The Data Literacy Project and Qlik launch new certification for data literacy

The Data Literacy Project introduced the first globally recognised certification that will enable individuals to document and demonstrate their data literacy skills. This free certification has been developed by leading academics and data literacy specialists at Qlik, supporting the company's role in the Data Literacy Project's mission to enable individuals at every stage in their data literacy journey.

The great challenge in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not capturing data but turning it into actionable insights. Companies across all industries need employees to gain insights from data to sustain their value and drive competitive advantage. There is a significant global skills gap, with just 24% of employees worldwide confident in their ability to read, work with, analyse, and argue with data. Data skills are in high demand, with Qlik's Data Literacy Index showcasing that one-third (36%) of business leaders would be willing to pay more to data literate individuals.

This free certification, pioneered by the Qlik education team and led by Qlik's in-house academic Kevin Hanegan, is the first comprehensive measure of an individual's data literacy. Unlike the many existing technical qualifications for data analytics, data science and big data, this world-first exam will enable candidates from all walks of life to attain a physical certificate that attests they have the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly digitised workplace.

These include both hard skills like understanding and interpreting data as well as soft skills like creativity, problem-solving and communicating. The certification design leverages Hanegan's experience as a professor at the University of California and Oregon State University, along with his current work as Chief Learning Officer at Qlik, ensuring the certification reflects both business and academic requirements.

"The potential for data-informed decision making across all roles and business functions is massive," said Qlik chief learning officer Kevin Hanegan.

"Data literacy has been proven to positively impact organisations' enterprise value by up to 5 per cent, so it is little surprise that this skillset is becoming highly valued. We're excited to help individuals demonstrate their data literacy without embarking on more technical, data analytics qualifications that may not be appropriate to their level.

Following the two-hour examination, successful candidates will receive a physical certificate and a badge for their LinkedIn and CV certifying to employers their ability to read, work with, analyse and argue with data.