Educational and Student Policy

Skills Development

Report of LTS lunch 19: 28 April 2009

The session focussed on skills development for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers. It was led by Dr Jessica Morrod, Head of Graduate Development from the Graduate Development Programme (GDP).

On this page:

The national Skills Agenda

The Skills Agenda was prompted by the 2001 Roberts' report, which identified a mismatch between graduates' skills and those required by employers. Dr Morrod suggested that this may, at least partially, be attributed to poor articulation of graduates' skills.

As a result of the report universities received Roberts' funds from the Research Councils to support the transferable skills training and career development needs of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Funding is cascaded from the University to the Schools and on to faculties and departments; it is only guaranteed until 2011.

Dr Morrod briefly discussed the Joint Skills Statement, which outlines the skills that postgraduate researchers funded by the Research Councils are expected to develop during their research training, and the Concordat which sets out the expectations and responsibilities of researchers, their managers, employers and funders.

She noted that not all PhD students continue in academia (only 20% of PhD students continue to postdoctoral research and 7% of postdoctoral researchers progress to an academic career - approximate national averages) and that skills development is of benefit regardless of career path.

Nationally, one current priority is to evaluate the impact of the Skills Agenda. The Rugby Team, a sector-led working group, was formed in 2004 to address this.

Skills development at the University of Cambridge

Many institutions contribute to skills development in the Collegiate University, but generating awareness of the Skills Agenda and the opportunities available is challenging. The GDP aims to promote more effective communication of the Agenda, and has a dual focus on teaching & learning and the Skills Agenda. The GPD is based within Academic Practice in the Centre for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), and is staffed by the Head of Graduate Development, five Postgraduate Skills Training Officers and three administrators. Each Skills Training Officer is responsible for a School, which enables them to tailor training to the needs of that School. The aims and activities of the GDP are outlined in Dr Morrod's presentation.

Dr Morrod discussed events offered at the University and nationally which provide safe forums for graduates to develop their transferable skills. These include Graduate Conferences and residential GradSchools at which students can present their research to peers. A 'skills map' included in the presentation visualises the pathways through which graduates might develop their transferable skills.

Cambridge University skills portal

Dr Morrod briefly introduced the new Cambridge University Skills Portal. This online resource includes a searchable skills directory which features courses and events for postgraduates and researchers to develop their personal and professional competencies. Training providers are encouraged to upload details of their events to the directory.

Group brainstorming session

Attendees brainstormed six issues relating to the Skills Agenda. Responses are summarised below. Dr Morrod commented that while some of the responses relate to activities already undertaken by the GDP and other training providers, there is a great deal of value from these recommendations which will be used as the basis for further discussion and future planning.

Getting the message across: communication and raising awareness

  • Get supervisors on board.
  • Brand the courses appropriately.
  • Tell recipients why training is important.
  • Demonstrate how the skills discussed are relevant to needs.
  • Encourage graduates to talk to each other about their training experiences.
  • Introduce skills training, and the skills training officers, at an early stage (i.e. during induction).
  • Promote the online skills portal (via mailing lists, induction, fliers, posters, word of mouth etc).
  • Use promotional material to explain what transferable skills are and give examples.
  • Promote skills training as less about CV building and more about personal development.
  • Consider making the programme compulsory.
  • Provide a forum for sharing information - establish good relationships and communication channels with as many graduates as possible.
  • Allocate a current graduate skills peer mentor to graduates before arrival.

Recording professional development: how can we best do this?

Methods could include:

  • log books/validation
  • certificates
  • e-portfolios
  • personal reflection diary
  • training needs analysis/reviews
  • personal development plans/reviews
  • CV
  • blended learning
  • publications
  • prizes and awards
  • poster sessions/presentations
  • increased recognition/profile
  • anonymous feedback (comments box or web form)
  • training transcript
  • CAMCORS records.

Joining-up provision: involving all stakeholders

  • Identify providers/stakeholders.
  • Get schools together (via a forum or departmental representatives).
  • Identify stakeholder interests (including support services in libraries).
  • Increase awareness of the skills officers and what they can offer.
  • Develop ways of communicating across the Collegiate University and between levels.
  • Raise awareness of the website.
  • Ensure that supervisors are aware of what's available.
  • Link together what is available in different areas.
  • Make use of the central point of contact in each department to gather information.
  • Remind stakeholders of available provision, reinforcing its importance and encouraging participation.
  • Explore College provision.
  • Encourage department (as well as faculty) attendance at talks and events.
  • Investigate marketing advantages.
  • Summary: identify, awareness, communicate.

The future post-2011: where do we see this going?

  • Loss of finance = reduced opportunities.
  • Growing use of CamTools etc at undergraduate level.
  • Online resources - marginal time - bringing in new audiences.
  • Better anticipation - less reactive.
  • More maps of pathways - coherent thinking.
  • Self-service log books that assist students through training needs.
  • Need to strike a balance between core/generic/subject-specific provision.
  • Seek out alternative funding sources.
  • Support for meandering pathway into different stages of development (personalise).
  • Online communities of support (possibly discipline-specific).
  • Include training done by UTOs in their stint.
  • Issues of: isolation (if it's all online) and awareness (where to go, what is available).
  • Make training relevant to specific needs.

Personal skills development: who is responsible and how can we engage people with it?

  • Colleges - use graduate tutors and the tutorial system.
  • Individuals themselves.
  • Commitment from the top.
  • Faculties and departments.
  • Make it a course requirement (use log books etc).
  • Graduate supervisors.
  • The professional academic communities expecting fresh blood.
  • Joint Schools.
  • Student have responsibility in conjunction with the department/faculty - they must identify needs and match them with available provision.
  • Personal development questionnaires.

Measuring success and evaluating provision: how can we measure it and what should we measure?

  • Student/participant questionnaires and feedback.
  • Analysis of feedback by graduate supervisors/Heads of Department.
  • Make feedback mandatory at end-of-year interviews.
  • Electronic feedback (CamTools, CamGrad).
  • Development of log book information (reactions to training).
  • Revisit responses at a later date (reflective responses).
  • Repeat the national survey (Roberts) to assess the effectiveness of funding.
  • Feedback from supervisors on student development.
  • Students should be able to evaluate success anonymously.