Andy Youell - UK Higher Education Data

Andy Youell has a 35 year career working in and with Higher Education data systems and governance, resulting in him being very much the go-to sector guru in the field. While data may appear to be about numbers and systems, Andy’s approach to getting things right in the sector is very much about people, culture, capability and confidence. We discuss Andy’s career with sector bodies, his freelance consultancy, and a brief stint working within a university, as well as the advisory role he’s played on numerous occasions, including to Government Ministers. His extensive career also offers us a potted history of how the HE data landscape has evolved across the last three decades, and we talk about how institutions have responded to that and what needs to come next.  We also reflect upon some classic data topics such as data burden and single source of truth - and -  if data is a science or an art. This episode is brought to you by SEAtS, the Education Operations Platform trusted by universities, colleges, and education providers worldwide. If your timetabling, attendance, compliance, and campus operations are spread across multiple systems, SEAtS brings them together on one AI-powered platform built on Microsoft Azure and natively integrated with Microsoft Teams and Power BI. From day one, it's audit-ready and designed to simplify operations while improving student engagement and institutional performance. Leading institutions have increased retention by up to 20%, protecting millions in tuition revenue while helping thousands more students stay on track. To start a pilot or discuss your requirements, visit seatsone.com. The Association of Higher Education Professionals and the British Universities FInance Directors Group, BUFDG, are both proud to support Job Shadowing HE as a valuable source of professional insight.