Public Sector Data for Smarter Work Programme

The Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship develops professionals who collect and process data under the guidance of senior colleagues, helping teams use data more accurately, securely and effectively. Typical job titles include Data support analyst, Data technician, Junior data analyst and Junior information analyst.

It also develops the human-centred and professional practice skills needed to make data useful in real work, including communication, judgement, consistency and trust.

The programme is aligned to University of Birmingham’s 21st Century Public Servant research, which highlights the importance of digital confidence, adaptability, communication, relationships and working across complexity in modern public service work.

That is why the programme combines practical data capability with judgement, communication, trust and continuous improvement, rather than treating data work as a purely technical discipline.

The Public Sector Data for Smarter Work Programme, delivered through the Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship, develops practical capability to collect, prepare, check and communicate data confidently and responsibly across public sector environments.

Participants also strengthen communication, judgement, stakeholder support and continuous improvement capability, helping them make data more reliable, more usable and more valuable in everyday public service work.

The Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship is suitable for people working across junior data, reporting, support and information roles. It is especially relevant for earlier-career employees and support roles where people need to handle data carefully and help others use it effectively. 

The Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship prepares people to work with data through practical tasks such as sourcing data, formatting datasets, checking quality, combining sources, building tables and charts, storing data securely and helping colleagues use findings in real work.

In public services, that can mean supporting reporting, service data, resident information, operational workflows or management information that helps teams make better day-to-day decisions.

No. The Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship is not a specialist engineering programme. It is designed for people working in practical, business-aligned data roles rather than advanced technical roles.

The focus is on collecting, preparing, checking and communicating data, plus using AI tools safely where useful to improve everyday work.

Yes. The Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship is fully fundable through the Apprenticeship Levy, with a funding band of £12,000.

It gives public sector employers a levy-funded route to build practical data and AI capability alongside the human-centred management capability needed to improve trust, communication and everyday performance.

FTL delivers the Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship as a 12-month programme with 12 applied missions, followed by end-point assessment readiness. The current occupational standard is in revision nationally, but remains live for delivery.

Participants typically commit around four hours per week of protected learning time while applying learning directly in role.

Participants achieve the Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship, aligned with the national occupational standard.

Many data courses focus only on tools or isolated technical tasks. The Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship focuses on applying data work in real organisational contexts, including data quality, secure handling, communication, support for decisions and continuous improvement.

It also develops the professional habits that make data work more useful in practice, including judgement, consistency, stakeholder communication and trust.