The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

77 However, Egami is not the only student to have boosted her data analytics skills with the help of the programme. Another is Mario Lacerda, who says he learned a range of other valuable skills too. “Any level of technical capability you might have pales in comparison to your willingness to work with others and learn something new,” he says. “You might be the best coder on your block, but if you don’t work well with others, you’re not going to find very many doors open to you. The other thing I discovered is that information is great and insights are even better, but they’re not worth much if they aren’t actionable. Anything you bring to the table as far as data analysis and exploration must have next steps.” Student enrolment on the Data Analytics Career Track is increasing. The monthly cohort size has grown 280 per cent since it first launched in August 2019. Tambay attributes i ts popularity to Springboard’s human-centric approach to learning. “We understand that it’s tough to change careers and learn new skills, so we support our students every step of the way,” he says. “We match each one with a personal mentor – an industry professional working in their chosen field – who provides weekly feedback to keep the student motivated and on track.” Egami credits her personal mentor with giving her the confidence to learn topics and skills on her own. “I’d never taken an online course and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to complete it because there was a lot of self-directed learning, but my personal mentor supported me throughout,” she says. “Springboard also provided various chan- nels where I could ask other students for help.” Another big draw for many of Springboard’s students is that they are guaranteed to find a job within six months of graduation. “We’ve pioneered a learning model that has enabled thousands of successful career tran- sitions into the most in-demand technology fields,” says Tambay. “Unlike most online learn- ing companies, we focus on employability and supporting our participants to get hired after graduation. Since Springboard was founded, 94 per cent of our eligible graduates have secured a job within one year, earning an average salary increase of $26,000.” The job guarantee plus the short duration of the course were two of the main factors that Students are matched with a personal mentor who supports them with their studies and provides industry expertise