Latest from Cambridge Spark

AI Engineer: The Skills to Solve More Complex Problems

Written by Cambridge Spark | November 27 2024

The #1 skill every technical professional needs is artificial intelligence (AI). Since ChatGPT launched two years ago, the number of job postings related to generative AI (GenAI) has surged 411%. While McKinsey suggests that to keep pace with demand, two-fifths of organisations need to upskill at least 20% of their workforce, PwC claims that jobs requiring specialist AI skills are growing 3.5x faster than all jobs.

Today, the most-in-demand role is an AI Engineer. AI has changed the skills that engineers require to be successful. For example, the ability to use forensic skills to ensure high-quality code and knowing how to combine multiple AI applications and models – as well as broader skills, such as writing user stories, anticipating user intent, and communication.

Upskill to an AI Engineer, and you acquire many of the key data skills that are transforming the workplace, such as machine learning, generative AI, python for data analytics, time series analysis, and data visualisation. With these skills now at your fingertips, you can help your business solve its most complex problems.

 

 

The best way to upskill as an AI Engineer

 

Cambridge Spark’s AI Engineer (L6) Apprenticeship programme is created and delivered by an expert faculty of industry practitioners and academics, as well as guest speakers who are recognised experts in their fields. Additionally, it combines deep technical expertise in building AI tools with a strong foundation in ethical AI practices. We do this to ensure you complete the course equipped with the advanced skills needed to operationalise, build, and deploy production-ready AI systems – and ultimately drive value from your organisation’s AI investments.

 

Apprenticing offers hands-on learning to demystify change and role modeling to demonstrate hard-to-teach skills, such as problem-solving mindsets and how to use good judgment in evaluating code suitability.”

McKinsey

 

Apprenticeships are the perfect way to upskill because they blend live lectures to share academic content, workshops for applied content, and self-paced e-learning. You’ll be invited to join our vibrant community to network and learn from your peers. And we’ll give you access to our online learning platform, EDUKATE.AI, so you can practise your new skills in an industry simulated environment using real datasets .

 

I can confidently say that this mode of education is far better suited to the real-world application of skills. The opportunity to learn through work-related projects, with the guidance of experienced professionals, is invaluable and has exceeded my expectations."

Senior Clinical Informatics Pharmacist

 

 

 

How your new skills as an AI Engineer impact your career

 

With 4,000+ live learners and alumni in our community, we know the impact that data and AI skills can have on your career. The following are three examples we hear cited most often.

 

1. Solve complex problems

Part of the joy of being an engineer is getting hands on with technology to build products that solve specific challenges. Take the next step in your career to upskill as an AI Engineer, and you acquire new skills, such as practical machine learning techniques, neural networks and deep learning, GenAI and large language models. Master these skills and you transform your focus to work on more complex and complicated challenges.

 

2. Make yourself marketable

When you decide it’s time to take the next step in your career, specialist AI skills make you an attractive prospect. According to one survey, 71% of leaders would hire a candidate with AI skills over those with more conventional experience. Find yourself with both engineering experience and specialist AI skills, and you’ll have people banging down your door.

 

3. Command a higher salary

As well as giving you career options, acquiring specialist AI engineering skills will put you in a favourable position when negotiating contract terms. These skills are hard to find, which is why professionals who possess AI expertise command salaries up to 40% higher than the industry average.

 

"If you enjoy solving tricky problems and are interested in creating a modern working environment, there is no better way to strengthen your career than undertaking a data apprenticeship with Cambridge Spark."

Reliability Engineer

 

Learn more

 

Our learners achieve a 99.5% pass rate with 70%+ distinction/merit grades (compared to an industry average of just 33%), before going on to secure promotions and thought leadership opportunities – some have even won prestigious industry awards!

To discover more about the AI Engineer Apprenticeship and the impact it could have on your career, take a look at the curriculum, eligibility criteria, and what to expect when you study with Cambridge Spark.