From grads to data leaders: Life on Admiral’s Data Graduate Scheme

Two paths, endless possibilities

There are two distinct routes within Admiral’s Data Graduate Scheme: Data Analytics and Data Science. The Data Analytics grads spend three eight-month placements across different areas of Admiral, while the data science grads follow a two-year programme that builds technical depth from the start.

Luna Jiang recently completed her two years on the Data Analytics scheme. “I’ve always loved numbers and puzzles,” begins Luna. “But what I found here was the chance to actually try different things and figure out what really suited me. You don’t get limited to one path.”

For Luna, that mix of structure and freedom was exactly what she needed. Her first rotation in Admiral Money gave her a taste of the financial side of the business; the second, in Telematics, taught her how data supports Admiral’s insurance products. By the time she reached her third rotation in Data Science, she knew she’d found her home. “It was the perfect fit, I get to use stats and coding every day,” she says. She’s since moved into a permanent data science role.

Steve Blakeney, who runs the scheme, joined Admiral almost twenty years ago and has recently taken on the role of leading the data graduate programmes. “We’ve made a few changes this year,” he explains. “Data science grads now get aligned with our data science value streams much earlier, and they’re on the learning pathway from day one. It means they’re building the right skills in the right place.”

Sahdiya Suhan’s story is just as inspiring. Originally from Sri Lanka, Sahdiya realised at a young age that she didn’t want to follow her parents’ wishes and become a doctor, and instead completed her degree in Data Science, graduating as a gold medalist and top of her faculty. She then pursued a masters in Big Data Analytics and moved to Swansea in 2022. Admiral was her first UK workplace. “I was nervous at first,” she admits, “but If I compare myself a year ago with who I am today - it’s completely different. Everyone was so friendly and I felt supported straight away.”

Her first placement in Marketing BI gave her a whole new skillset. “Before, I was focused on code and modelling,” she says. “Here I learned to tell stories with data, how to show people what it means and really work on data visualisation.”

Sahdiya has also found that the Data Science Graduate scheme at Admiral has given her opportunities that stretch her skills - such as when her mentor went on maternity leave, and Sahdiya stepped up to lead a project they had been working on. “That’s when everything clicked. I realised I could manage stakeholders and communicate with confidence - with a team around me that would support me when I needed it.”

That combination of trust and responsibility is something Steve sees all the time. “The best bit about my job is watching people grow,” he says. “You see their confidence build with every rotation. Some even come back to the teams they started in because they’ve found their perfect fit.”

Forging future leaders

The Data Graduate scheme is about so much more than just the work itself. Both grads talk about the supportive and nourishing community that Admiral builds around them. The Data Academy, grad days, hackathons, and 20% projects that give them the chance to connect, collaborate and stretch themselves. “The hackathons were amazing,” Luna says. “They’re fast-paced and intense, but you learn so much about teamwork and problem-solving, and it’s great for your profile because you get to meet senior people who remember you afterwards.”

Sahdiya agrees: “You never feel like just another grad. Everyone, from senior leaders to team mates, genuinely wants you to do well. It’s such an equal and open environment.”

Steve’s job is to make sure that support runs deep. He leads induction, organises placements, checks in regularly with every grad and works with their managers to make sure they’re learning and progressing. “It’s a people-first programme,” he says. “We focus on the experience they have while they’re here as much as the skills they bring.”

That focus pays off, both for Admiral and its graduates. About half of all grads who’ve completed the scheme have stayed at Admiral, with many now in senior or management roles. “They’re the kind of people you want on your team,” Steve says.

It’s easy to see why the scheme is so popular. “We get hundreds of applications for every intake,” said Steve, “So, as well as obviously having the right qualifications, we look for the right attitude first. The technical stuff we can teach - what we want are curious problem-solvers who think logically and can communicate well.”

That emphasis on communication is something all three of them come back to. Admiral doesn’t see data as technical work that’s siloed within a team - it’s part of how every team makes better decisions. “We need to be able to explain things clearly to a non-technical audience” says Luna. “That’s why we put so much focus on storytelling and stakeholder management.” 

Building confidence and community

Every rotation on the Data Graduate Scheme ends with a presentation to senior leaders, which gives grads a chance to practise showing their work and demonstrating their impact. “At first it’s scary,” Sahdiya laughs, “but it builds your confidence really fast.”

The learning doesn’t stop there. Through the Data Academy, grads can take courses, mentor others and even become trainers themselves. That’s Luna’s next goal: “I got so much help when I joined. I’d love to become a data trainer and help others understand data, even if they’re not technical.” For Steve, one of the most exciting things is that the Data Graduate Programme is developing people who will in turn help others grow: “We’re creating future leaders, not just data experts who will stay in one department.”

Looking ahead, the team plans to expand the data analyst scheme into more business areas to give grads wider experience of how data drives Admiral. Currently, Data Grads are placed in many different areas of the business, ranging from Pricing to Threat Analytics as well as the wider Admiral Group with its Admiral Money and Veygo businesses.

It’s part of a broader effort to link data more closely to the company’s initiatives, ensuring every insight has real-world impact. “Every area wants data people now, so there’s no shortage of opportunities” Steve adds. “We just make sure they get the right experience and support.”

Ask any of them what makes Admiral special, and they all come back to the same idea: it’s the culture. “It’s supportive and empowering,” says Luna. “You’re trusted to try things and figure out what’s right for you.” Sahdiya agrees: “I’ve grown so much here, professionally and personally. I came in nervous about starting in a new country, and now I’m leading projects.”

As Steve puts it, “We’re not just hiring coders, we’re hiring problem-solvers who are curious, collaborative and ready to make an impact.”

If you’re curious about joining Admiral’s Data Graduate scheme, you’ll be stepping into a programme that’s designed to give you exactly what Luna and Sahdiya found: real responsibility, endless learning and people who’ll cheer you on every step of the way.

Take a look at our current opportunities and see where your curiosity could take you. Your big adventure in data might just start here.