To compile a list of subjects that encompasses the Data Science field would be a great feat indeed. According to Amazon Web Services, Data Science is defined as “the study of data to extract meaningful insights for business. It is a multidisciplinary approach that combines principles and practices from the fields of mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, and computer engineering to analyze large amounts of data.” CompTIA saw the need to produce a reputable data science certification exam and invited 12 subject matter experts (SME) in Data Science to help them with an initial workshop called a Job Task Analysis (JTA). COLSA’s very own Jay Sebastian was invited to CompTIA headquarters in Chicago to participate in the development of this first-ever industry-wide advanced certification in Data Science.
Mr. Jay Sebastian has worked for COLSA since 2019 and is now serving as the Director of Data Science. With several years in the United States Marine Corps, attending the United States Naval Academy and flight school, Jay gained valuable experiences that have led him to his current position today. After leaving the military, Jay entered the Defense, Intelligence, and Aerospace Industry as a contractor and has held numerous roles leading highly technical teams focused on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence R&D, building AI-based solutions, and driving business growth. Clearly, Jay’s intensive level of training and years of professional experience within the Data Science field lends to his ability to give his expertise as a SME to the CompTIA certification development committee.
According to CompTIA.com, the purpose of this committee is “to better facilitate the recruitment of qualified IT professionals worldwide and provide CompTIA with the support and expertise needed during the development of both high-stakes and low-stakes exam development phases.” While in Chicago, this board of SMEs participated in an initial workshop called a Job Task Analysis. Here, they were responsible for identifying what knowledge areas Data Scientists with 5+ years of experience on the job would be expected to have. Job tasks were broken down into several main Domains, then further broken down into many objectives. From there it was determined how important each was to the overall job and a specific number of exam questions for the certification was developed. To learn more about CompTIA and its journey to construct this certification, click here.
We are happy to have Jay here at COLSA to lead our Data Science department and lend his expertise to our many initiatives in the field. He continues to help us in maintaining a competitive advantage in business and on the battlefield that requires decisions to be made faster than ever and with greater precision and reliability. He leads us in the effort to innovate with experience and utilize raw computational power to see ideas through. To learn more about Jay and the Data Science team, visit here.
