Success in a knowledge economy? Understanding the early labour market experiences of doctoral graduates in the UK

Sally Elizabeth Hancock

Success in a knowledge economy? Understanding the early labour market experiences of doctoral graduates in the UK

Education

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

Abstract

For several decades, the policy discourse of the knowledge economy has articulated the importance of doctoral graduates to economic growth. More recently, a counter narrative depicting doctoral graduates as ‘disillusioned and directionless’ - facing difficult and fractured transitions into non-academic employment - has emerged. This study offers a timely reappraisal of the knowledge economy promise, analysing recent employment data for UK doctoral graduates (n=4731) linked to academic and socio-demographic data. This novel element of linked data enables an exploration of whether and how doctoral students’ academic experiences and differing access to economic, social and cultural capitals are associated with distinct career pathways. Early analyses indicate that the vast majority of doctoral graduates are in professional employment, and career satisfaction is high. However, clear associations are observed between socio-demographic characteristics and doctoral subject and institution, and employment outcomes differ significantly by these variables, too. A full analysis, with policy recommendations, will be presented.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - Dec 2017
Event	Society for Research into Higher Education Annual Research Conference - Newport Duration: 6 Dec 2017 → 8 Dec 2017

Conference

Conference	Society for Research into Higher Education Annual Research Conference
Period	6/12/17 → 8/12/17

Cite this

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title = "Success in a knowledge economy? Understanding the early labour market experiences of doctoral graduates in the UK",

abstract = "For several decades, the policy discourse of the knowledge economy has articulated the importance of doctoral graduates to economic growth. More recently, a counter narrative depicting doctoral graduates as {\textquoteleft}disillusioned and directionless{\textquoteright} - facing difficult and fractured transitions into non-academic employment - has emerged. This study offers a timely reappraisal of the knowledge economy promise, analysing recent employment data for UK doctoral graduates (n=4731) linked to academic and socio-demographic data. This novel element of linked data enables an exploration of whether and how doctoral students{\textquoteright} academic experiences and differing access to economic, social and cultural capitals are associated with distinct career pathways. Early analyses indicate that the vast majority of doctoral graduates are in professional employment, and career satisfaction is high. However, clear associations are observed between socio-demographic characteristics and doctoral subject and institution, and employment outcomes differ significantly by these variables, too. A full analysis, with policy recommendations, will be presented.",

author = "Hancock, {Sally Elizabeth}",

year = "2017",

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language = "English",

note = "Society for Research into Higher Education Annual Research Conference ; Conference date: 06-12-2017 Through 08-12-2017",

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T1 - Success in a knowledge economy? Understanding the early labour market experiences of doctoral graduates in the UK

AU - Hancock, Sally Elizabeth

PY - 2017/12

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N2 - For several decades, the policy discourse of the knowledge economy has articulated the importance of doctoral graduates to economic growth. More recently, a counter narrative depicting doctoral graduates as ‘disillusioned and directionless’ - facing difficult and fractured transitions into non-academic employment - has emerged. This study offers a timely reappraisal of the knowledge economy promise, analysing recent employment data for UK doctoral graduates (n=4731) linked to academic and socio-demographic data. This novel element of linked data enables an exploration of whether and how doctoral students’ academic experiences and differing access to economic, social and cultural capitals are associated with distinct career pathways. Early analyses indicate that the vast majority of doctoral graduates are in professional employment, and career satisfaction is high. However, clear associations are observed between socio-demographic characteristics and doctoral subject and institution, and employment outcomes differ significantly by these variables, too. A full analysis, with policy recommendations, will be presented.

AB - For several decades, the policy discourse of the knowledge economy has articulated the importance of doctoral graduates to economic growth. More recently, a counter narrative depicting doctoral graduates as ‘disillusioned and directionless’ - facing difficult and fractured transitions into non-academic employment - has emerged. This study offers a timely reappraisal of the knowledge economy promise, analysing recent employment data for UK doctoral graduates (n=4731) linked to academic and socio-demographic data. This novel element of linked data enables an exploration of whether and how doctoral students’ academic experiences and differing access to economic, social and cultural capitals are associated with distinct career pathways. Early analyses indicate that the vast majority of doctoral graduates are in professional employment, and career satisfaction is high. However, clear associations are observed between socio-demographic characteristics and doctoral subject and institution, and employment outcomes differ significantly by these variables, too. A full analysis, with policy recommendations, will be presented.

M3 - Paper

T2 - Society for Research into Higher Education Annual Research Conference

Y2 - 6 December 2017 through 8 December 2017

ER -