Qlik reveals the growth of its academic program in Australia. According to the company, since 2019, its university partnerships locally have grown by 73% and an additional 1,500 students have signed up for the program to help them prepare for the modern workforce. These numbers put Australia in the top four countries for the Qlik academic program, behind only India, the US and the UK.

The growth shows Australian tertiary students are increasingly aware of the importance of data literacy and the need for digital skills for the future, regardless of their major or area of specialisation. It also affirms Qlik’s commitment to arm students with data literacy skills required to succeed in the workplace.

This comes at a time when just 21% of the global workforce are confident in their data literacy skills, according to research by Accenture and Qlik. Studies show that data-literate organisations have benefitted from increased corporate performance, resulting in a higher total enterprise value of 3-5%.

Qlik’s program partners include Deakin University, Macquarie University, Swinburne University, University of Tasmania, and University of Technology Sydney, among others. It provides students, educators and researchers with free Qlik software and resources to prepare students for the data-driven workplace.

The program also aims to provide students with real-life experience in using data analytics tools, which is achieved through incorporating data analytics into coursework and the delivery of workshops at partnering universities.

One recent workshop saw Qlik experts conduct a session on data analytics for students completing their Bachelor of Business Analytics degree at Deakin University. The session began with an overview of the various platforms and tools available for professionals in the workplace.

Qlik experts taught students how to easily kickstart these platforms, including loading data as well as creating dashboards and apps. Ultimately, it provided students with practical hands-on experience on how professionals today are using and engaging with data in their various roles.

Paul Leahy, Qlik ANZ country manager, notes gone are the days when only data specialists or data analysts were required to be data literate. He says in the modern workforce, it’s important all employees are data literate, as data-informed decisions are being made across departments and at every level.

“As a leader in data analytics and data integration—and the founder of the Data Literacy Project—it is essential we help cultivate a data literate nation, and world, by educating tomorrow’s leaders on data analytics. As part of this program, we empower students to not only learn data skills from a theoretical standpoint, but a practical one too”, he explains.

Dominic Canestrari-Soh, lecturer at Macquarie University says that by allowing students to work with technology, which is being increasingly deployed in all types of organisations internationally, they develop skills that are in demand while getting a real understanding of what they’ll need to succeed.

“Having direct contact with industry experts through various Qlik workshops has been an invaluable experience for students. It takes their learning and engagement to a significantly higher level than would otherwise be achieved via more traditional classroom delivery approaches”, he says.

Paola Framit, accountant and former accounting student at Macquarie University, says the Qlik academic program has helped her develop practical data analytics skills, which are now essential in the workforce.

She adds: “More and more organisations require employees to report, reflect, and make timely decisions based on data. Tools like Qlik are powerful in enabling workers to analyse and draw conclusions from many different data sources. No matter your career path, data-backed critical thinking is crucial, not just to your education, but also adds immense value to the company you will go on to work for.”

Dr Van-Hau Trieu, lecturer, faculty of business and law at Deakin University, concludes: “By enabling students to work with technology that’s being deployed in large organisations across the globe, they get a real understanding of the skills required to succeed.”

The academic program’s success comes after as Qlik announced its first-ever Professor Ambassador Class of 2021. The ambassador program aims to recognise and celebrate professors who have made significant progress in developing students’ data literacy skills and in turn, prepare them for a successful career.

For more information on Qlik's academic program, watch the video here: