our future data champions. Without them, businesses are in danger of missing out on new ways to solve data challenges and push the boundaries of industry as we know it.
So: how do we overcome this? STEM the tide Part of the problem is the perception of the requirements needed to excel in a data career. A common misconception is that data scientists need to have a STEM education, but there’s actually a much wider selection of skills that lead people to succeed and flourish in data science fields. The best data scientist that I ever managed didn’t have a traditional science background, but a degree in Philosophy from the University of Warwick. He was creative and curious, capable of turning insights from data into compelling arguments and stories.
