Why More Educators Are Becoming Data Analysts
If you’ve ever stood in front of a classroom, you know teaching is more than delivering content, it’s coaching, communicating, interpreting performance, and inspiring growth. Today, those same core abilities, analytical thinking, storytelling, clarity, empathy—are now in high demand in the world of data analytics.
In the UK, the shift is clear: data-driven companies are booming, with over 1.5 million people employed and contributing around £343 billion in turnover, roughly 6% of the national economy. It’s no wonder that educators, seeking both challenge and impact, are leaning into this vibrant field.
1. Educators Already Have the Skill Set, They Just Need a Refresh
Teaching and data analysis share foundational responsibilities: explaining complex ideas clearly, managing groups, structuring narratives, and guiding decisions. As Michael Choeng from Crowe Australasia puts it: educators already possess strong communication, people-management, and even risk-awareness skills. They simply need to translate those into tech settings. The mindset is different, but the skillset is remarkably transferable.
2. Demand is High, Salaries Attractive, and Change Is Possible
Data analytics isn’t just growing, it’s transforming every sector. The World Economic Forum notes that by 2027, 80% of organisations are expected to adopt big data analytics. In the UK, there’s a shortage of qualified professionals: firms are recruiting for up to 234,000 data roles.
London-based salaries for data analysts typically start between £35,000 and £40,000, with experienced professionals earning above £75,000. Those are compelling figures when compared to the increasingly pressured teaching landscape.
3. Real People, Real Transitions
Elodie’s Journey (Dr Elodie Hudson)
After 16 years teaching science and holding a PhD, Elodie enrolled in the Data Analyst Career Accelerator Program. Within months, she secured a Business Intelligence Analyst role, followed by swift promotions to Lead Data Scientist and then Director of Development, all within 11 months.
Teachers on Reddit Share Their Paths
Many former educators echo stories of thoughtful, skill-filled transitions:
“Successfully made the transition from math teacher to data analyst! … Took the Google Data Analytics Professional Certification … did personal projects … 3 months to finish the course and create my portfolio, another 2–3 months applying, and landed a remote role.”
“I… left full-time teaching in the UK to become a data analyst. Self-taught SQL, Python/Pandas, and PowerBI using our school’s MIS database… made about 80 applications… landed in October.”
These stories reflect what many educators already know: they can learn fast, teach well, and transform.
4. Research & Support Structures Back the Transition
The UK’s national data strategy is actively investing in expanding the data talent pipeline. Yet, many businesses prefer to train talent internally, signaling that teaching experience, and adaptability, can open doors.
Moreover, educators are often already engaged in data-driven decision-making: analyzing student performance, planning interventions, shaping curriculum. These data skills, though traditionally applied in schools, are highly relevant in tech.
5. What Sets Fortray Apart: The Career Accelerator Difference
What sets us apart is our Career Accelerator model, designed for professionals who want structured upskilling that leads to real opportunities.
- Structured Learning, Real-World Skills – Programs focus on in-demand tools and languages like SQL, Python, Power BI, and advanced analytics, ensuring learners build exactly what industries require.
- Mentorship That Matters – Learners are guided by industry experts who help translate technical concepts into practical skills, accelerating their confidence and growth.
- Project-Based Experience – Every module includes hands-on projects that simulate real data challenges, giving learners tangible proof of their skills and a portfolio they can showcase.
- Continuous Upskilling – The Career Accelerator is designed as a journey, not a one-off course. Learners progress from foundational IT support knowledge to specialized tracks like data analytics or cybersecurity, gaining layered expertise that grows with them.
For educators transitioning into tech, this approach makes the shift seamless: it provides the structured learning they’re used to, combined with the progressive upskilling they need to thrive in a data-driven world.
6. Your Path from Classroom to Data
Step 1: Assess Transferable Strengths
Communication, storytelling, education, empathy, these all matter. These are not just nice-to-have, they’re differentiators in collaborative, stakeholder-centered data roles.
Step 2: Learn the Tools
Start with SQL, Python or R, and visualisation tools like Power BI or Tableau. Even projects like analyzing student data can be powerful portfolio pieces.
Step 3: Build a Portfolio
Turn your education insights into stories: dashboards tracking progress, predictive models for attendance, visualizations that prompted action, projects that demonstrate both technical and storytelling skills.
Step 4: Leverage Community & Career Support
Forums, mentors, peer encouragement, reducing isolation is key. Fortray builds these networks to boost motivation and accountability.
7. Final Thoughts: Teaching is Your Superpower
The world needs people who can interpret data, and then make sense of it for others. Teachers already excel at that. The shift to data analytics isn’t just viable, it’s powerful.
Fortray believes in empowering educators to step confidently into data roles, equipped, supported, and human-centered in learning.
So, if you’re considering a leap from teaching to tech, remember: you’re not reinventing yourself. You’re translating excellence into a new form. And data careers need someone like you.
