The Office for National Statistics in Newport is welcoming its second group of apprentices this week, six months after opening its new multi-million pound Data Science Campus.

The new recruits are among the UK's first data science apprentices and will become part of the ongoing technological transformation of ONS. Substantial new investment is enabling to the Newport-based organisation to overhaul the UK's key economic statistics, making data on topics including prices, jobs and trade to be faster and more detailed.

The seven new apprentices, aged between 18 and 23, are mainly from the Gwent area and have arrived straight from completing their A-Levels or university.

Newport resident Darnell Wilkinson was attracted by the opportunity to continue with structured learning in his hometown.

He said: “When I graduated from my degree in Economics at Cardiff University I knew I wanted to continue learning, but didn’t want to go back to university, so I looked at different training pathways within the civil service.

"That’s when I saw the Data Science Apprenticeship at the ONS - not only was it right on my doorstep, it was also a fantastic opportunity to really make a difference across the UK, by working with policy making organisations such as the cabinet office and Welsh government”.

ONS head of apprenticeships Alison Adams said: “This is an exciting time for apprenticeships in general, but to be at the cutting edge of forging a new path for people to follow is really rewarding. And it’s not just data science, the ONS also offers a range of different apprenticeship types, from business administration to leadership and management. We have also recruited data analyst apprenticeships across business areas in the organisation”.

Since opening, the DSC has welcomed key figures including Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and media commentators all of whom have been impressed by the campus’ and its work.

ONS recently signed partnership agreements with the Alan Turing Institute - the UK's official data science institute, international partners including Statistics Netherlands as well as universities and commercial organisations. Exciting projects are currently underway with multiple government departments including the ONS, Cabinet Office, Defra, Welsh Government and Bank of England.