PA Consulting Group, UCL Consultants, UCL and FutureLearn join forces to educate organisations about the EU GDPR
PA Consulting Group, a global consulting, technology and innovation company, and UCL Consultants, a subsidiary of University College London, join FutureLearn, the leading social learning platform, in announcing a new collaboration today.
PA Consulting Group and UCL Consultants with academic expertise from UCL (an existing partner of FutureLearn), will be delivering a course on the GDPR. The course will teach anyone who deals with customer data, whether in person, over the phone, via digital methods or through good old fashioned paper, how to handle this data safely, securely and respectfully in the digital economy.
With the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force in May this year, bringing fines of up to €20 million or 4% of a company’s global annual turnover, handling customer data correctly should be everyone’s priority.
‘Introduction to GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation’ is a three week course, taught by Dr Nathan Lea, software systems engineer and information governance expert from UCL, and Ross Bogert, data protection, information security and risk management expert from PA Consulting Group.
The course is a thorough introduction to the principles of the regulation and the legal requirements associated with it, and covers the rights of the individual, the implications for employees, and how to make sure your organisation is compliant in order to mitigate the risks associated with the handling and processing of data.
Elliot Rose, digital trust and cyber security expert, PA Consulting Group, commented, “Given the complexity of GDPR which is principles-led, we are seeing a large demand from organisations for practical advice and accredited training that’s available online and easily accessible to everyone in an organisation. The combination of FutureLearn with its leading training platform, UCL who bring academic rigour, and PA Consulting Group with our extensive practical expertise of GDPR implementation, is unique in the delivery of GDPR training.”
Duncan Dunlop, Business Development at FutureLearn, commented, “Preparing for the GDPR is a huge challenge for any business or organisation no matter what their size, or where they are based – if they handle the data of an EU resident, then the regulation applies to them. The course is work-placed focused, practical and builds on our social learning methodology. This is particularly important as it allows people to learn alongside others, share best practice and help them validate their understanding. It goes beyond simple “tick the box” courses and we believe it matches what the national regulators are looking for in terms of training.”
Dr Nathan Lea, Lead educator from UCL commented, “GDPR offers an unprecedented opportunity for organisations to understand the importance of transparency and accountability in getting data protection and security right. It is a chance to help sustain a trusting relationship with the people about whom they are processing data whilst ensuring that they and their staff are best placed to show excellence in handling data safely and respectfully, and thriving in the digital economy. We have developed this course to emphasise these areas and raise awareness about the importance of GDPR and the opportunities it presents.”
Roger de Montfort, Managing Director at UCL Consultants, commented, “Data is the lifeblood of most organisations now. This programme is aimed at helping organisations ensure there is a high level of awareness of the new regulations and will help to mitigate the risks of what could otherwise be a very costly breach. Being online, it provides the ease of access and flexibility required to reach all employees and minimises the time and cost impact from being out of the office.”
‘Introduction to GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation’ is a three week course starting on 16th of April and costs £199 to enrol on.
