For the Initiative, being included in the DST allows it to continue providing professional support to the UK government to help strengthen the country’s data skills on a national level. It also helps the Initiative expand its mission of promoting data-driven expertise through education and research. As part of its role in the DST, the Initiative will work alongside leading global companies and institutions, such as Accenture, the Data Science Institute, the Alan Turing Institute, among many others, providing access to Bright Data’s expertise, guidance, and technology to help drive forward data-driven strategies to benefit society.
A closer look at the UK Data Skills Task Force
The DST is an independent platform, comprising of a diverse range of thought leaders from a variety of professional organizations that span industry, different levels of academia, government, and other representative groups. These leaders have been tasked with sharing their knowledge and best practices as well as brainstorming project ideas that can positively influence and potentially shape policy regarding the constantly evolving and increasingly complex national data skills landscape.
In short, the DST was established to promote the importance of data skills and analytics as well as to identify and provide opportunities to improve these skills along with digital productivity across the UK economy. Its creation is in response to recommendations set forth in a joint Nesta, Analytic Britain report.
Other DST aims include:
- Monitoring progress of data skills enhancement based on the UK government’s National Data Strategy’s recommendations – and pointing out any remaining critical gaps.
- Conducting ongoing research to keep data-focused issues and challenges relevant.
- Encouraging collaboration between DST members and the UK government.
- Introducing innovative projects that help policy-makers understand the full scale of today’s nationwide data skills gap and the crucial need to support high-quality data collection and analysis to help identify such gaps and the opportunities for skills training.
- Benchmarking and tracking levels of diversity for decision-makers so they can use data to determine where to invest support to ensure that underrepresented groups are given equal opportunity to learn data skills.
DST: A significant honor for The Bright Initiative
The invitation to participate in the DST is of great significance for the Initiative and Bright Data. This honor comes after more than a year in which The Bright Initiative, has been working with the UK government’s National Data Strategy (NDS) to help realize its social and economic ambitions by helping to bridge the country’s nationwide data skills gap. The Initiative has been offering services, advice, and expertise to a range of partners, including the UK’s Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).
Looking forward, by serving on the DST, the Initiative can continue adding value to the UK government by helping it implement its vision of creating opportunities for data skills enhancement and strengthening its commitment to ethical data usage and skills transparency across the British economy and society.
Potential to make an even greater data-driven impact
Bright Data CEO Or Lenchner has previously articulated his utmost respect for the UK government’s efforts, specifically through the NDS, to lead the way in exploring the potential of effectively using online data to create positive social and economic impact. The DST only strengthens the government’s efforts and potential for success.
Both the NDS and DST are important in that they offer a unique opportunity for different parts of industry, the public sector, and academia to engage with one another and work together to enhance data skills across the UK and consequently close the deficit.
As Bright Data is a leader in the global data industry, and given the company’s UK ownership, it goes without saying that both Bright Data and the Initiative are honored and committed to continuing to play such a supportive role in helping make the NDS, as well as the DST a success. Doing so is not only good for the UK but also the global economy as a whole, especially considering the increased need worldwide for high-quality data and data skills.