Now attending the breakout panel on training the next generation ➡️ how to best equip students and trainees to succeed outside academia?

@Innovation_CBoC data presented to frame the discussion ⬇️

PhD graduates are represented across diverse fields in and beyond academe

Questions

1. Are we training students and trainees effectively?

2. How can we improve this?

3. Who do we need to educate?

Top points:
🔵 Seeking skills outside PhD should not be misconstrued as a lack of commitment to research
🔵 PhDs need plans A, B, C ➡️ many won't get into an academic plan A, so we can't train them as one-spoked wheels

🔵 Accessibility is important. Having a community of peers (e.g. @DSP_SPE for #scipol) helps to explore new directions
🔵 Profs need to be conscious that students won't all go into academia, support their choices
🔵 Need to remove stigma of leaving the ivory tower of academia

🔵 Requiring supervisor's approval for students' participation in internships and skills gaining initiatives can be a barrier
🔵 Lots of opportunities exist already for students at their uni, often they don't know about them

🔵 Non academic outcomes for trainees should be valued in tenure portfolios and peer review / researcher excellence metrics
🔵 Value the time that students take for skills gaining initiatives, while also not losing sight that they need to finish their degree

🔵 Mandatory workshops can be a good driver for PhDs to realize what else exists for career and to gain critical skills (e.g. Students need to pick 4 out of a selections of 12 avail workshops)

🔵 Individual Development Plans are a great tool to plan out milestones that align with the students' and mentors' goals, and to ensure that a discussion happens early in the mentor-mentee relationship

A few resources were mentioned:
🔹 @FromPhDtoLife @BeyondProf @imaginephd were highlighted as great resources for advice
🔹 @NSERC_CRSNG CREATE is a great source for internships and experiential learning with partner orgs
🔹 #FSWEP program
🔹 @MitacsCanada fellowships incl #CSPF

🔹 @SSHRC_CRSH focus on research dissemination was highlighted

Extra insights:
🔵 It's not always about incentives to opt in! Opportunities can be opt out instead, and part of the of the curriculum.
🔵 Culture shift happens by changing the formula for #HQP in grant applications

🔵 Need to coach students to pitch their skills and competencies, not just their major / research topic

🔵 Need to change culture in industry / employers, to ask the right questions and to understand the value an undergraduate / masters / doctorate degree brings

🔵 Rewards systems and vocabulary used in different sectors of the labour market are different than in academia. Need to make sure grads are prepared, or at least have the resources to get prepared, for moving into new areas