Experian asks: Do you have a data scientist's brain?

Experian is launching an initiative to attract workers into the data industry with a series of “hard data” puzzles designed to test the core skills firms look for in data-specific roles, such as data analysts, data scientists and data engineers.

With the UK Government suggesting up to 234,000 roles requiring hard data skills will be needed for UK companies, the challenge aims to encourage more people to consider careers working in data science.

Despite being worth up to £73.3 billion to the economy, the UK’s data industry faces a recruitment crisis. Research from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport in 2021 found that almost half of businesses (48%) are recruiting for roles that require hard data skills, but many (46%) have struggled to recruit for these roles in the previous two years.

Experian chief data officer Jonathan Westley said: “This challenge is a great indicator of the extent to which someone’s brain is geared towards solving data problems. We’ve designed it so that anyone puzzles can have a go, and creative thinking and logic will go as far as experience in helping find the answers.

“Our hope is that by helping people think outside the ‘traditional’ routes into a data career, we can help encourage a more diverse cohort of future data scientists into this exciting and thriving sector.

“The UK is a great place to work in data. From healthcare and education to entertainment, sports coaching and fashion, a huge range of industries now require an element of data expertise. And with some of the most exciting data companies in the world operating out of the UK, the breadth of opportunity is immense.”

For more information and to test your own brain, visit the Experian website>