Graduate training and skills development
Training during your postgraduate course is increasingly important for your future career, and for your own personal development as individuals and citizens. Less than 10% of PhD students go on to follow research careers, so a wide range of skills is essential for success in this field.
Details of your PhD training need to be recorded and monitored on Skills Forge, and a wide range of training is encouraged. You can maintain your Graduate Professional Development record on Skills Forge, and details of your training need to be printed out and taken along to your TAC and upgrade meetings.
A Joint Statement (PDF) of the UK Research Councils' Training Requirements for Research students has set out a range of skills that a student should be able to demonstrate upon completion of a PhD:
(A) Research Skills and Techniques
- Recognise and validate problems
- Original, independent and critical thinking
- Knowledge of recent advances in your field
- Critical evaluation of your own and others' findings
- Ability to summarise, report and reflect on progress
(B) The Research Environment
- Understand the national and international context in which research takes place
- Be aware of issues relating to the rights of other researchers, e.g. data ownership, confidentiality, ethical issues, welfare issues
- Understand good practise in research
- Understand relevant health and safety issues
- Understand the process for funding and evaluation of research
- Understand academic and, if relevant, commercial exploitation of research result
(C) Research Management
- Show effective project management through setting goals and prioritising activities
- Display appropriate design of methods to collate research material
- Be able to identify and access bibliographic and archival information resources
- Use information technology for information management, retrieval and presentation of results
(D) Personal Effectiveness
- Willingness to learn and acquire knowledge
- Being creative, independent and original
- Being flexible and open minded
- Demonstrate self awareness and the ability to identify your own training needs
- Demonstrate self discipline, motivation and thoroughness
- Recognise your limitations and draw on other support as appropriate
- Show initiative, work independently and be self reliant
(E) Communication Skills
- Write clearly, in a style appropriate for purpose
- Being able to construct coherent arguments and a articulate ideas to a range of audiences
- Demonstrate the ability to constructively defend research at workshops, conferences and viva
- Contribute to the public understanding of science
- Support the learning of others when involved in demonstrating, tutoring or mentoring activities
(F) Networking and Team Building
- Demonstrate the ability to develop and maintain co-operative working relationships with supervisors and peers
- Understand your own behaviour and its impact on others in contributing to successful teamworking
- Listen, give constructive feedback and respond perceptively to others
(G) Career Management
- Appreciate the need for and show commitment to your own Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Manage your own career progression, identify opportunities and set realistic goals
- Understand the importance of transferable skills
- Appreciate the range of career opportunities available within and outside academia
- Present your skills, attributes and experiences through effective CVs, applications and interviews
Please bear these requirements in mind when deciding on training courses, modules or activities.
