DataWorks Says Farewell to Cohort Two

DataWorks is a work training program in Georgia Tech’s College of Computing. It teaches entry-level coding and data cleaning skills to individuals from the local community without computing experience. The work they do often serves civic organizations and supports underprivileged communities.

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DataWorks co-founder Elizabeth DiSalvo says there is a deeper purpose behind the DataWorks model.

“It is about harnessing the untapped potential of communities often overlooked in the digital age. It is a testament to the fact that the true foundation of data science is not just algorithms and equations, but the diverse hands and hearts behind them,” said DiSalvo, an associate professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing.

Each cohort has five members, a trainer, and a project manager. DataWorks graduated two members of its second cohort early last month. Here is what they had to say about the experience:

Emanuel Bryant is a native of Riverdale, GA and a former marketing student from the University of West Georgia.

Jadin Butler is from Atlanta and was a facilities assistant at the College of Computing before joining DataWorks.

Q: How have you benefited from your time at DataWorks?

Bryant: I have grown as an overall employee and had the opportunity to build my skill set, and hone skills that I only had a little experience with.

Q: Why should someone entering the workforce apply for DataWorks?

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Butler: DataWorks offers a unique opportunity to learn, gain real-world experience, and get paid all at once. Unlike the traditional path of computing, which requires you to learn and then find an internship to gain exposure, DataWorks provides both experience and payment.

Q: What is the most significant soft skill DataWorks fostered during your cohort?

Butler: Adaptability, especially in this last project. We struggled with efficiency. We had a few brainstorming sessions, decided to add a few more formulas, and kept adding formulas until we had a fully automated page. Returning to the drawing board multiple times to consolidate our process was very valuable.

Q: How have your career goals changed since starting with DataWorks?

Bryant: I was pursuing a degree in marketing, and I am very interested in graphic design. I still love graphic design and want to work through how marketing/graphic design and coding skills can work together.

Q: What have you added to your research toolkit that you did not use before?

Butler: I use ChatGPT a lot. I have a newfound interest in AI. Streamlining processes or having processes suggested to you if you know the right questions. I think it’s called prompt engineering. DataWorks introduced me to many new things, but AI as a research tool has been the most impactful.

Photos by Kevin Beasley/College of Computing