That’s very helpful
@Matt.GC, and would seem to confirm my feeling that maths/coding is only a very small part of what a data scientist/analyst actually does!
One thing I’ve often been told about data analytics in university and learned through some of my own experiences is that the main coding or otherwise practical part of a data science/analytics project actually takes up a surprisingly small percentage of the overall project time span. The bits that take the time are the parts where you’re doing data collection/preprocessing as well as actually consulting with stakeholders and figuring out what your MO is and what main questions you want to answer. AI may be able to do the menial grunt work, but it’s this stuff that AI will never be able to do.
Not to mention that another key part of a data analyst’s role is being a storyteller and delivering business insights. As you rightly say, data analysts are vital for offering insights from information, and they are the bridge between corporate decision makers such as yourself and that information. A good analyst should tell a convincing story, with data and statistics simply being the words they use to tell it. Data science/analytics doesn’t explicitly require hard maths or code; they’re simply a means to an end.
Also, using ChatGPT to code is not really all that different to how Google and StackOverflow have been around for years, or how calculators have been around to mean that we don’t have to do mental maths for descriptive statistics anymore. Someone once said to me that “Sourcing the actual code is the easy part, because ChatGPT and/or Google can just do that for you these days. The hard part that needs expert data analysts and domain knowledge is determining what to ask it for in the first place and deriving insight from what it gives you”.
Basically Matt, that's pretty much exactly what he said to us!
There was a bit where he was getting side tracked getting excited over programmes, maths talk, technical talk etc. I was bored stiff and didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but another lady on my cohort was loving every minute of it.
But he challenged my perceptions in the first hour. I needed to understand different types of data, collection methods, preprocessing, analysis methods, the design of an MIS, ethics, etc so that I can work with analysts. Same with the analyst, they need to be able to engage and understand what insights they are developing. It's actually quite a large crossover.
He said he loves the technical bit, whereas I'd rather pull my eyeballs out with cocktail sticks. But love deep diving into the insights with the pretty colours to make an informed decision. That only happens with stakeholder engagement and strong collaboration.
The example of the business that decided on their strategy to save £x amount already, and wanted him to find something in the poor quality and drip fed datasets they provided him with to get "the right answer" was a breakdown in that.
You did quite a thorough job the other day Matt of examining queue times in Merlin parks. It didn't look like most of it was written in English to me. But I found the topic very interesting, I read your summary, and then was able to understand some of your methods and the data you were using when I had digested the headlines and went back in. Same interest, same need, same goal. You went in one side, I went in the other. If we commissioned that together, we'd need to engage with each other and understand the overlap. I could be sitting on some golden data that I didn't know was useful and was not able to make head nor tail of, but by understanding my problem and the insights I need, you'd be able to consult.
Subjects like Paramedic Science and Nursing have only recently become compulsory to have degrees, back in the day you'd only have to complete a series of placements, but evidence has shown that patient outcomes are significantly better when they are cared for by degree holders, as they have a better understanding behind the theoretical side of healthcare. This is only a recent change (I think it was introduced under the May government?), and subsequently these courses have really high dropout rates (the Paramedic course at my Uni has an over 65% dropout rate), it's because 18 year olds are not prepared for the lifestyle and workload that comes with undertaking these degrees. You have the essays and exams of a Uni student paired with 12 hour placements. It's a monumental step up from A-Levels, especially compared with non-healthcare related degrees.
My mother qualified as a nurse in the 80's. Very hands on, and very long placements in various functions. She did it with a good set of A-levels, and although still technically qualified as a nurse, she needed to do some extra training to get back in decades later and does not have a degree. My sister in-law on the other hand is also a nurse, and spent years studying for her degree and believes it has been very useful with the way modern nursing is. But at the same time, she didn't feel her training was hands-on enough.
I’ll put it another way, I work for a large turnkey MEICA (Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation) organisation, and I bet 10% of the CVs I currently see for roles are from applicants in the UK. And that’s being generous.
We employ people from all levels, apprentices/graduates through to principal engineers and management in a range of fields and skill sets.
Granted we are competing against industries (big tech/finance) after similar types of candidates, but recruitment is a major hamper to growth. We cannot get the people with the relevant skills despite working with many education institutions etc.
Experienced hires are extremely difficult to find (and this is before any salary expectations are set out) The UK education/skills system has failed to meet the needs of industry and this will be across the UK. Combine this with stagnant white collar wages, the lure of perceived easy money elsewhere (crypto/drop shipping/youtube) along with cost of living and it’s a toxic mix.
Someone on my cohort also works in that industry and told us a similar tail. Massive recruitment and retention struggles, and now finding it harder to get from abroad.
Blair's urge to get everyone into university may have been well intended, and I remember the stigma and snobbery very well that used to be attached to more vocational qualifications, even if at the same level as purely academic qualifications. This almost feels like a hangover of trying to correct the 11+, Secondary Modern Vs Grammar Schools, CSE Vs O-Level situation. There were snobby parents as near ago as the 1990's who still referred to my secondary school as the "grammar school" due to it's former status, a level 3 NVQ or GNVQ as "a fake A-Level", and a teacher once told me I would be better off getting an apprenticeship because they are for "manual labourers".
Surely there has be a solution where we can maintain well funded and internationally acclaimed universities whilst also having a system that can award undergraduate degrees for skills and knowledge that students and industry need? I can't see how the current situation is sustainable and is any good for the universities, students, industry, the taxpayer, and the economy.
