Data Science Training
FREE ONLINE COURSE | 260 HOURS OF CONTENT
The Data Science digital learning pathway provides the core knowledge and skills to become an Associate Data Scientist aligned to the UK Government Digital, Data and Technology capability framework.
This free course is available only if you are a jobseeker.
If you are employed and have data science training needs, please visit SAS Academy for Data Science to purchase courses and to get certified.
Data Science: What it is and why it matters
Data Science provides the technical and interpersonal skills for solving complex problems – and requires the curiosity to explore which problems an organisation needs to solve and in what sequence.
A data scientist is part mathematician, part computer scientist and part trend-spotter. And, because they straddle both the business and IT worlds, they are communicators. They also happen to be highly sought-after and well-paid. In fact, in 2020 AI Specialist (Artificial Intelligence, an aspect of Data Science) and Data Scientist were identified by LinkedIn as two of the Top 5 emerging jobs to aim for.
The demand for this expertise reflects how businesses now think about data. An organisation’s data is now valued as a strategic asset. Understanding, managing, analysing, and exploiting the rivers of information is the foundation of the new Digital Economy and data science skills are at the heart of coordinating the data assets in order to derive value.
There's not a definitive job description when it comes to a data scientist role. But here are a few things you'll likely be doing alongside colleagues in a data science team:
- Collecting large amounts of unruly data and transforming it into a more usable format.
- Solving business-related problems using data-driven techniques.
- Working with a variety of programming languages, such as SAS, R and Python.
- Having a solid grasp of statistics, including statistical tests and distributions.
- Staying on top of analytical techniques such as machine learning, deep learning and text analytics.
- Communicating and collaborating with both IT and business.
- Looking for order and patterns in data, as well as spotting trends that can help a business’s bottom line.
This online learning programme provides 264 learning hours with access to the learning resources and SAS software for one calendar year. It provides the core knowledge and skills to become an Associate Data Scientist aligned to the UK Government Digital, Data and Technology capability framework. The programme provides a grounding in the key skills of programming, data engineering and manipulation, applied mathematics, statistics, data science innovation, data ethics and data privacy. Building data science capability through a series of online modules, each includes activities to consolidate learning. Consideration is also given to interpersonal and communications skills - from project management and teamwork to presenting your data analysis findings to a non-technical audience.
This combined programme of technical know-how and essential soft skills culminates with a series of real-life case studies, enabling the learner to become a well-rounded and able data scientist.
What experience do I need to complete the free SAS STEP Data Science course?
The Data Science course is ideally suited for anyone with the following level of qualifications:
- GCSE in maths
- A Level
- NVQ level 3
- GNVQ Advanced
- Key skills level 3
- QCF level 3
- RQF level 3
- Certificate of Higher Education
- Diploma of Higher Education
- Foundation degree
The key to a data-driven culture within the modern workplace starts here…
This free course is only available if you are a jobseeker based in the UK and/or Ireland.
If you are employed and have data skills training needs, please visit the SAS Education website to purchase courses and to get certified. If you are a complete beginner, check out our free course SAS Programming e-learning.