If you’ve tried to fill a data or analytics job recently, you’re likely very aware of how competitive the market is – fundamentally there’s a shortage of all kinds of data specialists. So, some firms are thinking of training up employees who don’t have a pure data science background. Is this actually a good idea, or is it a false economy? Can people who don’t hold at least a bachelor’s degree in the fundamental concepts of the science really do the job? In this debate, we’ll be weighing up both sides of the argument:

• What does a data science degree confer on its holder that you can’t get through shorter term training?

• How people with non-analytics backgrounds can get into data science jobs?

• Can people with different backgrounds bring a new perspective, or will they just slow you down?