Certification to Standardize Data Science Skill Set among Employers and Professionals
AnacondaCON — Anaconda, the most popular Python data science platform provider, introduced the Anaconda Data Science Certification, giving data scientists a way to verify their proficiency and organizations an independent standard for qualifying current and prospective data science experts.
“The Anaconda Data Science Certification comes at a time when there is strong demand for data science skills and a shortage of qualified data scientists across all sectors of the economy,” said Anaconda SVP of Customer Success, Lance Ransom. “To fill this gap, the market has needed a formal way of benchmarking data science skills. Anaconda’s unique position and expertise in Python data science and machine learning have enabled us to establish an industry standard around what it means to be a data scientist today.”
Data science will be a critical skill in the coming decade, as innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence continue to advance. To compete, organizations are looking to upskill existing teams and actively recruit qualified data scientists. A 2017 report from MIT Sloan Management Review found that 49 percent of companies are actively working to become more data driven and 17 percent rely on analytics for strategic insights and innovative ideas. A 2017 report from IBM found that demand for data science skills increased 40 percent in 2016.
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Meanwhile, the roles and educational backgrounds of data scientists are shifting. An annual survey from Burtch Works reported that it is becoming more common to see many data science professionals on a large team with differing backgrounds and education levels, and that continuous education for these professionals is critical, since new developments are being introduced much faster than in years past.
“Anaconda has played a foundational role in growing and supporting the data science community, and the new Data Science Certification fills a need in the industry,” said Hussain Sultan, consultant at Full Spectrum Analytics. “Data scientists and data science skills are at a premium. Educational programs like this that help people build and demonstrate their skills, and which set a standard of knowledge, are valuable as the market continues to expand.”
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Anaconda will make the program available through a non-exclusive partnership with DataCamp, a leader in data science education which offers skill-based training and courses from the world’s best educators.
“These are truly scalable data science certifications that go further than completion credentials. Supported by DataCamp’s technology and developed by industry leader Anaconda, these certifications can be trusted by both the data science community and employers alike,” said Jonathan Cornelissen, CEO of DataCamp.
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To earn the Anaconda Certified Professional (ACP) – Data Scientist designation, individuals must pass seven module exams and complete a comprehensive exam. The modules include:
- Anaconda ecosystem
- Data import and export
- Data manipulation and analysis
- Visualization
- Statistical analysis and inference
- Machine Learning
- Data science at scale
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