Creating Pathways for Big Data Careers

Challenge

The United States faces a shortage of individuals in the workforce with the analytical skills needed to use big data to inform decision-making. From 2023 to 2033, the need for data scientists is projected to grow rapidly. Community colleges can play a critical role in training the workers needed to fill this gap.

Through Creating Pathways for Big Data Careers, EDC worked with four community colleges to prepare students for careers in big data. This partnership has helped develop and document pathways to big data careers and identify associate’s degrees, certificates, and four-year programs leading to employment.

Key Activities

EDC’s project team completed the following activities:

Developed an occupational profile of the data practitioner and articulated industry expectations for the big data skills, knowledge, and behaviors needed
Developed a model of stackable credentials describing pathways to data careers
Worked with community colleges to develop, expand, and/or revise programs and courses leading to data careers
Disseminated project products, as well as lessons learned, to a national and international audience of community colleges, minority-serving institutions, tribal colleges, postsecondary institutions, and business/industry representatives hiring for positions that require skills in working with big data
Conducted a study tour of European Work-based Learning Models for Data Science

Impact

Created a national career pathway model for data science by developing and/or strengthening degree and certificate programs in data analytics that can be replicated in other community colleges across the country
Supported participating colleges in developing four associate’s degree programs and seven certificate programs in data analytics, and offered 23 data courses. Three articulation agreements were developed extending the pathway into bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Maintained a connection to four college partners and included them in other projects, building a lasting cohort of colleges invested in supporting mid-level data analytics degrees to increase the supply of data science workers
Built and is sustaining a larger community of practice that is engaging and supporting over 40 community colleges in developing their own data programs