Enhancing recruitment and support with data apprenticeships

We currently have 16 members of staff undertaking data apprenticeships through our Employee Apprenticeship Scheme.

In this case study we find out how these apprenticeships are enabling Claire Lawrence and Christopher Milburn to make business efficiencies and support better decision making.

If you’d like to find out more, why not sign up and come along to a ‘no obligation’ lunchtime information session about data apprenticeships on Thursday 13 February? Email employeeapprenticeshipscheme@essex.ac.uk to book a space.

Claire Lawrence: Optimising student recruitment

Problem: Claire’s role within the Marketing and Student Recruitment team involves providing critical data and insights to support efforts in attracting and enrolling students. The challenges include managing varied data sets and addressing internal queries efficiently to enhance recruitment strategies.

Project: Claire has significantly improved her data analysis efficiency through her apprenticeship. By utilising advanced Excel functions, particularly pivot tables and automatic calculations, she has streamlined her workflow. Additionally, Claire managed the HESA data purchase and developed a quick-turnaround dashboard to support departmental needs.

Impact: Claire's proactive approach and enhanced skills have led to tangible improvements for the Marketing and Student Recruitment team. Key impacts include:

• Significant time savings, estimated at around 30 minutes per month from improved survey analysis processes, as well as an hour saved by creating bespoke dashboards.
• Increased confidence in delivering tailored data views that empower colleagues to make independent, informed decisions.
• Enhanced targeted recruitment strategies that optimise advertising spend and facilitate better adaptability to market trends, which should ultimately lead to an improved Return on Investment (ROI) as the university refines its recruitment approaches.

"I have become more confident in creating tailored data views that also allow my colleagues to self-serve their own needs."

Christopher Milburn: Enhancing student support

Problem: We needed to improve the management of the Hardship Fund due to inefficiencies in the application process and delayed response to student financial needs. The existing analytical methods were time-consuming, limiting the team's ability to engage proactively with vulnerable student demographics.

Project: Christopher created an initial Power BI dashboard that displays monthly and year-to-date statistics for the Hardship Fund. This dashboard is designed to save 4-5 hours of managerial time each month by automating the reporting process. It incorporates demographic data, enabling the Funding Team to identify and reach out to students who may require extra support. Christopher is currently honing his data analytics skills through the integration of internal data from platforms like Blackbullion and external insights from the Office for National Statistics.

Impact : The dashboard's implementation will greatly improve decision-making and fund allocation efficiency. The expected ROI includes a time saving of approximately 60 hours annually for managerial staff, enhanced accessibility to financial support for students, and an anticipated increase in student satisfaction and retention rates. By streamlining the application process, the university can respond more effectively to emergent financial needs, ultimately strengthening its student support framework.

“As I continue to build on this expertise, I look forward to creating meaningful business impact. I am confident that these capabilities will lead to measurable outcomes in the near future.ˮ