Manchester-headquartered N Brown has announced the creation of a data fellowship programme which will be driven by technology educator, Decoded and professional training company Corndel, to open up the use of data and analytics across its entire organisation. As a data rich retailer, the programme will empower employees to embrace Data Science, its application and value.
Employees across the business will have the opportunity to enrol on The Data Fellowship, an 18 month in-work data science skills programme. From February 2019, participants will learn to harness the most cutting-edge data analytics tools such as “R” and more quickly adopt technologies such as Machine Learning. Learners will finish the programme with a Data Analytics qualification accredited by the British Computing Society.
The Data Fellowship is fully funded by the Apprenticeship Levy, the billion-pound fund created by the Government to help upskill the UK workforce to be ready for the Future of Work.
In October N Brown announced its intention to accelerate the use of analytics to enhance its use of marketing and promotions, as part of a wider emphasis on data science within the business following its transition to becoming a wholly online retailer.
Predictive analytics has the potential to be applied anywhere through the business, whether that is providing a next best action in the customer journey, predicting consumer demand for product or even driving employee retention rates.
Gareth Powell, Director of Data Science at N Brown, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to upskill more of our colleagues in Data Science from a mind set and technical perspective. Data is now ingrained in online retail and is a fundamental pillar for the future growth of N Brown. Decoded provide world class data analytics training and I’m hugely excited by the partnership and the transformative effect it will have”
Kathryn Parsons, Decoded, said: “The opportunities that data education provides is something that can be for everyone at every level of any organisation. We are delighted to be partnering with N Brown to unlock the value of their data and transform their investment in lifelong learning and future-facing skills at every function and level. It serves as an excellent example to other businesses in the region.”
Sean Williams, Corndel said: “This is a fantastic use of the Apprenticeship Levy to provide the skills of the future while aligning with organisational strategy. We are delighted to be working with such a forward-thinking organisation as N Brown.”
