Free 10-week Data Skills Bootcamp in Oxford, with an NCFE Level 3 certificate
Full-time, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. Learn on real data, earn a regulated qualification, and finish with a portfolio and employer introductions.
- Starts
- 16 Nov 2026
- Apply by 30 October
- Length
- 10 weeks
- Two-week Christmas break
- Schedule
- Mon to Fri
- By 4pm, in-person days in Oxford
- Cost
- £0
- DWP-funded
The application takes about half a day of your time over two to three weeks. See the five stages.
Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions through the Skills Bootcamps programme.
Apply for the Oxford cohort
Start your application
Step 1 of 2: about five minutes. Step 2 is a 15 to 20 minute questionnaire.
Applications close Friday 30 October 2026. Already done step 1? Go to the questionnaire.
4.8 / 5 from 78 Google reviews
900+ learners trained
Our graduates work at
How to apply
Five stages, about half a day of your time
The Oxford cohort has 17 funded places and it is the last one we will run in Oxfordshire under this contract. The application takes about half a day in total, spread over two to three weeks, so that the people who start are the people who will finish and go on to land a role.
- 1
Apply online
About 20 minutesA short form, then a questionnaire about your eligibility, availability and job-search plans. Apply by Friday 30 October 2026.
- 2
Information session
About 45 minutes, onlineMeet the team, see how the ten weeks run, and ask anything before you commit. You will be invited once your application is in.
- 3
Century assessments
Up to 90 minutes, in your own timeThree short online assessments in maths, English and digital skills. No preparation needed; they show us where you are now so we can support you.
- 4
Interview
About 30 minutes, online, 26 October to 6 November 2026A short group briefing, then a friendly 15-minute conversation about your background, your goals and what has brought you here.
- 5
Offer and onboarding
Offers out by Friday 6 November 2026You sign a learner agreement, complete onboarding, join a kickoff session and start on Monday 16 November 2026.
Key dates
- Apply by
- Friday 30 October 2026
- Interviews
- 26 October to 6 November 2026
- Bootcamp starts
- Monday 16 November 2026
- Bootcamp ends
- Friday 5 February 2027, with a two-week break over Christmas
Who it is for
You can apply if you…
- Aged 19 or over
- Live or work in Oxfordshire
- Have the right to live and work in the UK
- Free full-time for the ten weeks from Monday 16 November 2026, including in-person days in Oxford
- Not on another full-time course, and no Skills Bootcamp this funding year
- Serious about a data role, and about working the job search with us
The funder sets these rules. The questionnaire checks them in the first few questions, so you know where you stand early.
What's included
Everything you need to land the role
- Our simulated workplace with 500M+ rows of real data
- NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Data on completion
- One-to-one coaching and a personal learning plan
- CV, LinkedIn and interview support, mock interviews and employer events
- Career support after the bootcamp, plus our alumni network and job board
What you learn
Real data, real projects, coaches who have done the job
No lectures. You work inside Prism, our simulated e-commerce company with 500 million rows of real data, building the dashboards, tests and presentations a data analyst is hired to produce, with coaches who do this work themselves.
Build · Weeks 1 to 5
Build your foundations
- Onboarding and tools: Excel, Power Query, Copilot, BigQuery
- Source, cleanse, blend and link real data sets
- UK case studies: Tesco, ASOS, NHS, Monzo and more
- Your CV and LinkedIn from week one
Apply · Weeks 6 to 10
Work like a data analyst
- Analyse for insight and build Power BI visualisations
- Data security, compliance and forecasting
- A team capstone pitched to real employers
- Start job applications with coaching support
Get hired · After the bootcamp
Career support and introductions
- Continued one-to-one career coaching
- Application clinics and mock interviews
- Employer introductions and a mini careers fair
- Alumni network and job board
Tools you'll use
Level 3
NCFE Certificate in Data, Ofqual-regulated, on completion
47%
of starters on our last funded cohort reached the funder's job milestone
67%
of that cohort were in work four months after finishing
Job and employment figures are from our last funded cohort, London, 45 starts, January to March 2026, from our 2026 outcome return to the GLA. Oxford's own outcome data is published when its cohorts complete.
“This Data Analyst bootcamp is unlike any other on the market. After completing it, I am truly glad I took the leap. The programme gave me the chance to not only gain but also refine a wide range of essential technical skills: SQL, Excel, Power BI.”
What our learners say
“I'm in HR so I went in thinking most of it wouldn't apply to me, but I ended up automating parts of our HR process and building a system that flags people ready for promotion. Would definitely recommend if you're in a non-technical role.”
Steph
trustpilot
“A great balance between technical capability and real-world application. What really sets iO-Sphere apart is the emphasis on communication and storytelling, a critical skill in any data role.”
Sheena Shah
“The combination of technical training and soft skills development has been incredibly valuable, and it played a huge role in helping me secure my dream job.”
Carlos Gomes
“What stood out most was how practical it was. Rather than just learning theory, I worked on realistic business problems using large datasets. Really valuable experience.”
Keni Duguma
“We enrolled two of our analysts and both came back more capable and more confident. The programme paid for itself inside a quarter. We're already planning to put a third person through.”
Sarah Holt
L&D Manager
“A well-structured, thoughtful programme with a strong emphasis on practical skills. The curriculum is clearly designed by people who understand how data is actually used.”
Kemal Yusuf
“It was a very detailed programme. We covered data dictionaries, data governance, business drivers, OKRs, KPIs, customer segmentation, and A/B testing. All the coaches were amazing!”
Gloria Ayoola
“This course has been extremely great. It has taken me from no skills in data to being a fully fledged data analyst.”
Stacey Carroll
“Honestly, iO-Sphere was one of the best decisions I've made. I came in nervous from a non-traditional background, but I never once felt like I didn't belong.”
Ioana Mihaescu
“I started as someone quite lost in my job hunt. With the help of the coaches, I managed to secure a new role and feel much more confident from an upskilling and employability perspective.”
Mahli
“It improved my technical skills from nothing to being adept at Excel, SQL, and Power BI. I would definitely recommend this to anyone trying to upskill.”
Lachlan Brown
“A transformative intense experience. Great team and great training that prepares you for the work environment.”
A S
“I joined because I wanted proper certification to validate the skills I'd already built, not to pivot careers, but to formalise and level up what I was doing in data. And it delivered exactly that.”
Chris Thomas
Questions
Oxford Skills Bootcamp FAQ
When does it start, and when do applications close?
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The final Oxford cohort starts on Monday 16 November 2026 and runs for ten teaching weeks, with a two-week break over Christmas, finishing on Friday 5 February 2027. Applications close on Friday 30 October 2026. There are 17 funded places.
Is this the last Oxford cohort?
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Yes. This is the final Oxford cohort under our current Skills Bootcamps contract, with 17 funded places.
Am I eligible?
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You may be eligible if you are aged 19 or over, live or work in Oxfordshire, have the right to live and work in the UK, and can commit full-time for the ten weeks. You cannot be on another full-time course or apprenticeship, or have done a government-funded Skills Bootcamp this funding year. The questionnaire checks all of this in the first few questions.
What does the application involve, and how long does it take?
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Five stages: a short form and a questionnaire (about 20 minutes), an online information session (about 45 minutes), three short Century assessments in maths, English and digital skills (up to 90 minutes, in your own time), a 30-minute online interview (interviews run 26 October to 6 November 2026), then an offer and onboarding. About half a day of your time in total, spread over two to three weeks. Places are funded and limited, and we want the people who start to be the people who finish and land a role.
What qualification will I get?
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On completion you earn the NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Data (qualification number 603/7882/7), a nationally recognised, regulated qualification. Your certificate is released around weeks 14 to 15.
Where and how is it delivered?
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Blended: live online sessions Monday to Friday, finishing by around 4pm with lighter Wednesdays, plus in-person days in Oxford. The in-person dates for this cohort are confirmed with your offer.
Do I need a degree or any data experience?
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No. The bootcamp is designed for career-changers from all backgrounds. Everyone completes short online assessments in maths, English and digital skills as part of the application; no preparation is needed.
What if I get a job offer during the bootcamp?
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We ask you to finish. Leaving part-way through means the funded place is lost and nobody else can take it. If you are already in an interview process, tell us in the questionnaire and we will talk it through before you commit.
Get skilled. Get experienced. Get hired.
This free, 10-week bootcamp starts Monday 16 November 2026. Apply by Friday 30 October 2026.