FOCUS ON: DATA SCIENCE
As few as 15% of data scientists are women – how do we get girls interested in this vital field?
a win for their employers whose investment in women will pay real dividends.”
Data scientist is now one of the top ten emerging jobs
F
or many people, the word ‘data’ is unlikely to induce thrills; instead, conjuring visions of spreadsheets full of numbers, or long, complicated calculations. But in the modern world we live in, data has become indispensable; it is all around us, part of many exciting careers, and only going to become more important as we proceed into the future. We come into contact with the power of data science when doing simple, everyday things like shopping, watching television, or driving a car; it powers online retailers, search engines, and our phones.
But despite the necessity of data science in our world, businesses struggle to recruit the talent they need. Research from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) found that almost half of businesses are recruiting for roles that require hard data skills, but 46% have struggled to fill these positions over the last two years. DCMS’ research also revealed that data analysis will become the fastest growing digital skills cluster, increasing by an estimated 33% in the next five years, and data scientist was identified as the seventh top emerging job role in the UK by LinkedIn.
And while there is a general problem with recruiting enough people in this area, there is an even bigger problem with recruiting women. On average, women account for around 55% of university graduates, but only around a third of these female graduates have studied STEM degrees. Of those that have, only two-thirds go on to undertake a career in a STEM-related field, and even fewer pursue a career in data science . Surveys have found that as few as 15% of data scientists today are women.
Educating the young is vital, so they are not left behind in our evolving world with irrelevant skill sets. Digital education innovator, EVERFI from Blackbaud, is helping tackle this problem with its free Data Science Foundations course for students aged 14-16. Designed in partnership with teachers and subject experts, the course is split across four modules, and provides a ‘bootcamp’ designed to empower students with
the knowledge and help them understand its relevance in the job market and applicability to everyday life.
Research shows that female role models motivate girls to pursue careers in STEM Courses such as this make data science and the future careers available to them after they leave school easily accessible, and are a great way to get girls engaged in STEM. This engagement is sorely needed, as despite women being half of the UK workforce, only 22% of those working in STEM, and 9% of STEM apprentices are female. While still at school, less than a quarter of students studying a computer science GCSE are girls, and the number of those taking design and technology has fallen in recent years. Introducing to girls the exciting doors that studying STEM subjects could open, and normalising them as viable options for their future is essential. Women in STEM’s research has shown that peer pressure, especially in the teenage years, has a strong influence on what girls choose to study. Presenting them with female role models will also help inspire them; research from CWJobs revealed that a huge 64% of women in tech were motivated to pursue their careers by an inspirational figure.
Ada Lovelace Day, held annually in October, is one such event which celebrates the achievements of women in STEM, raises the profile of women, and inspires girls. Suw Charman-Anderson, who founded the annual celebration, said: “Careers in STEM can be very rewarding, but there are structural barriers that dissuade young women from studying STEM subjects and pursuing their dream job. “It’s essential that we dismantle those barriers, not just so that women can fulfil their potential and realise their ambitions, but also so that businesses can benefit from women’s unique perspectives and expertise. And it makes sense for business: businesses that recruit more women and promote them into senior leadership roles are more profitable than those who don’t. “It’s a win-win: A win for women who get to have a satisfying and creative career in STEM, and
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www.education-today.co.uk
EVERFI’s Data Science Foundations course can be one of the first building blocks introducing students to their future careers in tech, in a fun, interactive way. The course is split across four modules, where students explore real-world problems a data scientist might need to solve and the methods they use; learning how to analyse, collect, and create visual data reports - all done in an engaging and digital format. • In Module One, ‘What is Data Science?’, students explore real-world problems a data scientist might need to solve and the methods they use. • In Module Two, ‘Collecting, Cleaning and Validating Data’, students learn how data scientists ensure that their data is accurate and reliable. • In Module Three, ‘Analysing and Visualising Data’, students learn how data scientists summarise data for different audiences to inform business decisions. • In Module Four, ‘Reporting and Acting on Data’, students learn how data scientists summarise data for different audiences to inform business decisions.
One secondary maths teacher who took his students on the course said: “This course offers a fresh approach to data science. It fits well into the curriculum and promotes cross curricular skills. The flexible options offer additional support for students as well as creating a greater sense of independence.”
Introducing easy to understand courses like Data Science Foundations while at school are vital, as research from BCG revealed that a significant proportion of young people who are already studying STEM subjects at university-level still don’t have a good understanding of what a career in data science could entail, and, moreover, that an obvious gender gap between men and women remains. 55% of women (against 63% of men) felt adequately informed about the various career opportunities involving data science; 55% of women (against 61% of men) understood the qualifications required for a data science role; 47% of of women (against 62% of men) were aware of the career paths in the field; and even amongst women studying data science and computing, 35% felt that they have a poor understanding of the day-to-day work of a career data scientist, and 47% said they had poor clarity regarding related career paths.
Schools can register to access EVERFI’s free platform and get access to Data Science Foundations - and many others - here:
ueverfiteachers.co.uk/register
November 2022
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