Budding data scientists offered placements to help expand sector in Scotland

A data science recruitment specialist will once again be working with students to identify and secure industrial placements at a broad spectrum of leading Scottish businesses.

Glasgow-based MBN Solutions will deliver a tailored suite of employability training to those undertaking a Masters qualification backed by Scotland’s publicly-funded innovation centre for data science, The Data Lab.

Last year’s programme saw students working with leading Scottish based businesses such as Aquila Insight, STV, Aggreko and Morgan Stanley For a 10-12 week work placement designed to enhance their commercial and technical and expertise.

This year’s programme has grown to 130 funded students, across 11 Scottish universities.

Organisers said the extended commitment underlined the growing recognition of the need to deliver workplace-ready data skills into Scotland’s business communities.

The programme will ensure the continued availability of some of the best workplace-ready data scientists to businesses and the public sector.

“We are proud to have been appointed again to this prestigious contract,” said MBN Solutions CEO, Michael Young. “Scotland has some of the most talented and skilled data practitioners in the world and this programme will ensure they are available, first and foremost, to Scottish businesses” .

He added: “Working in partnership with The Data Lab allows us to help find the most effective placements for these rising data stars in environments where their skills can make a transformational difference”.

All students on The Data Lab MSc are offered a paid, credit-bearing industrial placement. The 40 additional places this year will all be offered their placement with organisations based throughout Scotland. This is linked to the funding and the aim of encouraging direct employment for students following their placement and creating additional jobs in the area.

Joshua Ryan-Saha, Data Lab skills programme manager, said: “The budding data post graduates will be charged with using datasets unique to Scotland to develop new insights, ideas, products, services or processes that will deliver social or economic benefit.”