For many professionals, business development is about building relationships and supporting partners. But for Jaymie Littlemore-Smith, an Account Manager at NCFE, combining those relationships with data-driven insight has helped unlock new opportunities to support both colleagues and customers. 

Two years after joining NCFE, Jaymie recently celebrated another milestone: achieving a merit in the Level 4 Data Analyst qualification with Fareport Training. 

For Jaymie, the qualification wasn’t just about gaining a certificate, but also the importance of developing practical tools that could make a real difference in his role. 

A passion for numbers 

Jaymie’s interest in data began long before he joined NCFE. “Maths was always my strongest subject at school,” he explains. “I studied maths and further maths at A level, and since then I’ve always tried to use data to support my decisions at work.” 

When Jaymie moved into his account management role, he naturally found himself approaching tasks with a data-led mindset. 

“I realised that I was often providing data and insights for the team in a way that helped them access information more easily. Everyone has different levels of confidence with tools like Excel, so presenting the data clearly became really important.” 

While much of Jaymie’s knowledge was self-taught, he wanted to formalise his skills and ensure he was applying industry best practice. 

“When I saw the qualification, it really aligned with where I was in my career and where I’d like to go in the future. I also knew I needed something I would genuinely enjoy studying, and data analysis felt like the perfect fit.” 

Building practical skills for the workplace 

One of the biggest benefits of the course was how quickly Jaymie could apply what he learned in his day-to-day role. “The highlights have been the skills that I can use immediately,” he says. 

From learning how to combine data sources in Power Query to building dashboards and visualisations, the qualification has enabled Jaymie to transform complex data into clear insights for the team. 

“I’m now able to pull together multiple data points and create tools that make information easier for the team to understand and use.” 

Jaymie has also developed new skills in platforms such as Power BI, enabling him to turn raw data into visual stories that help identify trends and inform decisions. 

Even some of the more technical elements of the course – such as data cleansing and checking data integrity – have proved invaluable. 

“At the time, those topics felt less exciting than dashboards or visualisations,” Jaymie admits. “But they’ve actually been really important. For example, spotting missing data in our CRM early helps prevent gaps in reporting later on.” 

Supporting smarter decisions 

Working within the Business Development team at NCFE, Jaymie’s growing expertise has allowed him to take on a dedicated focus on data and insight alongside his account management responsibilities. 

“Each person in the team has their own area of focus, and mine has become data,” he explains. 

Colleagues regularly turn to Jaymie for help interpreting figures or understanding trends, and his analysis has supported the team in a variety of situations. By combining data analysis with customer insight, Jaymie believes the impact can be powerful. 

“Business development is often seen as a people role, and it absolutely is. But when you back up those relationships with solid data, that’s when the real magic happens.” 

Simon Gentile, Data Trainer at Fareport Training, adds: “This is a programme that prepares learners to think and work like analysts. The scenario-led assessments keep the experience engaging, while the technical content ensures learners leave with practical skills they can transfer into work straight away — whether that is building structured datasets, producing stakeholder-focused reports, spotting data quality issues early, or turning raw information into clear insight."  

Looking towards the future 

While Jaymie’s role will always include the relationship-building side that he enjoys most, data will continue to play an increasingly important part in how he works. 

“I love visiting centres and seeing the fantastic work they’re doing, and I’d never want to lose that people element,” he says. “But having a strong understanding of data helps me do my job better and helps the whole team make more informed decisions.” 

The course has also helped Jaymie better understand his own strengths: “It didn’t just teach me technical skills – it helped confirm that I enjoy working closely with data and digging into the detail.” 

A rewarding challenge 

Balancing work, study, and personal commitments wasn’t always easy. With six assignments to complete and regular learning sessions with his tutor, the qualification required dedication. 

“It was hard work, but really enjoyable,” Jaymie says. “And the fact that I can use what I learned every day makes it completely worthwhile.” 

But the support from Fareport Training helped make the experience both manageable and rewarding. Simon state: “Jaymie’s testimonial is the type of thing we live for as trainers. He describes the biggest benefit of the course as the skills he could use immediately in his day-to-day role, from combining multiple data sources in Power Query to creating dashboards and visualisations that made information clearer and more useful for colleagues.” 

Recommending the journey 

Jaymie says that he would strongly encourage others interested in data to consider the qualification: “A colleague recently asked me about the course before signing up, and I definitely recommended it. While you learn a lot about tools like Excel and Power BI, you also learn about things like SQL and Python that could be useful later in your career.” 

For Jaymie, the qualification has not only equipped him with new skills but also prepared him to help both himself and his colleagues to work smarter and make a greater impact across the organisation. 

“Asking the right questions and using data to find the answers can make a real difference. This course has given me the tools to do exactly that.” 

Find out more about our digital qualification offer on our dedicated webpage.