The Data Literacy Disruption: It's Time to Change the Education Mindset

I have a dirty secret. Well, it’s not really a dirty secret to anyone who knows me, or has access to my LinkedIn profile, but there is something that haunts me occasionally. By occasionally I mean every time I look at the job market. Ready for it?

I do not have a college degree.

Gasp. The Horror.

It’s at this point friends will respond encouragingly, as friends do, and tell me my skills are commensurate with a college degree and I kickass. Then there’s the slightly condescending response that I receive as well, “But you seem so educated!”.

Yet, every time I look at job opportunities or other areas of interest, I note there is one commonality: Education, BS/MS/MBA degree required. Even more increasingly rare is the following “or equivalent work experience.”. 

The Data Literacy Movement

The reason I bring up this dirty secret, or not so dirty, I’m generally ok with it (read this post to find out why) is because of recent conversations on Data Literacy that have arisen.

Many of you have probably heard of this term, it would be hard not to hear this term now. To those who haven’t, here is what Data Literacy is according to Wikipedia:

“Data literacy is the ability to read, understand, create and communicate data as information.”

Now, I am going to say something controversial…. ready for it?

Data Literacy isn’t new. It’s been around for a long time, and it’s been a problem for a long time, it directly correlates to advancements in technology. It’s supply and demand. The demand is tech, and the supply needs to be data literate.

The thing is, Data Literacy isn’t going to go away, if anything, it’s going to increase in scope and it’s going to highlight the growing gap between those who have access to higher education and those who do not. According to the educational requirements of jobs requiring Data Literacy, I would not meet their requirements.

If we are considering Data Literacy necessary for the majority of future jobs, and need to motivate a workforce to become data literate, we need to start thinking about education differently, or we will fail.

The 67% Problem 

According to the US Census Bureau in 2016, only 33% of the US population has achieved a college degree. That leaves an astonishing 67% of the population that has not achieved a higher education degree. I am part of that 67%. There are a lot of talented people who are part of that 67%, yet these talents aren’t recognized, whether certifications, or other informal achievements, by the current job market. Education, BS/MS/MBA degree required. 

Figure 1 Source: Statista and US Census Bureau, United States. US Census Bureau; 1960 to 2016; 25 years and older

The Job Market:

Georgetown University has completed a study on educational attainment. By 2020, 35% of the job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, 30% of the job openings will require some college or an associate degree and 36% of the job openings will not require education beyond high school.

Figure 2 Source: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce analysis. (Note, Numbers may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding)

Skill Requirements:

Additionally, employers will increasingly need cognitive skills such as communication and analytics (read, data literacy skills) from job applicants rather than physical skills traditionally associated with manufacturing.

Annual Cost of Education:

The average cost to achieve this level of education, in the US, is a whopping $20K annually to attend a four year, in state, public university. The tuition does not include the cost of living associated with going to school, and affording a life beyond school to pay for room, board, etc. That cost doubles if you attend a private 4-year college. 

Figure 3 Source: Statista and US Dept. of Education 2013-2018

The Problem:

Job Market + Skill Requirements (Demand) < Cost of Education (Supply)

Part of becoming data literate, is how in debt do you want to be in order to be considered officially data literate? If only 33% of the US population is currently holding a college degree, but the requirements by 2020 are going to be 35%, plus the rising costs of education; the increase in demand will not be met within the US by the existing supply. This means, that most of jobs that are requesting data literacy skills will see a drop-off in available talent. Well, in the visible talent, there are other methods. Continue loyal reader.

Changing the Education Approach

Until higher education is accessible and affordable, and available to all, alternative education routes need to become as acceptable as current education requirements of BS/MS/MBA degree required.

There are other viable alternatives available to becoming data literate. With the rise of alternative education in the online and eLearning space, private companies are starting to bridge the education accessibility gap. With the current cost of higher education being thousands of dollars annually, the online alternatives are a minimal percentage of that generally under $1,000. 

For businesses, there will be increasingly smaller populations of a formally educated workforce that exists. The opportunity lies in altering their mindset:

1.     Level up existing workforce by investing in education through continuing education.

2.     Begin accepting continuing education certificates of completion as acceptable education requirements.

Until this problem is solved, and alternative education is seen as acceptable to the demands of business, the data literacy movement will stagnate. The risk to not accepting this is the Netflix effect. If there is one area of the workforce market that is unwilling to change, someone will come in and disrupt it.

Is Data Literacy the next disruption waiting to happen?