Baltic Apprenticeships has partnered with the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) to give data apprentices the opportunity to develop financial and commercial knowledge alongside their digital and analytical skills.
Through the partnership, relevant AAT learning will be introduced into Baltic’s data apprenticeship provision, giving learners the opportunity to strengthen their financial capability based on their role and development needs.
The additional learning will cover areas ranging from financial fundamentals through to commercial finance, profitability and business performance, helping learners build a stronger understanding of the commercial context behind the data they work with.
BRINGING DATA AND FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TOGETHER
Data plays an increasingly important role in how organisations understand performance and make decisions. Being able to analyse information effectively, however, is only part of the picture.
For data professionals, understanding the financial and commercial context behind that information can help them interpret what the numbers mean for the wider organisation and communicate their findings more effectively.
That combination of skills is becoming increasingly relevant across the workforce.
Skills England’s 2026 Financial Services Sector Skills Needs Assessment identifies analysing financial data and forecasting budgets as one of the top skill areas for priority roles within the sector. It also found that these occupations require notably higher levels of both numeracy and digital literacy than the UK average.
AAT research also points to a wider need to strengthen financial capability, with 72% of respondents agreeing there is an increased need for financial skills to be combined with digital skills, while almost one in five employers identify financial literacy as a skills gap within their organisation. Further research found that three in five young people reported struggling with a financial difficulty and 83% said they wanted to know more about finances.
Tony Hobbs, CEO at Baltic Apprenticeships, said:
“Data skills are becoming fundamental to how organisations understand performance and make decisions, but being able to analyse a dataset is only part of the picture. People also need to understand what those numbers mean in a financial and commercial context.
“By working with AAT, we can bring those skills together in a way that is directly relevant to the workplace. It gives our data apprentices a broader skill set, helping them connect analysis with business performance and giving employers people who can turn information into better-informed decisions.”
SKILLS LEARNERS CAN APPLY IN THE WORKPLACE
While some data apprentices may be interested in developing careers within finance, financial capability has applications far beyond traditional finance roles.
Understanding areas such as business performance, profitability and financial risk can help data professionals put their analysis into context and contribute more confidently to conversations and decisions across their organisation.
For employers, that means developing people who can combine technical data skills with a better understanding of the commercial questions their analysis is helping to answer.
Laura Brown, Chief Commercial Officer at Baltic Apprenticeships, said:
“Employers are increasingly asking people outside traditional finance teams to work confidently with budgets, performance data and commercial information. Giving our learners practical financial knowledge alongside the data skills they are already developing helps them understand not only what the data is showing, but why it matters to the organisation.
“That can help people work more effectively across teams, have better conversations with finance colleagues and apply their analytical skills to real business challenges.”
The partnership combines Baltic’s expertise in data and digital skills with AAT’s experience in accountancy education and financial training.
Chantel Carpenter, Commercial Director at AAT, said:
“AAT’s partnership with Baltic means apprentices can build the financial capability employers are looking for alongside their digital skillset. Students will gain an understanding of core finance skills and the commercial context behind the data they work with.
“AAT research highlights the financial education lottery across schools, with many missing out despite a strong appetite to learn more. Young people, just like employers, recognise how valuable financial literacy can be. Through joint action with training providers, we can build stronger talent pipelines and address employer skills gaps.”
DEVELOPING BROADER DATA CAPABILITY
The partnership reflects Baltic’s wider approach to developing skills that learners can apply directly within their roles.
As data, finance and technology become increasingly connected, giving learners a broader understanding of the organisations they work within can help them move beyond analysing information and understand how their work contributes to business performance and decision-making.