< Back to Join now
In this section

Employer Membership Scheme  

Group membership for employers 

Strengthen your statistical workforce. Assure professional standards. Build trust in data. 

The RSS Employer Membership Scheme empowers organisations to build a strong, trusted statistical workforce by: 

  • Attracting and retaining talent through supporting professional development 
  • ​Strengthening organisational capability and decision-making through robust statistical practice  
  • Connecting your team to a vibrant professional community and the latest thinking in statistics and data science 
  • Enhancing credibility and trust with partners and stakeholders 
  • Reducing risk through alignment with an independent, recognised professional framework 
Who is employer membership for 

The Employer Membership Scheme is open to organisations with 10 or more statisticians or data professionals, who wish to support staff in becoming RSS Fellows or achieving professional certification. 

Our members include government departments, arm’s‑length bodies, academia, industry, consultancy and research organisations, often with specialist or small analytical teams where professional identity, external recognition and assurance of standards matter. See which leading organisations who choose employer group membership.

The organisational value of employer membership 

Employer membership is designed to support workforce development and professional standards. It supports organisations to build capability, retain talent and maintain trust in analysis and evidence‑based decision‑making. 

  • Build and assure workforce capability

    Membership helps organisations to: 

    • Evidence professional competence through independent RSS certification standards 

    • Maintain current and future statistical and data science skills 

    • Support progression from early career data analysts and graduate statistician to senior leaders with chartered status 

    This strengthens analytical capability and provides confidence in the skills underpinning organisational outputs.

  • Demonstrate leadership, ethics and trusted practice

    Employer membership signals—internally and externally—that your organisation: 

    • Values professional standards and independent oversight 

    • Supports ethical practice and responsible data use 

    • Invests in professional development and long‑term capability 

    This is particularly valuable where organisations must demonstrate transparency, integrity and appropriate human oversight of automated and AI‑supported systems. 

  • Support retention and professional identity

    Organisations increasingly report that clear professional pathways are central to retention and motivation. Membership: 

    • Reinforces professional identity beyond internal job frameworks 

    • Recognises expertise through a respected external body 

    • Supports engagement with a wider professional community 

    This may be important if internal schemes do not provide externally recognised professional benchmarks. 

  • Training and development aligned to organisational needs

    Employer members can access practical development opportunities that complement internal learning provision, including: 

    • Short, focused and modular training in statistics, data science and related skills 

    • Flexible delivery options, including bespoke or face‑to‑face training where scale allows 

    These options enable organisations to target development where it has the greatest impact. 

What membership offers your employees 

Employer membership enables staff to benefit from RSS professional membership as part of a broader organisational approach to development and standards. 

  • Professional recognition and accreditation

    • Clear pathways to RSS fellowship and professional accreditations (including GradStat, CStat and data science professional certifications) 

    • Independent recognition of skills and experience through the UK’s leading statistics and data science professional body 

  • Knowledge, insight and professional community

    • Access to RSS publications, journals and newsletters 

    • Participation in events, conferences and special interest groups in the UK and internationally 

    • Opportunities to contribute to the profession through volunteering and public benefit initiatives 

  • Influence and professional voice

    • Voting rights in RSS Council elections 

    • Opportunities to shape the future direction of the profession and its standards 

Why partner with the Royal Statistical Society? 

The RSS is the UK’s leading professional body for statistics and data science, with a global community of over 10,000 members. As an independent registered charity, our mission is to uphold professional standards, advance statistical understanding and support the profession in serving society. 

For employers, this means a trusted partner in professional standards, skills transformation and the responsible use of data for the public good. 

Next steps 

We work with organisations to explore how employer membership can align with existing workforce strategies, learning frameworks and professional goals. 

To discuss employer group membership and fees, contact: 
Olga Mendes 
Head of Professional Standards and Member Development 
📧 o.mendes@rss.org.uk