Launch Tracks

From data analyst to data engineer

Start with the Data Analyst Launch Track: training with free courses, portfolio projects, an unpaid digital internship at Deeplink, and coaching until you start a qualifying job. Pass it, and you can upgrade to data engineering.

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Step 1

What the Data Analyst track includes

Training

Learn the skills employers test, with free online courses. You pay for coaching, not courses.

Portfolio projects

Build a portfolio of projects on real data or realistic cases that you can show employers.

Digital internship at Deeplink

Complete an unpaid, virtual training project based on a real Deeplink brief, using public, sample or past data, with feedback from Deeplink staff.

Coaching to your offer

A coach who reviews your work and helps you with applications and interviews until you start a qualifying job.

Two steps

Start as an analyst, then upgrade to engineering

Times are at about 20 hours a week, and each step includes a digital internship brief at Deeplink. Everyone starts with the Data Analyst track, because data engineering builds on its SQL, Python and analysis skills.

Step 1 · Start here

Data Analyst Launch Track

Find answers in data and explain them clearly, in a role Skills England classes as in critical demand.

This track suits you if

  • You like finding the story in numbers and explaining it in plain words.
  • You have a laptop you can install software on.
  • You want a graduate data analyst, BI or insight role.
Training
About 170 hours
Projects
Five projects on real data, published on GitHub
Ready to apply
in about 6.5 months
Part-time
ready to apply in about 8 months
Full programme
about 6.5 months, including the digital internship, or about 8 months part-time
Skills
ExcelSQLPower BIPythonGitHub
Ask about this track

Step 2 · Upgrade, once you pass

Data Engineering upgrade

Build the pipelines and warehouses that analysts and AI tools depend on. The next step for analysts who want to become data engineers.

This track suits you if

  • You have passed the Data Analyst track, meaning all your projects passed their reviews and you completed the digital internship.
  • You enjoy building things that work reliably, and fixing them when they break.
  • Your laptop has at least 8 GB of memory.
  • You want a data engineering or analytics engineering role.
Who can join
Students who pass the Data Analyst track
Training
About 160 hours, building on the SQL and Python from the analyst track
Projects
Four data pipelines, published on GitHub
Internship
A second digital internship brief, in data engineering, over 6 to 8 weeks
Length
about 4 months at about 20 hours a week, or about 5.5 to 6 months part-time
Price
£3,000, and your Job Payment rises by £2,000 to £6,000. Upgrade price details
Skills
PythonSQLDockerAirflowdbtSpark
Ask about the upgrade

Why data analysis

Graduate jobs are down. Data skills are in demand.

Graduate hiring has fallen and competition is fierce. Yet Skills England classes data analysts as an occupation in critical demand, and employers worldwide expect data roles to be among the fastest-growing jobs to 2030.

Down 8%

Graduate hiring fell by 8% in a year, with 140 applications for every vacancy. In July 2026, graduate job adverts were at their lowest for the time of year since the pandemic.

Institute of Student Employers, 2025; Indeed Hiring Lab, August 2026

Critical demand

In its 2025 analysis of the jobs market, Skills England classed data analysts as an occupation in critical demand, meaning substantially higher demand than usual.

Skills England, Occupations in demand 2025

Top 15

In a survey of more than 1,000 employers worldwide, data analysts and scientists were among the 15 jobs expected to grow fastest between 2025 and 2030.

World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025

49%

AI is changing the job too. Almost half of UK data and analytics job adverts on Indeed now mention AI, so it pays to be an analyst who can use AI well and check its work.

Indeed Hiring Lab, Mid-Year UK Jobs and Hiring Trends Report, August 2026

With fewer graduate jobs and 140 applications for each vacancy, employers can be choosy, even for roles in demand. So the Data Analyst track builds evidence they can see: projects on real data in SQL, Power BI and Python, a digital internship at Deeplink, and practice for the technical tests employers use. You also learn to use AI tools to work faster while checking every result yourself.

Ask about the Data Analyst trackData analyst researchData engineer research

Before you start

Is a Launch Track right for you?

  • You have a degree, or are about to finish one, in any subject.
  • You can give about 20 hours a week, or about 12 part-time.
  • You have a laptop you can install software on.
  • You are ready to do the work yourself. You can use AI tools to learn, but you must be able to explain everything you submit.

A quick check

A price rises from £40 to £50. What is the percentage increase?

Show the answer

25%. The rise is £10, and £10 is a quarter of the starting price of £40. If that felt comfortable, you are ready for the numbers in the Data Analyst track.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Do I need a background in the field?

No. The Data Analyst track starts from the basics. You need time, commitment and a laptop. The Data Engineering upgrade builds on it, so you pass the analyst track first.

How many hours a week does it take?

About 20 hours a week at the standard pace, or about 12 hours a week part-time.

Do I have to pay for courses?

No. The courses we use are free. You pay the programme fee, which covers your coaching and support, plus the Job Payment if it applies.

Can I start with data engineering?

No. Everyone starts with the Data Analyst track, because data engineering builds on the SQL, Python and analysis skills it teaches. You pass it when all your projects pass their reviews and you complete the digital internship. Then you can upgrade.

How much is the Data Engineering upgrade?

£3,000, paid before you start the upgrade. Your Job Payment also rises by £2,000, from £4,000 to £6,000, and is still due only if you get a qualifying job. See our pricing page.

Can international students join?

Yes, but plan around your visa before you commit. The Data Analyst track takes about 6.5 months, and the rules on the Graduate visa and on which jobs employers can sponsor are changing. Our guide for international students explains the dates, and your university’s international student team can advise on your own visa.

We are currently at capacity

Not sure if data is right for you?

Book a free 30-minute call. We talk through your background and goals, and help you decide whether the Data Analyst track fits and at what pace. You can still book a call to register your interest in a future round.

Book a free call