Travis Perkins is training its staff in how to better exploit all that data that the business generates – from operational data to customer data.
‘Data apprenticeships’ have been launched to improve data and analytical skills within the company. In addition to providing technical training for Python and SQL programming, the programme offers insight into how to understand data quality and manage projects, visual analytics, predictive modelling and data security, the company said. A module on ethics is included.
The training is being delivered by Multiverse, a tech training company set up by Euan Blair, son of former prime minister Tony Blair.
The first 40 Travis Perkins staff on the course come from across the group, ranging from commercial and finance to marketing and supply chain. There are plans to launch two further courses in the new year to focus on data literacy for leaders and to ensure data skills are accessible to all.
Travis Perkins information technology chief Phil Tenney said: “Data is already a key enabler for the modern construction industry and it is only going to become even more essential as we face into the opportunities around things like product provenance and sustainability alongside the ongoing need to better understand our customers.
“By upskilling colleagues, we aim to improve data literacy and analytical skills enabling our colleagues to unlock insight from our data so that they can make better informed decisions.”
Euan Blair said: “The fastest growing apprenticeships are in data, tech, and the jobs of the future. Our partnership with Travis Perkins will deliver data programmes based on intensive coaching and an applied learning experience. Data is at the heart of their operation and a vital part of the modern construction industry – this data academy will help the company embed these skills across their workforce and provide incredible opportunities for those looking to reskill.”
Travis Perkins first became an apprenticeship employer in 2012 and is now the largest provider of apprenticeships in the construction sector, it says. The company was accredited under the apprenticeship levy in 2017; since then, 580 staff have graduated. The company currently has nearly 1,000 employees enrolled on these programmes.
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