Doctoral education and employer needs- are they compatible?

Tony Donohoe, Head of Education Policy

Salzburg principles

‘The core component of doctoral training is the advancement of knowledge through original research. At the same time it is recognised that doctoral training must increasingly meet the needs of an employment market that is wider than academia’

Contrasting views

“The training of PHD is too narrow, too campus-centred and too long. Furthermore, many have much too narrow a set of personal and career expectations. Most do not know what it is they know that is of most value”.

John Armstrong, ‘Rethinking the PhD’

“….to develop a new breed of creative graduate, expert in their discipline, but with a thorough understanding of how innovation can rapidly convert knowledge, ideas and inventions into products, services and policies for economic and social benefit”.

Trinity-UCD Innovation Academy

PhDs by discipline

Enrolments Graduations

2007 2008 2007 2008

Technology 2,861 3,199 598 587

Health, Vet & Agric. 808 1,072 154 145

Other (incl. AHSS) 2,320 2,979 303 360

Total 5,989 7,250 1,055 1,092

Likelihood of increasing PhD nos by 2013

12%

18%

48%

22%

Very likelyQuite likelyNot likelyWill not

…but 61% of companies that already employ PhDs are likely to increase intake

Factors in employing PhD researchers

Existing relationship research group, supervisor or institute

Prior interaction with PhD as student

Knowledge of research approach, techniques and methods

Underpinning knowledge of discipline

Relevance of research topic

18

23

57

68

59

43

43

35

30

30

26

25

6

2

8

12

9

2

0

3

High Medium Low N/A

Vitae (UK) Report –ranking of skills

1. Data analysis

2. Problem solving

3. Drive and motivation

4. Project Managing

5. Interpersonal skills

6. Leadership

7. Commercial awareness

The entrepreneurial skillset

Self-confidence Strategic thinking Cooperate for success Ability to plan work, organise tasks and communicate

decisions Project development and implementation Team-building and attribution of success Recognition and proactive orientation to change and

innovation Risk assessment and foresight activity with regard to

market changes and opportunities

Improving the processes

Align funding for structured PhD programmes where there is a strong demand for PhD qualified researchers

Systematic and formal consultation with enterprise in development of structured PhD programmes

A user-friendly, centralised system to access information on PhD pipeline

Scale up Enterprise Partnership Scheme Emulate Danish Industrial PhD programme Embed entrepreneurship and ‘employability skills

Possible questions for discussion

What is the role of supervisors in meeting this challenge?

How can we define and promote a richer construct of ‘employability’ which is not inimical to the values and practices of the academy?

How can we bridge the gap in business and academic perceptions of time?

Are PhD programmes acknowledging the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge?

How can PhDs be made relevant to SMEs