Apprentice (Data Scientist)

Summary

Our apprentices enjoy a generous salary, 26 days of leave (excluding bank holidays), a £500 driving lesson contribution, and more. With a dedicated mentor and manager, you'll be supported every step of the way. We ask that you're eager to learn, work well in a team, and manage your time and workload effectively.

Wage

£20,000 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Yearly increase.

Training course

Data scientist (integrated degree) (level 6)

Hours

Monday - Friday, 37 hours, times to be confirmed.

37 hours a week

Possible start date

Wednesday 3 September

Duration

4 years

Positions available

1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

As an Apprentice Data Scientist, you’ll learn how to:

Collaborate with regulatory and operational teams to understand data requirements, set up processes, identify trends, and deliver actionable insights
Gather, clean, and preprocess large datasets to ensure accuracy/quality and consistency for analysis
Develop skills in statistical analysis and create insightful reports to support regulatory submissions and compliance tracking
Gain experience in building clear and informative dashboards and visualizations using tools like Power BI or Tableau to communicate findings effectively
Work with databases, to retrieve, manipulate, and manage structured and unstructured data
Use programming languages like Python or R to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and implement machine learning models for predictive analytics.

Where you’ll work

Haweswater House

Warrington

Cheshire

WA5 3LP

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LIMITED

Your training course

Data scientist (integrated degree) (level 6)

Equal to degree

Course contents

Identify and clarify problems an organisation faces, and reformulate them into Data Science problems. Devise solutions and make decisions in context by seeking feedback from stakeholders. Apply scientific methods through experiment design, measurement, hypothesis testing and delivery of results. Collaborate with colleagues to gather requirements.
Perform data engineering: create and handle datasets for analysis. Use tools and techniques to source, access, explore, profile, pipeline, combine, transform and store data, and apply governance (quality control, security, privacy) to data.
Identify and use an appropriate range of programming languages and tools for data manipulation, analysis, visualisation, and system integration. Select appropriate data structures and algorithms for the problem. Develop reproducible analysis and robust code, working in accordance with software development standards, including security, accessibility, code quality and version control.
Use analysis and models to inform and improve organisational outcomes, building models and validating results with statistical testing: perform statistical analysis, correlation vs causation, feature selection and engineering, machine learning, optimisation, and simulations, using the appropriate techniques for the problem.
Implement data solutions, using relevant software engineering architectures and design patterns. Evaluate Cloud vs. on-premise deployment. Determine the implicit and explicit value of data. Assess value for money and Return on Investment. Scale a system up/out. Evaluate emerging trends and new approaches. Compare the pros and cons of software applications and techniques.
Find, present, communicate and disseminate outputs effectively and with high impact through creative storytelling, tailoring the message for the audience. Use the best medium for each audience, such as technical writing, reporting and dashboards. Visualise data to tell compelling and actionable narratives. Make recommendations to decision makers to contribute towards the achievement of organisation goals.
Develop and maintain collaborative relationships at strategic and operational levels, using methods of organisational empathy (human, organisation and technical) and build relationships through active listening and trust development.
Use project delivery techniques and tools appropriate to their Data Science project and organisation. Plan, organise and manage resources to successfully run a small Data Science project, achieve organisational goals and enable effective change.

Your training plan

Your apprenticeship will last 48 months, and successful apprentices will achieve a Data Scientist (integrated degree), Level: 6 standard, endorsed by the Institute for Apprenticeships.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths, English and a Science or Technology subject (grade A*-C or 9-4)

A Level in:

3 apprenticeship/BTEC/A-levels (grade A Level = 104 UCAS points)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
IT skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Presentation skills
Administrative skills
Number skills
Analytical skills
Team working
Initiative

Other requirements

If offered a job, pre-employment checks are required before confirmation. Employment is subject to a satisfactory report from Disclosure Scotland/Disclosure and Barring Service. Apply for only one apprenticeship and explain your choice during the assessment. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

About this company

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. Our purpose is to provide great water and more for the North West. We deliver 1.8 billion litres of water a day to more than 3 million homes and businesses in the North West, as well as treating all the wastewater which disappears around the U-bend. Keeping the region flowing relies on a vast behind the scenes operation, involving hundreds of reservoirs, treatment works and pumping stations; thousands of kilometres of water pipes and sewers and a 5,000 strong workforce.

After this apprenticeship

Data Scientist. The qualifications and experience gained on this Apprenticeship will allow you to apply for further roles within this sector.

Why choose us to kickstart your career?

Secure your future – Every apprentice is guaranteed a permanent position at the end of their scheme*
A springboard to your career – You’ll receive structured training, a dedicated mentor, and high-quality learning to help shape your career
Inspire the next generation – You’ll have the chance to represent United Utilities at key events across the region, engaging with young people to bring careers in the water industry to life
Reward and benefits – There are lots of perks, including a starting salary of £20,000, which will increase each year based on performance
Be part of the UU family – You’ll have the chance to network, bond, and learn from your colleagues and fellow apprentices

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BPP PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LIMITED

UUEarlyCareers@uuplc.co.uk

03301754408

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000298076.

Apply now

Closes in 26 days (Wednesday 19 February)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

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