Transferable Skills Training for Researchers
Supporting Career Development and Research
Researchers are embarking on increasingly diverse careers where collaboration, networking and interdisciplinarity are becoming more important. Transferable skills (e.g. communication skills and problem-solving abilities) can help researchers operate more effectively in different work environments. While researchers acquire some of these skills in the course of studies and work, attention is turning to the role of formal training.
This study analyses countries' government and institutional level policies on formal training in transferable skills for researchers, from doctoral students through to experienced research managers. It draws on results from a cross-country policy quesionnaire on transferable skills training strategies and programmes, including formal training and workplace-based options, as well as discussions at a policy-oriented workshop with OECD delegates and experts. The study represents a first step to analysing transferable skills for researchers in OECD countries.
The study points to the significant role of individual institutions in setting strategies and providing transferable skills training programmes. While the scope for governments to improve on current arrangements is difficult to assess, the study suggests policy makers could boost policy monitoring and evaluation, facilitate dialogue between academia and industry, encourage workplace-based training options, and leverage collaborative research to support transferable skills training for researchers at all levels.
Annex C: Workshop agenda
Researchers are a key input into science and technology activity and their formation and careers are an important policy issue. Governments are keen to ensure that approaches to researcher training and careers are yielding net benefits for their economies. The OECD’s Working Party on Research Institutions and Human Resources (RIHR) is undertaking a project aimed at helping governments, as major actors in researcher training, to consider whether current national approaches provide appropriate support to researchers seeking to improve their transferable skill competencies. With a focus on countries’ government- and institute-level policies on formal training in transferable skills for researchers, it will collect evidence on current arrangements, attempt to identify good practices in transferable skills training, and highlight possible future directions to support researcher career development and improve research.