New LIDA CPD courses help professionals build confidence with data
The Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA) is expanding its professional development offering with a new suite of online CPD courses designed to help professionals develop practical data skills and make more confident, evidence-based decisions in the workplace.
Delivered in partnership with the University of Leeds, the new Applied Data Science and Analytics CPD suite provides flexible, 15-credit courses that can be studied individually or combined over time. The courses are designed for working professionals, with fully online, part-time study that can fit around existing work and personal commitments.
The first course, Getting Started with Data, is aimed specifically at professionals who are new to quantitative methods. It provides an accessible introduction to data science, analytics and data interpretation, with no prior experience in mathematics, statistics or programming required.
Making data more accessible
The course is taught by experts from LIDA, the University of Leeds’ home for data science, including Professor Paul Baxter and Dr Jenny Sexton. Both bring extensive experience of teaching data skills and helping learners develop the confidence to work with data in real-world settings.
Professor Baxter highlights the importance of understanding the thinking behind data tools, rather than simply learning how to use software.
“Today, it’s more important than ever to understand the thinking behind the tools – not just the software itself. That’s what allows you to question results, recognise bias, and make better decisions,” he says.
The course therefore focuses on practical application and interpretation rather than complex mathematics. Learners work with real-world examples and develop the ability to understand, question and apply information from data visualisations, reports and dashboards.
Dr Jenny Sexton, Data Science Lecturer at LIDA and course leader for Getting Started with Data, says the aim is to give learners the confidence to engage critically with data.
“We want to equip learners with the core foundational skills and confidence to recognise and question the assumptions, choices, and limitations behind any data science model,” she says. “Building hands-on practice into every unit means learners finish the module able to contribute meaningfully to data-driven decisions in their work.”
A flexible approach to professional development
Getting Started with Data can be completed in eight weeks and is delivered entirely online. The course combines structured learning, practical activities, feedback and opportunities for discussion and peer learning, supporting professionals to develop their skills progressively alongside their existing commitments.
The wider CPD suite offers different entry points for professionals at different stages of their data journey. Alongside Getting Started with Data, Data Management & Governance is designed to help non-technical professionals oversee data and AI initiatives, with a focus on data systems, governance and responsible decision-making.
Further courses in Data Project Planning and Environmental Data Analytics are also in development, giving professionals more opportunities to build specialist data capabilities aligned with their roles and career ambitions.
Building data capability for the workplace
The new courses build on LIDA’s established commitment to developing data science capability across academia and industry. LIDA already offers a range of introductory, intermediate and advanced training courses for academic and non-academic researchers, covering areas including R, data science, GIS, spatial methods and causal inference.
The new online CPD courses extend this approach to a broader professional audience, supporting people who increasingly need to work with data as part of their roles – whether or not they are data specialists.
By combining the expertise of LIDA academics with flexible online learning, the courses aim to make data skills more accessible and relevant to professionals across sectors.
Find out more about LIDA’s CPD and training opportunities and explore the new Applied Data Science and Analytics CPD suite.