New Data Literacy Training and Certification program to build organisation-wide data competence

Gary Allemann – MD at Master Data Management

Master Data Management partner, eLearningCurve, has recently launched a Data Literacy Certification (DLC) that provides a solid foundation for organisations to understand the many dimensions of data ranging from data and databases to data management, data analysis, and data science.

Data literacy is the ability to understand, find meaning, interpret, and communicate using data, and has evolved into a necessary skill set for anybody working in business today, as well as a must for any organisation to remain competitive. Once the domain of technical professionals, data skills are now a part of nearly every job role.

 “We expect information to be a business differentiator. Yet, in practice, only 25% of workers feel they use data effectively in their jobs, and only 21% of workers feel confident in their overall data literacy skills. It doesn’t matter how much data your business collects if your staff and decision-makers are not equipped to use it effectively. Our data literacy training will give your workforce the skills that your business needs to thrive in the digital economy,” says Gary Allemann, MD at Master Data Management.

According to Arkady Maydanchik, Director for Enterprise Solutions at eLearningCurve, data literacy is a differentiator between companies that thrive and those that struggle to survive. Recent studies find that organisations with aggressive data literacy training programs outperform those who have not prioritised data literacy.

“Our customers asked us to extend our existing data management training program to support everyday knowledge workers, as well as the data management specialists that already rely on us to build their expertise. Smaller companies can purchase individual data literacy bundles, while larger customers can purchase an annual corporate license for the material of each course to rollout access across the enterprise,” says Maydanchik. “Certifications allow staff to test their understanding of, and ability to apply the course material, and provide metrics for adoption to managers and skills and development teams.”

The program is split into 12 topics mapped to the Data Literacy Body of Knowledge. For each topic, eLearning have a ‘Basics’ module (about 20 minutes in length) and a ‘Beyond the Basics’ module. All Basics modules are combined into the Data Literacy Basics course with a certification exam. Beyond the Basics (BTB) modules are split into two courses: Data Literacy for Data Managers and Data Literacy for Data Analysts, each with a certification exam.

 The certification structure entails three levels of Data Literacy Certification to address the needs of various groups of knowledge workers:

• DLC – earned by passing the Data Literacy Basics exam. This level targets a broad group of students who would benefit from the baseline data literacy knowledge – basically everyone who works with data in any capacity.
• DLC Expert – earned by passing the Data Literacy Basics exam and either one of the two BTB exams. This level targets particular business analysts and managers who work more closely with data, but who are not data management professionals. It is recommended particularly for those who work in data-driven industries, such as insurance or finance.
• DLC Mentor – earned by passing all three exams and achieving at least 75% average score. This level targets students who would benefit from comprehensive education and certification in all areas of Data Literacy. Those employees could help mentor and coach others and help grow data literacy throughout the organisation.