Data Analyst Apprentice Review

On a typical day I will be part of a wider project for the Cargo team, creating reports that provide answers to needed business questions. Working in an agile method, A lot of my time is spent with me team, cleansing, manipulating and exploiting data using SQL, Python and R. I then use data visualisation tools such as Tableau to make this business-readable for a non-technical analyst. Over my time in the apprenticeship I have been delegated with more responsibility, with the support of colleagues as and when it is required. I have just started a new role within the team as a Data Quality and test analyst, improving my technical skills within the department.

Since I have started my apprenticeship, a lot of my technical capabilities have greatly increased- my use and understanding of Excel, Oracle SQL, Python, R, Tableau Microsoft Access and Alteryx have improved- it has been easy to measure progress in this area as I had never used these tools (or very rarely) before joining the team, and I am now able to use them to apply logic to business cases.

It has been a good work experience, adjusting to working hours, softer skills which benefit an employee working in an office (structuring professional emails, presenting to executive members/managers, time management), as well as learning new technical skills which wasn't available at sixth form. I have found this a great alternative to university where I wanted to obtain a further qualification, without the uni fees. I have found at times it has been difficult to prioritise my learning hours as required, which has meant I have had to organise my time more effectively, and sometimes I feel that for the pay we are on, we aren't always valued as a team member. Overall it has been a worthwhile experience, and I hope to become a permanent member of my team once my course is complete.

There were a lot of teething issues especially in the first year of my course. Data Analysis Apprenticeships are a fairly new concept, so I appreciate it is difficult to get learning material on the DELL Data Science exam the apprentice must take and pass to complete a section of the course. However, we were rarely provided with learning materials from the training provider, and when we challenged them we were told it wasn't "feasible to have regular teaching sessions". It has been difficult as it was expected that the students had pre-requisite skills in higher Maths (not all of us did, so I think that was a miscommunication on provider/business part). Then there was the issue when the original training coach left, and none of us were made aware of this- it was very confusing not knowing what exams we were taking/what to revise/what we were measured in- with time ticking on our apprentice contracts! However the second year has improved greatly- we now have structured monthly training sessions and regular contact with the new apprentice coach which makes revision much easier to complete. It is a bit stressful trying to complete all our exams in the last year when it should have been spread over those two years. However, the learning I have been given by BA has been a massive help towards my course- putting a Data Analyst apprentice in the Data Exploitation department was a smart choice!

The team I am in are very understanding of my competency as an apprentice. In my day-to-day role I am given support by colleagues with the opportunity to learn for myself and gain valuable skills which are transferable for a full time job in the future. As I was the first apprentice in my team since the Data Analyst Apprentice course came about, there were a few issues in trying to balance apprentice work and normal reports during busy periods- this has now improved a lot and I now feel like I am given allocated time to revise for my exams.

The first year was quite disappointing unfortunately. There was a mix up with what exams we were taking- I was told to spend a lot of my apprentice hours working towards an exam that 6 months later, was told is now redundant. That was a lot of time wasted, and then the apprentice coach left without us being informed- we were emailing the same person for ages before finding out she had left the training company. By the time new resources and training were organised, I had already completed 1/2years of the apprenticeship- so I now have these last few months to get all my exams, coursework, controlled assessments and interview completed which is quite stressful. The help and course that was provided in my second year has improved so I now know what to revise.

Some elements of the data analyst syllabus has helped with being informed on "statistics for model building" which could come in use in the Data Exploitation team (when it upskills to Data Science). However, what I am learning now hasn't greatly impacted my day-to-day-role. Sometimes it feels that the apprentice work is just an additional "to-do" list which I have to do every week.

There are plenty of opportunities to take part in sport events like Football, Cricket or Gym groups. In my team we take part in quite a lot of social events which are great for team building, for example social darts, trampolining, rock climbing. It's at our own expense but it's nice to have the options.

Yes

We are given brilliant opportunities to learn technical skills in work, gain a higher qualification, and learn valuable soft skills on people, time and project management. You are delegated responsibility as an equal which has been effective at completing day-to-day jobs in an office, and the social side improves team-building and communication skills with professionals.

Research the role! If it sounds like a job you'd really love, it will show in your interview that you are passionate about it. Linked in learning, Barclay's Life skills and BA's internet page are great resources to prepare for an interview and what you are setting yourself up for. It also shows to the interviewers that you are knowledgeable on the job role and are prepared to take it seriously.