This Saturday, 1,006 new Fellows embarked on the next stage of their data science and analytics journey at the DS4A / Empowerment Cohort 2 kick-off.
We are proud of all of our Fellows and their accomplishments, and are excited to triple the size of the DS4A / Empowerment community- the world's largest community of diverse data talent.
At Correlation One, we build free programs that attract the world's top data and analytics talent, and this program was no exception. We received over 25,000 applications for this Cohort and after going through a rigorous application, assessment, and interview process, we can confidently say that these Fellows are set up for success in the program and beyond.
With a 3% acceptance rate our program more competitive to get into than most Ivy League universities.
When we founded the Data Science for All program to ensure better representation in the data economy, we could not have imagined the breadth of diverse talent that we'd meet with. Here is just a snapshot of the representation among Cohort 2:
Every single Fellow in the DS4A community has a unique story and background, which also makes them uniquely qualified to represent their communities as they build data-driven products, solutions, and strategies to solve business and social challenges. We are proud to be part of their story and success.
While it is an accomplishment to make it into the program, the 14 weeks of training and project work that follows will push every candidate to excel and expand what they thought possible. Take it from one of our recent graduates, VJ, who had these words of advice to the incoming Fellows:
Training at this scale is no small feat either - we continue to improve and iterate our education model with every Cohort. To that end, the robust support system for this program is designed to provide technical guidance and career advice, to ensure success in this program and beyond.
In the words of another recent graduate, Patrick Masau:
"What I found was a community unlike anything else I had experienced, a place where I could meaningfully learn and be myself. A place where everyone was generous and wanted to see each other succeed."
Our ultimate vision with DS4A is to build an equitable data future through our training and jobs programs, and in turn we have created the most skilled, diverse, talent ecosystem in the world. This is just the beginning.
Thank you again to our sponsors and partners supporting our mission through Endowed Scholarships, Mentorship, and connections to jobs in their organizations.
If you're interested in becoming an Employer Partner to help us bridge the opportunity gap to the data-driven jobs of tomorrow, we'd love to hear from you!