Taking the leap: Q-Step student Miles Johnson wants to use quants to solve social issues • City, University of London

Miles Johnson (BSc Sociology with Quantitative Methods) shares his experiences of the nationally renowned Q-Step programme designed to train students in quantitative methods.

By City Press Office (City Press Office), Published Friday, 8^th December 2023

In his first year, sociology student Miles Johnson wanted to put maths as far away behind him as possible.

Now, he is on the BSc Sociology with Quantitative Methods pathway and believes data analysis could be one of the tools to improve racial diversity in higher education.

Miles is a student at City, University of London’s Q-Step programme, which was funded by the Nuffield Foundation as part of a British government drive to remedy the UK’s shortage of social science graduates with quantitative skills.

“The Q-Step programme motivated me to challenge myself further. It helped me solidify my understanding of sociological phenomena and theories,” says Miles.

As one of 17 universities across the UK to provide this kind of training, the programme equips students with an array of skills, including quantitative analysis of social research data, data visualisation, comparative survey analysis and advanced quantitative methods.

Dr Matt Barnes is Director of the Q-Step Centre at City.

“The need for quantitative skills in the labour market will only increase given the plethora of data and quantification in society,” Matt says.

The programme provides specialist undergraduate quantitative courses, which include a compulsory work-placement module, and offers pathways to postgraduate study.

Student Miles is now in his third year of undergraduate study and will graduate in 2024. He initially felt uncomfortable with quantitative research until he took the ‘Lies, damned lies and statistics’ module in his first year.

“Before taking that module, I did not want to do any quantitative work,” laughs Miles. “But when I completed the module, I found that quantitative methods gave me another way to approach the world I live in.”

His lecturer Matt was the one that encouraged him to join the quantitative pathway in his second year. This included a ten-day work-placement module where Miles used his data skills at the Department of Transport.

Student Miles Johnson smiles to the camera. He is taking a selfie and behind stand a group of fellow students also smiling. They are standing in West London and there are big buildings behind them, grass to one side and and trees to the other. — Miles Johnson (BSc Sociology with Quantitative Methods) takes a selfie with friends in London during his internship.

During the summer break between his second and third year, student Miles did an internship with the charity Transforming Access and Student Outcome (TASO).

TASO acts as an independent hub for higher education professionals to access toolkits and guidance to help improve equality in the sector.

In his internship, Miles worked within a close-knit team to help develop these toolkits. He worked on a mental health toolkit and supported in the development of a policy that benefits ethnic minority students.

“As one of the only Mixed Race students within the programme, it was great to see that we can work towards a policy that can help other ethnic minority students,” he says.

Participation in the Q-Step programme is associated with enhanced employment prospects for students compared to similar students on equivalent courses.

According to the Nuffield Foundation, “Q-Step students are more likely to earn over £25k and be in highly skilled employment 15 months after graduation.”

The programme has not only developed Miles’ quantitative research skills, but his employability skills too. He credits the programme for providing him with an extensive network and valuable in-office experiences, as well as the confidence to seek out an internship independently.

“It gave me the first glance into the workforce. I want to use the opportunity to support other students, like me, because there are not many Mixed Race or Black men in my field,” Miles says. “I want to keep the door open for others like me.”

As part of Miles’ third-year research project, he will use the organisational skills he gained from his placements.

“I am more structured in my working style and kinder to myself by taking different perspectives, regular breaks and systematically working through problems,” he says.

His final-year project will focus on education policy, he aims to explore the relationship between higher education institutions and the success of Black students.

He encourages other students to consider the Q-Step programme.

“Take the leap,” Miles urges. “Pushing yourself should be part of your journey and it’s the best way to learn.”

Byline: Aylin Aliev, Student Communications Assistant

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