Data Science Skills Bootcamp

Course overview

The amount of data that is currently being generated is growing exponentially, and organisations are beginning to see an increasing need for data analytics to be performed. This need is fuelled by the requirement to gain a competitive advantage, by gaining insights into the data they currently possess.

The main purpose of this course is to provide learners with the necessary information to be informed on the role of a data scientist and some of the skills that are required.

West Midlands Combined Authority

Gradcore

• What you'll study

  All sessions are compulsory.

  Introduction to the Programme

  • Introduction to information systems and digital technology, key technologies for on-line learning, communicating, collaborating, and presenting.
  • Understanding requirements, setting objectives, planning and time-management, professional behaviour and professional ethics
  • Working with others, team dynamics, roles, behaviours and personalities

  Data Management

  • Data Types and Structures.
  • Data Cleaning.
  • Data Storage.
  • Scoping and Acquiring Data.
  • Legal requirements.

  Programming for Data Science

  • Python Data Types and Data Structures.
  • Conditional and Control Statements.

  Data Storage

  • Databases and filetypes.

  Descriptive Statistics and Inference

  • Mean/mode/median.
  • The bell curve.
  • Correlation.

  Machine Learning and Applications

  • Clustering.
  • Distance Measuring.
  • Neural Networks and Stochastic Models.
  • Using algorithms to gain insight from data.

  Data Science Ethics

  • Data science for good and evil.
  • Distance Measuring.
  • Bias.
  • Importance of training data.

  Data Science Project

  • Presenting to a broad audience.
  • Communicating data science outcomes.

  From week 2 of teaching, the Graduate Team at Gradcore will help signpost you to jobs and employability guidance for up to 3 months.

  We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course sessions may be updated.

• Teaching contact hours

  Throughout this course, you can expect up to 80 hours of learning activities, made up of online teaching and independent learning. Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 120 hours, depending on the demands of individual modules.

  As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

  Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.

• Facilities

  Online.

  Facilities are subject to availability. Due to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

• Career opportunities

  Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the professional context in preparation for a career in a data science area and the importance of continuous professional development.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundaments of software development, the syntax and control structures of a high-level programming language.
  3. Describe the fundamental concepts and skills required to be informed on the role of a data scientist and some of the skills that are required.
  4. Create visualisations of data appropriate for a given audience in so creating intelligent models which can predict future outcomes based on past data, generate artwork, or give insights into hard-to-find connections within your datasets.
• Further study
  • Access to Higher Education
  • Apprenticeships
  • Higher Technical Qualifications
• Entry requirements

  You do not need any qualifications but will need to meet eligibility criteria and entry requirements as highlighted below.

  Entry Requirements

  To be eligible to join this course you must meet all the following criteria. You must:

  • Be aged 19 or older.
  • Live or work in the West Midlands Combined Authority area.
  • Live in England.
  • Have the right to work in the UK. This can be checked on the Government website.
  • Meet residency requirements - applicants should be UK nationals or other persons with a right to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions who have been ordinarily resident in the UK, or the British Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for at least the previous 3 years on the first day of learning.
    For more information on the residency criteria, please refer to AEB Funding Rules page.
  • Not have already taken any accredited Data Science training.
  • Not be currently enrolled in an apprenticeship or programme funded from the Adult Education Budget.
    Agree to provide mandatory personal data and supplementary information on their employment outcomes for up to 8 months following completion of the Skills Bootcamp.
  • All Independent Learners (not co-funded by their employer, and not self-employed) are expected to progress on to a guaranteed job interview upon the completion of the Skills Bootcamp. This should be a genuine vacancy related to the skills gained through the Skills Bootcamp and the job must be expected to last at least 12 weeks.
  • Independent Learner, who are currently in employment, are required to confirm that they intend to change employer if offered a suitable role following interview. A learner declaration will be provided if your application is successful.

  You must also be either:

  • unemployed within the last 12 months, or
  • career changers/returners/redeployed, or
  • self-employed/employed.

  In addition to the criteria outlined above, you will need to meet the following minimum requirements to apply successfully for the Data Science Skills Bootcamp:

  • You should be available to attend and complete the course.
  • You must have an appropriate standard of English so that you can access relevant resources and complete the course which will be determined during the application process.
  • You will need to demonstrate you do not already have the Knowledge Skills and Behaviours which will be taught as part of this Skills Bootcamp.

  Required equipment:

  • access to a computer with sufficient RAM and memory to support study
  • microphone, speakers and web camera
  • office suite, such as Microsoft Office
  • internet connection

  Computer or software specifications

  • 250GB hard drive or higher (preferably 500GB).
  • 8GB RAM or higher (preferably 16GB).
  • 2.0GHz Intel or AMD processor (preferably 2.5GHz).
  • Windows 10 or MAC OS 10.10 or later.
  • Browser: Google Chrome 96, Firefox 48, Safari 11 or later.
  • Anti-virus software.
• Fees and funding

  Courses are fully funded by the Government for independent learners (individuals not being co-funded by their employer). Where an employer is training an existing employee, they must contribute to the cost of the course. For small or medium sized enterprise: £400 and large sized enterprise: £1200. Please contact CUSkillsBootcamp@cusltd.co.uk for more information.

  Fees are subject to annual review and change each year due to inflation (this would usually result in a nominal increase in line with consumer retail price index figures released by the UK Office for National Statistics) and/or as a result of funder requirements.

• How to apply

  Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants. Please note that individuals are only eligible to participate in one Skills Bootcamp per financial year and must not be on more than one Skills Bootcamp at any one time, but you can apply for multiple Skills Bootcamps.

  To apply please complete all steps below:

  1. Familiarise yourself with the Skills Bootcamp Privacy & Cookie Notice.
  2. Review the Learner Declaration as you will be required to sign it as part of your online application form.
  3. Complete the online application.
  4. Prepare documents to evidence your identity and age, current address, residency and right to work in the UK. The acceptable forms of ID and documentation to evidence all the above are below:
     • Identity and age - Valid passport. A photo driving licence. A proof of age card such as the PASS card from the national Proof of Age Standards Scheme.
     • Current address - Valid UK driving licence. Recent utility bill (gas, electricity, water, or landline phone) Council tax bill. Recent credit card or bank statement.
     • Continuous residency - Documentary evidence of continuous residence in the UK – find a list of accepted documents here.
     • Right to work in the UK:
       • If you are British and hold UK or Irish Citizen passport or Irish passport card your will not need to provide any additional evidence for this. Right to work share code.
       • If you are required to hold a Visa to work in the UK you will be asked to evidence of your right to work in the UK with a "right to work share code". If possible, please obtain this code before submitting your application via the government website.

  If you are not satisfied with any aspect of your Skills Bootcamp and wish to raise a complaint you should do so in the first instance with Coventry University by completing the CU Coventry Complaints Form, with full details of your issue. If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been dealt with you may write to DfE through their Whistleblowing and Complaints process. Complaints 03700002288; Whistleblowing advice line on 0800 028 0285.

  Whistleblowing involves entering a 'whistleblowing' webform on the Contact the Department for Education page.

  Whistleblowing submissions for Skills Bootcamps must be clearly marked 'Skills Bootcamps'. They will be submitted via the DfE's whistleblowing submission process and will be escalated to the DfE Skills Bootcamps policy team for response.