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My unexpected secondment at the BBC

I had forgotten about my unsuccessful application to work at the BBC for three months until, in mid-September 2020, I received an email asking if I was still interested. The catch? It was due to start in three weeks. The main advantage of being a reserve replacement is that I didn’t have time to panic, […]

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My leadership and learning journey

I started in the statistics profession as a statistical officer at the Ministry of Defence (MOD). My degree was in Sociology, and being surrounded by people so knowledgeable about statistics I felt I needed to develop my own knowledge further. My managers at the MOD were really supportive and provided funding for me to do […]

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Fast Stream: my advice for a career in the statistical service

I began my career in the Government Statistics Service (GSS) fast stream and I found it to be a fantastic start in the Civil Service. Firstly, because it gave me a range of opportunities: building a well-rounded skillset in different statistical roles moving easily across departments going out of my comfort zone in a secondment […]

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The benefits of taking on an Apprentice Data Scientist

The Data Science Degree Apprenticeship presents a wealth of opportunities for upskilling and moulding people from all sorts of different backgrounds into experienced data scientists. I have been a Data Science Apprentice at the Office for National Statistics for three months now, spending one day a week studying Applied Data Science at Cardiff Metropolitan University […]

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Thinking of a change? Think Apprenticeship!

I came to my apprenticeship in a bit of a round about way. I had done a BSc degree in the past, but that career direction wasn’t working out for me. I was looking to re-train in a more emerging field, and after taking some advice from friends, pointed me towards Data Science. Now I […]

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Apprenticeships – a great way to develop your career

I started my apprenticeship journey in 2018 and opted for the Level 4 Data Analytics. I enjoyed it so much I signed up to Level 6 at Cardiff Met in October 2020 and I am now working to towards a degree! Not something I would have thought possible when I joined Office for National Statistics […]

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Opportunities await with our Government Statistical Service Apprenticeships

As head of the Government Statistical Service (GSS), I am always looking for flexible ways to support the development of the statistics profession. I am extremely supportive of the GSS apprenticeship programmes, which offer an excellent way of diversifying skills and capability of staff and departments, whilst at the same time offering a route for […]

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My elevator pitch for taking on a Data Science Apprentice

Working as a data science degree apprentice over the last 2 years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. In a bid for managers to consider taking on a data science apprentice, I want to share my top four reasons why this is a great idea. Reason one The skills learned on the apprenticeship are more […]

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