Data has become an important business tool as it gives greater insight into how certain processes work, where improvements can be made and even potentially help launch a new product or service.

However, simply gathering data and storing it in a database somewhere doesn’t help. The data needs to be analysed and interpreted such that decisions can be made based on the proper analysis of the data.

To that end, Master Data Management partner eLearningCurve has launched a Data Literacy certification. This certification promises to provide a solid foundation for organisations to understand the many dimensions of data ranging from data and databases to data management, data analysis, and data science.

“We expect information to be a business differentiator. Yet, in practice, only 25 percent of workers feel they use data effectively in their jobs, and only 21 percent of workers feel confident in their overall data literacy skills. It doesn’t matter how much data your business collects if your staff and decision-makers are not equipped to use it effectively,” explains managing director at Master Data Management, Gary Allemann.

The eLearningCurve course is split into 12 topics which include a Basics module as well as a Beyond the Basics module. All Basics modules are combined into the Data Literacy Basics course with a certification exam. Beyond the Basics modules are split into two courses: Data Literacy for Data Managers and Data Literacy for Data Analysts, each with a certification exam.

“Our customers asked us to extend our existing data management training program to support everyday knowledge workers, as well as the data management specialists that already rely on us to build their expertise. Smaller companies can purchase individual data literacy bundles, while larger customers can purchase an annual corporate license for the material of each course to rollout access across the enterprise,” explains director for enterprise solutions at eLearningCurve, Arkady Maydanchik.

The firm says that it offers three levels of data literacy certification (DLC) namely:

DLC – Earned by passing the Data Literacy Basics exam. This level targets baseline data literacy and is good for anybody who works with data.

DLC Expert – Earned by passing the Data Literacy Basics exam and one of the two Back to Basics exams. This level targets particular business analysts and managers who work more closely with data, but who are not data management professionals. It is recommended particularly for those who work in data-driven industries, such as insurance or finance.

DLC Mentor – Earned by passing all three exams and achieving at least 75 percent average score. This level targets students who would benefit from comprehensive education and certification in all areas of Data Literacy. Those employees could help mentor and coach others and help grow data literacy throughout the organisation.

Data is not going away anytime soon and equipping employees with the skills needed to interpret and use that data could lead to unexpected benefits for your business.

You can find out more about eLearningCurve’s certification programmes here.

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