The UK Data Service recently presented at the 65th ISI World Statistics Congress in The Hague. Dr Sarah King-Hele, Training Manager for the UK Data Service, contributed to the Statistical Literacy stream with a talk titled “Developing Foundational Quantitative Data Skills for a Data Literate Population”.
The talk was co-authored by Professor Vanessa Higgins, Director of Training and User Support for the UK Data Service. The session focused on the essential role of foundational skills in enabling better and wider re-use of quantitative data for social science research and policy.
Flexible training to build confidence in foundational quantitative skills
The first part of the presentation introduced the UK Data Service’s programme of quantitative skills training, which aims to equip researchers and analysts with the competencies needed to work confidently with large-scale social and population data. These include key resources such as government-funded social survey microdata, as well as UK census and longitudinal data, which offer high-quality, policy-relevant insights.
The UK Data Service offers a range of training formats, including live online workshops and a growing suite of on-demand learning resources. These are all designed to build capacity among users of our data, covering topics such as computational social science and research data management.
A structured approach: The UK Data Service Data Skills Framework
The second half of the session introduced the UK Data Service Data Skills Framework, a tool developed to support structured skills development across the social, economic, and population sciences. The framework identifies essential data skills – with an emphasis on quantitative competency – enabling social scientists to access, analyse, manage, and archive complex population and economic data.
The framework was developed in response to an evolving data landscape characterised by the increasing availability and complexity of data sources. While foundational skills in survey and census data analysis remain critical, the framework also recognises the growing importance of being able to work across data types, and the potential for emerging technologies – such as AI and machine learning – to augment traditional methods.
Applying the framework across the data services landscape in the UK
By supporting more consistent, transparent approaches to training design and skills mapping, the framework has already informed a range of UK Data Service activities and is now being explored as a tool for cross-sector collaboration.
A recent follow-up analysis by Professor Vanessa Higgins applies the framework to examine skills gaps across ten ESRC-funded data services, offering insights into shared challenges and opportunities for building a more coherent national data skills infrastructure.
Advancing statistical literacy
The presentation formed part of wider discussions at the conference on statistical literacy and supporting statistical education in society. As the demand for evidence-based research continues to grow, foundational data skills will play a crucial role in unlocking the value of publicly funded data resources and enabling a more data-literate society.