Nowadays more and more researchers end up having a career outside academia after their graduation. However, early-stage researchers, including doctoral students, don’t always have the knowledge or contacts that would support their transition to non-academic careers. By introducing different perspectives and testimonials about career opportunities outside academia, we support the personal development of researchers and enriche both the academic and non-academic worlds. Raising awareness of non-academic career paths will also strengthen intersectoral mobility, knowledge exchange and employment of research talents in Europe.
The University of Vaasa’s Career Transition of Early-Stage Researchers (CARE) project’s main objective is to facilitate the early-stage researchers’ transition to the non-academic careers after their graduation by providing more information, tools and self-study materials to support the process. The project has received funding from the European Commission’s The ERA TALENT Project that is developing further the services provided by the EURAXESS network, with the aim to support the career development of researchers in Europe by expanding the career trajectories for them both in and outside academia.
The activities implemented within the CARE project are a part of the EURAXESS Researcher Careers Beyond Academia (REBECA) Hub’s actions.
The REBECA Hub is an international network of EURAXESS members to offer services for early career researchers who are interested in non-academic career paths and contributes to the permeability of research talent among non-academic jobs and employers. By bringing together different EURAXESS members to act towards a common goal, it is possible to form a single, stronger service point for researchers. Now The REBECA Hub offers e.g. a comprehensive toolkit for researchers to broaden their knowledge about career possibilities outside academia and has recently launched a new REBECA Practice tool for exploring different careers by practicing task that the professionals perform regularly.
The CARE project provides the University of Vaasa with a great opportunity to implement significant actions to support the early-stage researchers’ career opportunities and Europe’s attractiveness together with the REBECA Hub and its’ international members. The University of Vaasa has been a member of the EURAXESS network for over ten years but through this project we are now aiming to intensify our activities also on the international level.
Synergies at the University of Vaasa
The new CARE project’s actions are linked to the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research quality programme (HRS4R). The university’s HRS4R action plan for 2022-2024 emphasized (among other things) the need to promote intersectional mobility and cooperation, the international activities of the university and developing the working life skills of doctoral alumni in order to make it easier for them to find placement in both outside and in academia by providing training modules with industry and working life. The University of Vaasa was awarded the HRS4R quality label for the first time in 2014.
The CARE project also aligns with the national doctoral education pilot’s main objectives. The pilot aims e.g. to increase the number of PhDs in Finland and add the mobility of doctorates between universities, companies, research institutions and other organisations. These actions are meant to encourage recently graduated doctors to more diverse career paths and increase their employment on different sectors of society. The national doctoral education pilot is an initiative funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture that runs from 2024 to 2027.
Synergies can also be found in the University of Vaasa’s new CoDoc model in which a company or a public sector organisation contributes to the development of a doctoral research project by providing funding and a third supervisor. The basic idea of the model is to enhance the participating doctoral students’ connections to working life and also secure employment in the sectors beyond academia. Eligible CoDoc partners are e.g. companies, associations, societies, cities, municipalities and individuals.
Career services and the alumni network
The Career services of the University of Vaasa support degree students with career planning and various work-life related matters. They e.g. offer career guidance and counselling that aims to help students make progress with their studies, graduate and find work that is relevant to their degree. Career services also provide information regarding e.g. job positions, internships, job search and trade union activities and arrange courses related to working life skills.
One of the CARE project’s planned actions is to further develop the already existing career testimonials of the University of Vaasa’s doctoral alumni, in cooperation with the alumni activities. The university wants to stay in touch with its’ alumni throughout their careers by hosting a wide alumni network. This network offers its’ members a wide range of opportunities to join its’ activities, e.g. university events, networking and mentoring. The University of Vaasa Society also regularly chooses the Alumni of the Year.
Upcoming actions of the CARE project
The CARE project began last Autumn with a comprehensive benchmarking where we compared Nordic and national models and best practices in providing information about career opportunities and mentoring for doctoral students. As the project proceeds, an open website based on this benchmarking will be created and used as a toolkit for everyone who have interest for the EURAXESS and self-study materials, links, career testimonials and events. The toolkit provides researchers interested in careers outside academia with useful information of skills and competencies needed in these positions, career mentoring, networking and job opportunities.
Based on the benchmarking, we will also build a new career mentoring model targeted especially at doctoral students and researchers of the University of Vaasa. In this new model, e.g. a doctoral alumni or a specialist from a company will act as a School specific group mentor. Within the new career mentoring model, we e.g. plan to carry out career mentoring webinars and to develop further the already existing career testimonials.
The CARE project has been presented during 2024 in the Research Council and the Graduate School’s Management Group. The project will run until the end of July 2025.
Stay tuned as we proceed with our actions this Spring!
More information about the CARE project
For additional information about The ERA TALENT Project, EURAXESS and the REBECA Hub, please visit:
https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/
https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/
https://www.euraxess.es/spain/euraxess-researcher-careers-beyond-academia-digital-toolkit
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/researchers-beyond-academia-by-euraxess/
Try the new REBECA Practice tool
More information about the University of Vaasa’s CoDoc model
The University of Vaasa’s Career services
