Research and Employability Skills Training

REST will provide you with a skills training framework that you can take with you to further studies or careers. It is a tool to analyse, record, reflect on and demonstrate the skills you gain throughout your candidature, be that through structured training activities or the everyday learning that happens throughout your studies. Through structured development activities and milestones, you will be asked to reflect on the skills you are acquiring and the ways you are utilising those skills. 

This is not extra work or training that you have to undertake - REST recognises everything you are already doing and helps you reflect in the skills you are developing. It also consolidates all training activities relevant to HDR students in one place, under the one framework, so that the development is readily available when you decide that you need it.

We have built the skills development module to be an iterative, reflective process, helping you to assess, identify, develop and demonstrate the skills you already have, those you need to develop and those that you are already developing. In the process of a HDR, you gain a lot of knowledge, produce new knowledge and develop a lot of new skills. Throughout this time, you are busy planning and conducting your research study, writing up your findings, publishing papers, producing a thesis. Most of these will be skills you previously did not possess, but develop throughout your study without really realising that you are developing them. 

At the end of the thesis, when applying for jobs, grants or promotions, you will be asked to demonstrate those skills. Having a structured skills development process, where you plan, identify and reflect on the skills that you are gaining as you are developing them, will help you identify, reflect on and demonstrate those skills at the end. Throughout your candidature, you will be producing a skills profile (through skills completion), compiling evidence of skills development (though activity completion) and addressing criteria (though Graduate Attributes at REST Certification), that will help you produce a portfolio to assist with the next step beyond the HDR. 

To get started, it is important to familiarise yourself with the Doctoral Graduate Attributes and understand the different components of REST and skills development. There are two systems in place - the REST Canvas site, and the Inspire skills development module. You can read more about these below. Start by registering in the Canvas site and reviewing the introductory materials. These will guide you through all the steps and resources.

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) states that Doctoral Degree graduates need to have a systematic and critical understanding of a complex field of learning and specialised research skills for the advancement of learning and/or for professional practice.

Graduates at this level will have expert, specialised cognitive, technical and research skills in a discipline area to independently and systematically:

• engage in critical reflection, synthesis and evaluation
  
• develop, adapt and implement research methodologies to extend and redefine existing knowledge or professional practice
• disseminate and promote new insights to peers and the community
• generate original knowledge and understanding to make a substantial contribution to a discipline or area of professional practice

Graduates at this level will apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, authoritative judgement, adaptability and responsibility as an expert and leading practitioner or scholar. They are expected to have high-level analytical, critical and data analysis skills relevant to their discipline. They must be good communicators, able to robustly defend their work, and justify their approach, methodology and findings. They must also be able to explain the implications of their work and how these relate to previous work in their particular discipline.

Australian Council for Graduate Research Good Practice Principles articulate a set of standards considered to be essential for the delivery of graduate research programs. Principle 3 on Candidate Development states that:

Graduate research candidates are supported to undertake original research and scholarly activities whilst developing key research and employability skills for academic and non-academic careers.

1. With a primary objective of research and research skill development, transferable skill training is integrated within the higher degree program rather than separate and additional to it.
2. Universities articulate the (non-research specific) skill sets that each candidate will acquire by the completion of their candidature
3. Early assessment of the prior learning and skill level of every candidate, should inform the development of training programs for candidates from diverse educational, employment and cultural backgrounds
4. The University offers relevant development opportunities that are aligned with each stage of the candidature. Supervisors support the development of discipline specific research skills, general academic skills and career planning.
5. Candidates should have opportunities to develop skills and experience diverse research environments through collaboration, partnerships, internships, and national and international conference participation.
6. Transferable skills developed and assessed as part of graduate research program are documented and formally recognised on graduation.
7. The University periodically and systematically reviews the processes and outcomes of developmental activities for candidates.

Through the Graduate Attributes and REST program, Flinders University will guide you through the development of these skills as you move through your candidature.