Employability and doctoral research postgraduates - Janet Metcalfe and Alexandra Gray

This publication is for anyone who is engaged in running doctoral research degree programmes, particularly supervisors. The intention is to demonstrate the relevance of employability for doctoral
researchers, and what can be done in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to support the
development of employability.

The publication presents an overview of the importance of postgraduate researchers to the
nation’s economic health, the nature of the PhD qualification and where PhDs are employed.
It explores the synergy between the research degree programme, the development of skills
and PhD graduates’ subsequent employability. It highlights how recent national initiatives,
particularly the use of personal development planning (PDP) within research degree
programmes, have recognised these inter-relationships, and it provides a checklist of how
institutions, research communities and particularly supervisory teams may wish to support the
development of researchers’ skills and hence their subsequent employability.