Training Manager Masters Microsoft Excel with Data Essentials

Hear from Sean Johnson, Training & Improvement Manager 👇🏼

“I’m always looking to improve. In terms of what I can do, how I can be more efficient, how I can be more organised, and how I can make my life at work a little bit easier. The programme is definitely enabling me to do that.”

>> Take a look at our Level 3 Data Essentials apprenticeship programme <<

Tell me about your role as a Training and Improvement Manager and your daily duties & responsibilities.

I work within the Sales department. Currently, I oversee the majority of our staff development opportunities and take the lead on assigning these.

My main responsibilities include identifying and assessing internal training needs, coordinating and overseeing the implementation of training programmes, scheduling training sessions, and evaluating the effectiveness of training programmes through feedback, evaluations, and performance.

Essentially, my role involves a lot of training and coaching. This could be new starters in the Recruitment department or top-up sessions with existing team members to refresh knowledge and understanding.

Why did you choose to enrol on a Data Essentials apprenticeship?

I chose to enrol on the Data Essential programme because I felt the skills and knowledge I would acquire from the programme would help me become more efficient and effective in various areas of my role.

I saw this as an opportunity to progress further in my career.

How has the Data Essentials apprenticeship contributed to your technical skills development?

In terms of technical skills, so far the Data Essentials programme has helped me understand the different types, formats and structures of data and how data can flow within the digital domain.

I was taught how to use basic Microsoft Excel functions in school, but at 32, it’s fair to say I’d long forgotten how to use them. Just half way through the programme, I am now confident with Excel and a wide range of functions and formulas within this.

My data visualisation skills have also improved as I am now able to use a variety of visuals to show my data in various formats. Before the programme, I had never really heard much about data validation before. Essentially, when you’re collaborating on spreadsheets, the validation rules will stop others putting in data they shouldn’t, or putting data in in the wrong format.

How does data help drive success within your organisation?

Before we introduced the Business Intelligence team, there was a lot of guesswork in our growth and training strategies.

Now, we are lucky enough to have an in-house Business Intelligence team, and the improvements we have made because of them have been undeniable. We can gain insights into all our business areas, and make appropriate changes to procedures and processes, that are backed by tangible data.

Having essential Data skills within other departments in the business (outside of our Business Intelligence team) empowers us to collect, analyse, and visualise the data that is important to us, rather than going back and forth with the BI team.