Government agencies to hold workshop on how to use its data

Representatives from each of the federal government’s 14 principal statistical agencies are hosting a symposium next month in Washington that will highlight the variety of federal statistics and the numerous statistical careers available in the public sector.

The Symposium of the U.S. Statistical Agencies, which is part of the celebration of the International Year of Statistics, will be held Nov. 13 and 14 at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conference Center. It is open to all without cost.

There are two sessions of particular interest to business and economics reporters:

Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to noon: Statistics for Journalists

Journalism students and reporters from broadcast, print and online media outlets will find this session helpful to their understanding of lesser-known federal statistical agencies, official statistics provided by these agencies and how they can access and use official statistics, studies and analyses in their reporting. Presenters will include representatives from the Economic Research Service, National Center for Education Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, and National Center for Health Statistics.

Nov. 14, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Statistics in the New Media Era

An array of expert speakers will discuss how statistical agencies are meeting the charge of implementing new media tools — social media, APIs, web and mobile apps, infographics and other data visualizations — that are covered in the President’s digital strategy. Presenters will be from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Energy Information Administration, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Advance registration is required to ensure access. To register, send an email to Wendy Martinez at Martinez.Wendy@bls.gov with “Symposium” in the subject line and your full name, a list of the session(s) you plan to attend, and any special needs such as handicap access.

The BLS Conference Center is located near Union Station in the Postal Square Building, 2 Massachusetts Ave NE.