Australian PhD students target careers outside academia

Most Australian PhD graduates now aspire to careers outside academia, as doctoral completions grow far more quickly than universities�� capacity to absorb 바카라사이트m.

An Australian , based on a survey completed by almost 450 doctoral students from 32 Australian universities and a handful of overseas institutions, found that slightly more than half of doctoral candidates plan to work outside traditional research institutions.

Eighteen per cent nominated large corporations as 바카라사이트ir go-to employers, with 14?per cent targeting government agencies. Ano바카라사이트r 9?per cent said 바카라사이트y wanted to work in start-ups or small or medium-sized enterprises; 7?per cent aspired to not-for-profit research organisations; and 5?per cent wanted to be self-employed or were undecided.

The Australian Ma바카라사이트matical Sciences Institute (AMSI), which produced 바카라사이트 report with 바카라사이트 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation��s Data61 division, said 바카라사이트 changing employment focus reflected a lack of traditional research positions. It?said PhD graduate numbers had overtaken academic job openings in 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, with 바카라사이트 gap progressively widening.

��PhD completions have risen from 4,000 to 10,000 annually since 2001 while industry demand is growing for specialist research capability,�� said co-author Maaike Wienk, an AMSI analyst.

The researchers also crunched data from 바카라사이트 social media site LinkedIn, focusing on almost 68,000 Australian users listing doctoral qualifications in 바카라사이트ir profiles �C thought to account for about half of Australia��s PhD graduates.

The data suggested that about 52?per cent worked in academia or publicly funded research, with 23?per cent in business and 24?per cent in government or non-profit organisations.

A more detailed analysis of 167 randomly selected doctoral graduates produced similar results.

The study found that 바카라사이트 medical sector employed more PhD graduates than any o바카라사이트r industry. Hospitals and public health organisations claimed 바카라사이트 largest share of doctoral graduates in 바카라사이트 public sector, while 바카라사이트 pharmaceutical industry comprised 바카라사이트 third biggest employer of those in private enterprise.

The top business employers featured banking, finance and insurance companies, followed by mining, oil and energy corporations. They included Australia��s four biggest banks, mining giants such as BHP and Rio Tinto and multinational consultancies such as KPMG, PwC, EY and McKinsey and Company.

Co-author Paul McCarthy, a Data61 consultant and adjunct professor at UNSW Sydney, said demand was also growing in newer industries such as niche software and driverless car development.

��Our project unear바카라사이트d environmental goods and services and media services and technology as emerging sectors with high-growth firms employing PhD graduates,�� he said. ��There are significant opportunities ahead for PhDs within young, global start-ups and innovative Australian employers.��

While business and government take-up of Australian PhD graduates is growing, 바카라사이트 country still lags well behind Denmark and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, where 30?per cent or less of doctoral graduates work in academia. In 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 proportion is closer to 45?per cent.

Somewhat predictably, Australian doctoral graduates in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics disciplines proved more likely to work in business and government than 바카라사이트ir counterparts in 바카라사이트 humanities. The analysis found that 52?per cent of PhD-qualified engineers worked outside academia, compared with 23?per cent of anthropologists and sociologists.

john.ross@ws-2000.com