To mark its debut on the Seattle tech scene, leading data science training provider Metis will hold a grand opening ceremony focused on “Demystifying Data Science” on January 19th, 6:30-8:30 PM at 83 South King Street.

Featuring local data scientists who represent Seattle’s growing community of data science talent, the event’s agenda includes short “lightning talks” by data scientists about their career paths, including Erin Shellman, Senior Data Scientist at Zymergen and co-organizer of PyLadies Seattle; Trey Causey, Senior Product Manager at Socrata; Joel Grus, Research Engineer at Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, author of "Data Science from Scratch", and co-host of the Adversarial Learning podcast; and Claire Jaja, Senior Data Scientist at Atlas Informatics. Jason Moss, President and Co-Founder of Metis will moderate a panel discussion featuring the lightning talk speakers, followed by Q&A.

As more and more Seattle companies seek top data science talent, the Emerald City is becoming one of the best jobs markets in the United States for data scientists. According to icrunchdata, Seattle ranks at #3 on its list of “Top 10 Cities for Data Science Jobs.”

“With the need for skilled data scientists on the rise, we’re poised and ready to train a new generation of talent,” said Jason Moss, President and Co-Founder of Metis. “As we bring our programs to Seattle, we’re aiming to help future data scientists acquire the data science expertise employers have told us they’re looking for.”

While the role of data scientist ranks as the best job in America according to jobs website Glassdoor, McKinsey and Company reports that 140,000-190,000 job postings for data scientists will go unfilled by 2018. Rising demand is also leading to higher salaries, with jobs site Hired reporting that data scientists currently receive an average of $133,000 for initial salary offers, up 5% from the previous quarter.

The grand opening will be co-sponsored by PyLadies Seattle, the international mentorship group for women who program in Python, and Seattle Data/Analytics/Machine Learning, a group of Seattle-area data scientists and software engineers who meet monthly at different local tech companies for tutorials and tech talks.

Metis’s Seattle debut comes on the heels of a series of expansions for the data science training provider, including opening its doors in San Francisco and Chicago, launching two new professional development courses (Deep Learning with TensorFlow and Statistical Foundations for Data Science and Machine Learning), and graduating its largest bootcamp classes ever in San Francisco and its flagship New York City center this past December.

Metis is now accepting applications for its Seattle bootcamp, which begins April 3. The early application deadline is February 6. Students may also enroll in Metis’s part-time Introduction to Data Science course, which begins February 20.

To speak with a Metis spokesperson about the grand opening, please contact Michael Tague at 212-974-2785 or michael.tague@kaplan.com. Members of the press are welcome to attend. For more information on all of Metis’s programs and offerings, visit www.thisismetis.com.

About Metis

Metis (www.thisismetis.com) is a leading provider of data science skills training for individuals and businesses. Part of Kaplan’s New Economy Skills Training (NEST) unit, Metis delivers training programs designed by world-class industry practitioners and runs the industry’s only accredited intensive data science bootcamp. Metis, a d/b/a of Kaplan, is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET). Kaplan, Inc. (www.kaplan.com) is a leading provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC)