What a great initiative. Swinburne’s Innovation Precinct in Melbourne has launched a new data consultancy giving students the experience of working in a technology start-up and providing industry with in-demand data specialist talent.
The Data Experience is led by industry experts and Swinburne staff.
It takes in students – or “junior consultants” – on a 12-month placement, and they graduate with industry experience and a work-ready data toolkit.
How The Data Experience can fix the global shortage of data experts
The global demand for data experts is on the rise and Swinburne start-up The Data Experience is providing a solution.
Swinburne’s Director of Business Analytics, Matt Rudd, came up with the idea during a recent trip to the US for the Amazon Web Services (AWS). There he realised that many organisations and businesses are struggling to tap into their data’s potential.
“Every organisation that I met lamented the difficulty finding employees that have both business and data know-how,” says Rudd.
“There was an obvious shortage of resources that can bridge the gap between solid technical skills and data literacy, with the ability to engage with the business and translate its unique and complex requirements and potential.”
Why the Data Experience is important
Rudd went on to become the founding co-creator of The Data Experience. The start-up emerged in an Innovation Precinct incubator sprint and is now up and running with the support of Swinburne.
The intensive curriculum covers technical data skills, design led-thinking and professional soft skills, and includes much sought-after Tableau and AWS certifications.
LinkedIn have rated cloud computing, including skills in Amazon Web Services the number one most in-demand technical skills of 2019.
What’s it in for business
Partnering with Tableau and AWS, the consultancy works with industry to capitalise on their data assets, providing everything from data management, cloud technology, rapid prototyping of data visualisations and analytics.
The Data Experience price point provides an opportunity for businesses that haven’t been able to afford external help to solve their data problems. Organisations in the public sector, education, energy, insurance and sustainability sectors have already started working with the consultancy to realise their data and visualisation potential.
“Businesses are already hiring our junior consultants off the back of successful projects. The Data Experience allows businesses to easily build capability within their teams and gives our junior consultants valuable client-side experience,” says Michele Martin, Lead Consultant.
One of the students in the startup just placed second in a global Tableau student visualisation contest.
Using Tableau software Isaac’s submission focussed on the 2018-19 English Premier League competition, analysing data collected on two leading teams – Liverpool and Manchester City.
You can view his prize winning submission here
Isaac Low … kicking goals for Swinburne team
