Science Industry Data Academy

Cambridge Spark is working in partnership with industry leaders GSK, Fujifilm Diosynth, and the Science Industry Partnership (SIP) to deliver academies in Data Science, Analytics & AI skills for employees in the Science industry.

The Science industry has a critical need for data science and AI talent to stay competitive globally and to maximise productivity, especially with the economic pressures from the impact of COVID-19. As well as needing to attract new talent to the sector, traditional roles are evolving and existing employees need new skills and capabilities to keep pace. Data Science and AI have broad applications across the science industry which are not limited to roles in technology departments, but includes roles across entire organisations.

Scientists and teams including R&D, Finance, HR, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Marketing can all benefit from using data science skills in their existing roles to gain greater insight and drive more value for the organisation. Examples include:

• Accelerate drug discovery and development
• Optimize and improve the efficacy of clinical trials
• Target specific patient populations more effectively
• Better insight into patient behaviour to improve drug delivery and effectiveness and healthcare outcomes
• Improve safety and risk management
• Gain improved insight into marketing and sales performance
• Measuring OEE and predicting maintenance needs for manufacturing machinery

With increasing competition for the data science talent that does exist (with 81% of UK businesses citing shortage of skills as a hurdle to adopting AI), organisations need to look to their existing workforce and early talent. The World Economic Forum reports that more than half of all employees globally will require significant upskilling by 2022.

To support in this transition, Cambridge Spark are working with industry leaders including GSK and Fujifilm to provide programmes that meet the industry demand and support the recommendations of the SIP 2030 Skills Strategy. We will be offering our first pilot programme in May 2021 with the support of our partners, helping organisations to utilise the Apprenticeship Levy in a key talent area. For SMEs and non-Levy payers, they will be able to access Levy transfer from larger organisations and be partnered with mentors from larger employers.

We welcome other organisations in the sector to join the programme and help us develop an offering that transforms the sector, with a focus on the key areas of R&D, Manufacturing and Supply Chain. 

The programmes consist of applied practical learning through live workshops, real world-simulated assignments and work-based projects. Learners are also supported by a personal coach and technical mentors.

Apprenticeships provide a well-defined route for internal talent development in England. They are open to new and existing employees in full-time roles working with data. Funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, apprenticeships are a cost-effective way to upskill employees in analytics, data science and AI.

Data Essentials Certificate (Level 3)

• Designed to empower apprentices to develop a strong understanding of the value and opportunities that are possible with the smart use of data.
• Suitable for people keen to learn data analysis skills that will enable them to progress into more technical, data-driven roles
• Apprentices must have a GCSE (or equivalent) at Grade B in one STEM subject (Maths is desirable)

Data Analyst Apprenticeship (Level 4)

• Fast-track programme to equip apprentices with practical data analysis skills, including Python, Data visualisation, Big Data Systems and Machine Learning
• Suitable for people in roles where they are required to carry out data analysis, such as scientists or or anyone analysing data in departments such as HR, Finance, Marketing, Operations, Supply chain, Manufacturing, Consumer Insights etc.
• Entry-level course for beginner programmers and those with no previous programming experience

Data Science Apprenticeship (Level 7)

• Fast-track programme for upskilling people into Data Scientist roles
• Apprentices must have intermediate Python programming & maths skill

Machine Learning Engineer Apprenticeship (Level 7)

• Fast-track programme for upskilling people into Machine Learning Engineer roles
• Apprentices must have a Computer Science degree or at least two years’ experience in software engineering

Data Science Degree Apprenticeships

We also deliver BSc and MSc Data Science degree apprenticeships. If interested click here to find out more.

Data Analyst Academy

“The Data Analyst Level 4 apprenticeship slots beautifully into GSK’s ‘Keep Growing’ initiative creating an environment of continuous development. Data is a key development area and this programme ticks all the boxes for supporting GSK staff in England to access the latest developments in data analysis. We will continue to develop this offer in the coming months making it available to as many staff in England that we can”

GSK Apprenticeship Vendor Manager Tim Buchanan

A GSK Data Analyst Apprentice in the manufacturing division saved his team £30,000 within 5 months of starting the Apprenticeship. Read the case study here.

AI Apprenticeships Academy

“This apprenticeship has offered me the opportunity for a steep learning curve. It is a foundation for what I believe could lead to a really great career in a high impact space. It's definitely opened up doors to rotational opportunities, which internally may not have been possible for me otherwise."

GSK Data Science Apprentice Jake  

Data Science Apprenticeships at GSK are accelerating careers and offering unique learning opportunities that make an impact on the business. Read the case study here. 

Cambridge Spark is a leader in transformational data science and AI training. Their pioneering training programmes are built on their proprietary AI-powered learning and assessment platform, EDUKATE.AI®, to accelerate the tech capability of both individuals and organisations.

Expert designed curriculum

Apprenticeship and Degree Apprenticeship Programmes are designed by Data Scientists and Data Analysts working in industry, for industry

Instant feedback 24/7 with EDUKATE.AI®

Learners are given instant feedback that’s aligned with standards such as PEP8, Pylint, Cyclomatic Complexity and Unit Tests, as well as machine learning metrics such as accuracy, F1 score, MSE and the confusion matrix.

Work-based projects and portfolios

Learners gain applied practical experience through completing real-world data problems. Programmes are focused on enabling learners to apply new skills into their work right away, driving value for the business and ensuring ROI.

Innovative virtual learning solutions

Live, instructor-led virtual learning sessions have been specifically designed for group remote learning. Training takes place over high-quality video and audio, creating a virtual classroom. Learners also have access to break out rooms, supported by Slack, where they can come together to chat, socialise and discuss the training.

Teaching & coaching from professionals

The very fabric of Cambridge Spark is deeply-rooted in academia, with the teaching and coaching team consisting of PhD’s from the UK’s best universities, and professionals with backgrounds in world-renowned Machine Learning organisations, such as Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, and Morgan Stanley.

What are apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships are a long-term training commitment which seek to upskill existing UK-based employees within an organisation, enabling employers to foster a workforce consisting of highly-skilled and highly-engaged talent.

They typically run over 12-24 months and include 20% off-the-job training, enabling a blended approach between theory and practical-learning.

Who is eligible for apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships are open to anyone in full-time employment in England. They are open to current as well as new employees, people of any age, and even those with previous qualifications.

Apprenticeships can be for people early in their careers as well as experienced talent looking to advance their skill set or change careers, which is increasingly necessary as the world of work changes.

How are apprenticeships funded?

In England, if you are a large organisation with annual salaries over £3m you can have your apprenticeships 100% funded by the government through the apprenticeship levy. Employers who do not fall into this group can either have 95% funded by the government (and pay just 5%) or can have levy transferred from another levy-paying organisation to have them 100% funded.

What does 20% off-the-job training mean?

Off-the-job training is defined as learning which is undertaken outside of the day-to-day work duties and it must take place within the apprentice’s normal working hours.

It can be delivered on a flexible basis, for example, as part of each day, one day per week, one week out of five, or as block release, and can be carried out at the apprentice’s place of work or from home.

The 20% off-the-job training provides learners with the time to focus and develop the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours to achieve the apprenticeship