Why Study Data Science? Upskilling in a Post-Covid Jobscape
As the world adjusts to life online, we caught up with Xanthe Sulzberger – tech savant and Data Science Essentials alumna – on what she learnt from MDS’s Data Science micro-credential, and why there’s never been a better time to ‘tech up’.
The term ‘unprecedented’ is becoming a bit worn out these days, but there’s no denying that the events of the past few months have had an exceptional impact on the way we work, teach and learn. As businesses across the country raced to move their workforces online, for many, ‘carrying on’ at Level 4 meant swiftly navigating an unplanned digital transformation.
What has become clear is that, no matter the role, we all need to work on becoming digital natives. As more and more companies embrace digital tools and virtual platforms, the role that data plays in our day-to-day is more prevalent than ever. A solid understanding of how data science is set to be one of the most in-demand skills in our changing jobscape.
‘Data and information have become the key resources in a wide range of industries,’ says Xanthe. ‘With the increase of computer hardware power and storage at a lower entry cost price, how we mine, understand, and storify data is now something that was not capable 10-15 years ago.’
‘There is a great quote:
If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,”
'That’s why data is so important to all organisations, and at all levels, especially during Covid-19. If we cannot understand customers’ needs and wants in a time of flux, then how can we best respond?”
Xanthe’s confident that the wake of Covid-19 will see major increase in businesses looking to furnish their staff with core digital skills, and online micro-credentials are exactly how they should be doing that. We asked her what her biggest takeaway was from the six week course:
‘Data could be called the “the oil of the digital economy” because of its immense potential – it is part of the fuel of our future economy. Data Science and analysis enables completely new generations of technological solutions and the understanding of machine learning and AI possibilities for the future was a big takeaway from the programme.’
Find out more about studying the Data Science Essentials Micro-credentials here.
