The government Data Science Campus is planning to expand its graduate programme and make courses available online.
The campus, which operates within the Office for National Statistics (ONS), has also reported that it has exceeded its target in training analysts to use relevant tools and techniques.
It said it has now trained 680 analysts in the field since the target of 500 was set in 2018 for this year.
As part of its plan to further develop training options it is planning to expand its data science graduate programme this year into new areas of government, and to incorporate some of the curriculum into the Civil Service Fast Stream programme.
It is also aiming to make courses more widely available to the public sector through the ONS learning platforms.
Data masterclasses for senior leaders will begin to become available during the summer, and the campus is working with academic partners to deliver the master’s degree in data analytics for government.
Strategy contribution
This is contributing to the National Data Strategy, published in September 2020, which set out the government’s ambition to make better use of data in public services.
Alison Pritchard, deputy national statistician for data capability at the ONS, said: "It's great news that we've been able to reach this key National Data Strategy target and go beyond.
“However, we're not stopping now. Sharing data science skills with the public sector allows us to go that step further to ensure we are harnessing the power of data, to help ensure decisions can improve the lives of those who need it.
"We are expanding our training opportunities and hope to be able to provide a variety of data science options in the future.”
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