Introduce yourself
Hi! I’m Scott Daley I work for The Ministry of Defence as a Programme Data Manager. I am currently on the Level 4 Data Analyst Apprenticeship and started in September 2024.
Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?
I was drawn to this opportunity as I am looking to improve my skills and CPD with the ambition to obtain a degree. This stood out to me as my previous roles were in Commercial/ Contract Analysis, I wanted to improve my understanding of Project Analysis coming into my current role so I could go above and beyond to provide data driven insights to my department. I attended an open forum hosted by Martin internally to MOD and I fell in love with it.
What have you learned so far?
My bread and butter is Power-BI and Excel, I love these tools and have used them in various roles throughout MOD. I had some experience with Power Platform but had no Machine Learning experience. I’m nearly at the EPA stage of the Apprenticeship, I am now a fully-fledged Power Platform Developer, implementing tools inside and outside of work utilising Dataverse.
Any interesting projects you’ve worked on at the MOD as a result
Prior to me starting the apprenticeship, I was asked to improve the data quality and management of our portfolio. Using this as a baseline I identified 3 areas that needed to be focused on, Project/ Programme Management; Artefact Management & Approval and Financial Analysis. After creating a prototype dashboard with the data I was given, I was able to provide a concept, and Power-BI Data Model that are being used to migrate our Portfolio Data to Dataverse to improve Data Security, Management, Quality and Accessibility. Now I am working towards a tool that can be deployed across the Enterprise into the Front-Line Commands to support their Portfolio Management.
How has it impacted your day-to-day role?
Massively, my tutor Scott Owens knows all too well how this is has impacted me, I can’t stop saying how much I see the benefit of this Apprenticeship and Hacks. I am more confident in my abilities and the work I am doing is impacting people and I am already seeing this. I can produce work faster, smarter and more automated.
Which ProjectHack did you attend?
I have attended 2 Hacks so far, #ProjectHack24 and #ProjectHack25. I am proud to say that I was part of the 1st Place winning Team from #ProjectHack24. Both hacks I have dabbled in the Assurance Challenges. I normally aim for the MOD sponsored ones, as I find these to be more challenging and I know that any of the solutions would benefit MOD, and I would like to be a part of a team that could change the way that they approach data challenges.
What did you enjoy most about the event?
Even though we placed 1st at #ProjectHack24 I found that I enjoyed #ProjectHack25 more. Working closely with another apprentice Laura whom I teamed up with last year. We joined forces again and made a really good solution that has caught the eye of a few Senior Leaders in MOD. I was lucky enough to be a guide for the VIPs during the 2 days and was chosen to be part of a discussion with Senior Leaders from the MOD to showcase the Apprenticeship so they can see the ROI.
Did you learn something new or come away with a memorable moment?
I have learnt not to be afraid to get stuck in, even if you are unsure of the challenge. It is a great opportunity for you to go into the challenge with the view I want to write an LLM, the opportunity is there. Don’t forget to READ THE HACK PACKS BEFORE THE DAY! This will help with choosing a challenge to tackle. A memorable moment, is winning a #ProjectHack on my first go round.
What are you most looking forward to during the rest of your apprenticeship?
Completing my project work, I love data and developing solutions to tackle these problems, and I can’t wait to show off what I have achieved and how this is improving my departments outputs. And attending #ProjectHack26 in October!
Any future career goals or areas you want to explore?
Since I started this journey, I have known that I want to continue higher education, getting a BSC / MSC equivalents (hopefully these can be funded), by partaking in the Level 7.
Would you recommend the apprenticeship (and ProjectHack) to others?
100% yes! There are teething problems, but you will find that with any activity undertaken but, use this to your advantage and become a voice for change and see the bigger picture, see the ROI and become the best version of yourself!
Any advice for someone just starting their journey?
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, use the Hacks to help you whilst tackling those real-world problems. For those MOD Apprentice’s drop me a line if you want to troubleshoot anything or just chat my door is open.
