E is for Eskwelabs Issue 054 - Beyond biases, breaking traditions, and boosting our learners 🚀⭐
In our fifty-fourth issue, we wrap-up our exploration on the theme of freedom by breaking original thoughts we may have had about what education looks like and who should be working in data roles.
We created this newsletter to keep our alums, partners, and anyone interested in learning skills for the future of work updated and connected to our ever-growing family. If you want to read our previous issues, you can check them out here.
What old ideas do you need to break free from?
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn." —Alvin Toffler, American writer and futurist
Hi everyone, it’s Francine here! 👋 We are wrapping up June 2022 with this issue, and we’re hoping that you’re enjoying the new format! We’ve been grounding all our newsletters on the theme of “Freedom” this month and I just want to say, it’s been a liberating experience trying out something new in E is for Eskwelabs. I am already excited to share next month’s theme with you all (In fact, you got a sneak peek of it already in the last newsletter!). But before I jump into July, let’s end June on a strong note. Happy reading!
What we’re breaking free from in this issue:
🍎 Breaking free from what traditional education looks like
🔍 Breaking free from hiring biases
💪 Breaking free from our old selves to achieve "future me's" goals
READING TIME: 10 minutes
🍎 Breaking free from what traditional education looks like
Q: There are many ways to learn. True or False?
A: 100% TRUE!
What are ways in which people can learn?
Traditional Workshops
Pre-pandemic, these workshops would be done within the day or take up a couple days in your week as you gather with fellow learners in a physical space. But Zoom workshops have taken over and facilitators have had to learn on the spot to make digital spaces warm and welcoming for the topics their guest speakers will be focusing on.
Sadly, traditional workshops can be quite abstract; therefore, what learners may take away could be difficult to apply to their jobs. Also, these workshops work within a specific time frame so there’s a lot that’s not tackled. We think it’s too short of a time to learn much or dive deep into a topic or skill during these traditional workshops.
Massive open online courses (aka MOOCs)
MOOCs have been around for several years now. This sector of e-learning began with a couple hundred thousand learners and it eventually has grown to millions to this day. The way people learn via MOOCs is mostly through asynchronous content. Learners watch videos, take quizzes, submit assignments, and get the certificate generated after the course is complete.
An unspoken prerequisite for MOOCs is strong self-discipline. Learners have to motivate themselves, manage their own time, ang keep track of their assignments and discussions boards. MOOCs are known to have 2-5% completion rates.
Degree programs
Among the types of learning pathways in this list, degree programs or courses taken in colleges and universities are probably the oldest and most traditional. We are in awe of the legendary professors that grace the physical halls—and recently, virtual classrooms. But what can be a barrier for learners (whether currently employed or not) is that degree programs are expensive and usually require so much of one’s time. While it is possible to balance being a working student and a professional in the workplace, this setup can easily be harmful for one’s mental and physical health in the long-term.
Bootcamps & learning sprints
Now this last one is our favorite, particularly because Eskwelabs’ original flagship programs are the Data Science Fellowship and the Data Analytics Bootcamp. Both of these are intensive and accelerated programs. Learners complete the Fellowship in 12 weeks, while those who take the Bootcamp finish in 8 weeks.
These two programs are comprised of “sprints.” Depending on which team you’re part of inside Eskwelabs, we also call “sprints” as “data sprints” or “learning sprints.” A data sprint is a 2-week time period where learners learn from a live instructor in a Zoom class. They are broken into smaller groups and are guided by a mentor.
We’ve also adapted the “data sprint” in other ways in Eskwelabs. See our latest work with universities in this press release.
Ways Eskwelabs is breaking free from traditional education
📊 Real data projects from the industry - We design our data sprints to mimic industry scenarios, all the way from the business questions, the data sets, and the tools used in the workplace.
💼 Hands-on mentors - We make sure our mentors are available live and in real-time to help our learners academically and emotionally. Based on our alumni feedback, Eskwelabs mentors are typically the biggest game changers in their experience with us.
🤗 Cohort-based format - We put community at the center because learning shouldn’t be lonely. And it drives the learners to feel motivated and accountable! Plus, their peers are additional learning resources they can connect with during and after the program.
Data sprints in action
🖥️ Data Science Fellowship
What's music to our ears? Hearing that the Music Streaming Analytics data sprint is one of the most enjoyable ones for our Fellows. Who would've thought that creating a music recommender engine in 2 weeks in our Data Science Fellowship would make data science personal in their lives! 🎶
🖥️ Cohort 10 of the Fellowship starts on September 12, 2022. Enrol here.
Assessment exam coverage: View here
Deadline of assessment exam: August 21, 2022 (Multiple choice)
🖥️ Python Code-along Session
Data Scientist Ben Manangu, one of our Data Science Fellowship consultants, will be hosting the Python Code-along session on July 5, 2022 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM! If you're looking to enrol in the Data Science Fellowship for Cohort 10, then this real-time practice session in Zoom will be perfect for you. Python is a key skill to have before entering the program.
📊 Data Analytics Bootcamp
Burket is our 9th company partner since 2021 with whom our students do the Company Business Review with! In the Data Analytics Bootcamp, our learners provide real business value to company partners like Burket as they learn to: Conduct Exploratory Data Analysis, build Issue Trees, create a SWOT Analysis, break down a Customer Journey, design Storyboards, make SMART Recommendations, do a Data Analytics presentation.
Burket is "a business to business social network, marketplace, and SaaS rolled into a single platform called a Market Network." It's a joy to work with you, partner!
📊 Cohort 7 of the Bootcamp starts on July 18, 2022. Enrol here.
Assessment exam coverage: View here
Deadline of assessment exam: July 1, 2022 (Multiple choice)
📊 Review Session for Cohort 7
We believe in learning by doing. Our Review Session on June 30, 2022 from 7:00 - 8:00 PM is the perfect place for you to practice and prepare for the entrance assessment with potential classmates, especially if you're looking to enrol in the Data Analytics Bootcamp for Cohort 7!
🔍 Breaking free from hiring biases
REAL TALK TIME!
Q: Have you ever had a bad experience in getting a job because of what recruiters and HR professionals have seen on your social media accounts?
A: (Comment your answer as a reply to this newsletter!)
What can recruiters learn about you from your social media profile?
The question above was the data project prompt used in “Practice with Eskwelabs: Introduction to Data Scraping.”
Aside from our “Learn with Eskwelabs” type of blog posts, we now have “Practice with Eskwelabs” to represent the blog posts that are both educational and tutorial-like. The first one we want to share with you is by none other than our very own Basty Vergara, Cohort 8 Data Science Fellowship alum.
By the end of this blog post, you’ll have completed a data project of your own! Basty begins with a friendly introduction on the what and why behind data scraping or web scraping. Then, he follows along with the demo of Albert “Bash” Yumol, aka Basty’s data idol and Eskwelabs’ former Data Science Lead.
Here’s to your first data project! Happy practicing!
3 Myths about what kind of people should be in data roles | Time to debunk them!
Myth 1: You need to be from a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) background to get into tech or the world of data.
Riz Comia, Cohort 3 Data Analytics Bootcamp alum, did her undergraduate studies in Communications and Business. Excel, Power BI, SQL and Google Data Studio were really out of her comfort zone, she says in this testimonial video. Can you guess her favorite data sprint in the program? The CO2 Emissions data sprint—This one was heavy on Power BI and data visualizations!
Listen to Riz’s story here. (4 min watch)
Now we know: Anyone can learn data. There’s no specific background or degree that’s required.
Myth 2: People with technical skills should be prioritized in hiring for data roles over those people who score higher on their soft skills.
Arden Sarmiento, Cohort 3 Data Analytics Bootcamp alum, shares the importance of having a growth mindset in this testimonial video. He talks about how Eskwelabs spends time to develop the learners’ soft skills, too—Skills like time management, public speaking, and collaboration.
Listen to Arden’s story here. (5 min watch)
Now we know: The argument should never be about hard skills > soft skills or even soft skills > hard skills. BOTH matter.
Myth 3: Creatives are allergic to math and data. Creatives and data don't mix.
Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec are information designers who have popularized the literal art of blending creativity and data skills. We’re sharing this resource with you especially since the Eskwelabs Creatives team—a small group of artists—has been fangirling over their work for a while now. Giorgia and Stefanie serve as our inspiration!
Check out the Dear Data project here.
Now we know: There is no such thing as a “data allergy.” Creatives love data, too!
Careers at Eskwelabs | Time to join our mission!
Are you a data professional who wants to democratize data skills? Are you an educator who wants to contribute to a more data-driven world? We have lots of part-time and full-time positions where you can contribute. Check out our job board here.
💪 Breaking free from our old selves to achieve "future me's" goals
Future You: Eskwelabs Scholar
DATA FOR GOOD SCHOLARSHIP | Using data for good is more than an adventure, it's a mission! When used for good, data can solve humanitarian issues. Let's prevent future pandemics from happening, let's protect species from becoming endangered, let's help our people rebuild after natural disasters. Let's design the future we want with the data that we have.
ARAL-ARAL SCHOLARSHIP | All our alumni are Eskwelabs ambassadors, but the impact our Aral-Aral Scholars can make is on another level! As an Aral-Aral alumni scholar, you will get to service the growing community of data enthusiasts in our country by joining Eskwelabs' data education curriculum planning and teaching efforts!
❤️ Give in to that voice in your heart. Apply to be Eskwelabs' Data for Good Scholar or Aral-Aral Scholar.
Scholarship FAQs: https://eskwe.link/DSFScholarship | Application deadline is on August 10, 2022!
Future You: Eskwelabs Content Creator
Be like Basty Vergara (Cohort 8 alumni Fellow) and write for Eskwelabs! Here is Basty’s newest “Learn with Eskwelabs” blog post on Random Forest.
What does a forest have to do with banking, e-commerce, healthcare, and the stock market? 🌳 WAIT! We’re talking about “Random Forest,” which is an ensemble machine learning algorithm. 🖥️
Use this algorithm to...
💳 Detect credit card fraud and segment customers
🏥 Predict cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even breast cancer
💰 Conduct sentiment analysis on the market and detect bitcoin price
🛍️ Optimize search rankings, prices, and product recommendations
📖 Learn the what, why, and how behind Random Forest. Happy reading!
That’s it for our fifty-fourth issue of the newsletter! We hope you learned something new and enjoyed. 😊
What did you think of this format? Let us know here. See you in your inbox on July 1 for the July 2022 theme reveal email!
💌 Cheering you on always,
Francine
Learning Community Manager at Eskwelabs