Bertelsmann Education Group | Gütersloh, 02/25/2020

First ‘Data Curriculum’ To Build Data Skills At Bertelsmann

Bertelsmann University’s new “Data Curriculum” provides all employees with a digital corporate training program in the field of Data for the first time. The core curriculum focuses on six data roles – from data scientist to business partner – which were developed in coordination with Corporate IT.

Whether the objective is to develop new data skills, deepen them to solve current challenges, or refresh one’s knowledge – Bertelsmann University’s new Data Curriculum offers all Bertelsmann employees a digital corporate training program in the field of Data for the first time.

“Data is the fuel for key technologies like artificial intelligence,” explains Rolf Hellermann, head of the Bertelsmann Technology and Data Advisory Board. “More and more business models are based on collecting, analysing, and visualizing relevant data and deriving business decisions from it. So developing data skills is an important matter for Bertelsmann’s future.” In the years ahead, Bertelsmann intends to become a leading user of new technologies in media and services industries, so as to develop innovative new businesses. “Upskilling, sharing expertise, and transparency in the field of tech and data are crucial to achieving this goal,” says Hellermann.

From data exploration to business decision

The core curriculum covers six data roles, from data scientist to business partner, which were developed in coordination with Corporate IT. Carsten Mönning, Corporate IT and member of the Technology and Data Advisory Board, explains: “We’ve already presented and discussed the data roles in the Bertelsmann Data Community. The ‘role’ concept was very well received. The added value is that we give structure to the complex field of professions relating to data science. The roles cover the currently typical range of activities across the entire ‘data-to-business’ process, i.e. from data extraction and transformation to data exploration and analysis, to model implementation and operation, and the visualization or communication of results.”

There is a comprehensive catalog of skills for each role, based on which learning paths with a large number of quality-assured online courses are offered. The Data Curriculum offers interested parties guidance on how to learn or develop new data skills depending on an individual’s prior knowledge and preferences. The course content is provided by top international universities, tech companies, and experts in a given field. For its new offering, Bertelsmann University is partnering with the internationally renowned providers Coursera, Udacity, and Reporting Impulse. All three offer a modern online learning experience with interactive elements, practical exercises, peer-to-peer learning, and discussion forums. Detailed descriptions of the individual data roles, learning objectives, and learning providers can be found on the Bertelsmann University website. 

“To build more data skills at Bertelsmann, it is essential to provide a corporate training program that both creates a broad-based understanding of new technologies and allows experts to deepen their knowledge,” says Steven Moran, Chief Learning Officer at Bertelsmann. “I am therefore delighted that we can now offer all Bertelsmann employees the opportunity to pursue individual development according to their abilities and skills and to acquire internationally recognized certificates and degrees. The Data Curriculum is another important component among a number of diverse initiatives at Bertelsmann, which also include the Technology and Data Advisory Board, the Udacity Technology Scholarship Program  and the Data Exchange Initiative.