Ofsuccess the Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of Phd Graduates
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Degrees ofSuccess The Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates Degrees of Success The Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates The Council of Canadian Academies 180 Elgin Street, Suite 1401, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K2P 2K3 The project that is the subject of this report was undertaken with the approval of the Board of Directors of the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA). Board members are drawn from the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), as well as from the general public. The members of the expert panel responsible for the report were selected by CCA for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. This report was prepared for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada Any opinions, findings, or conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors, The Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates, and do not necessarily represent the views of their organizations of affiliation or employment, or the sponsoring organization, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Library and Archives Canada ISBN: 978-1-926522-85-2 (Electronic book) 978-1-926522-84-5 (Book) This report should be cited as: Council of Canadian Academies, 2021. Degrees of Success, Ottawa (ON). The Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates, Council of Canadian Academies. Disclaimer The internet data and information referenced in this report were correct, to the best of the CCA’s knowledge, at the time of publication. Due to the dynamic nature of the internet, resources that are free and publicly available may subsequently require a fee or restrict access, and the location of items may change as menus and webpages are reorganized. © 2021 Council of Canadian Academies This assessment was made Printed in Ottawa, Canada possible with the support of the Government of Canada iv | Council of Canadian Academies The Council of Canadian Academies The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is a not-for-profit organization that supports independent, science-based, authoritative expert assessments to inform public policy development in Canada. Led by a Board of Directors and advised by a Scientific Advisory Committee, the CCA’s work encompasses a broad definition of science, incorporating the natural, social, and health sciences as well as engineering and the humanities. CCA assessments are conducted by independent, multidisciplinary panels of experts from across Canada and abroad. Assessments strive to identify emerging issues, gaps in knowledge, Canadian strengths, and international trends and practices. Upon completion, assessments provide government decision-makers, researchers, and stakeholders with high-quality information required to develop informed and innovative public policy. All CCA assessments undergo a formal peer review and are published and made available to the public free of charge. Assessments can be referred to the CCA by foundations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and any level of government. www.cca-reports.ca @cca_reports Council of Canadian Academies | v The Academies The CCA is supported by its three founding Academies: The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Founded in 1882, the RSC comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences, as well as Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership: The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Its mission is to recognize scholarly, research, and artistic excellence, to advise governments and organizations, and to promote a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world. The Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) The CAE is the national institution through which Canada’s most distinguished and experienced engineers provide strategic advice on matters of critical importance to Canada. The Academy is an independent, self-governing, and non- profit organization established in 1987. Fellows are nominated and elected by their peers in recognition of their distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession. Fellows of the Academy are committed to ensuring that Canada’s engineering expertise is applied to the benefit of all Canadians. The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) The CAHS recognizes excellence in the health sciences by appointing Fellows based on their outstanding achievements in the academic health sciences in Canada and on their willingness to serve the Canadian public. The Academy provides timely, informed, and unbiased assessments of issues affecting the health of Canadians and recommends strategic, actionable solutions. Founded in 2004, CAHS appoints new Fellows on an annual basis. The organization is managed by a voluntary Board of Directors and a Board Executive. vi | Council of Canadian Academies The Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates Under the guidance of its Scientific Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, and founding Academies, the CCA assembled The Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates to undertake this project. Each expert was selected for their expertise, experience, and demonstrated leadership in fields relevant to this project. M. Elizabeth Cannon, O.C., FRSC, FCAE (Chair), President Emerita, University of Calgary (Calgary, AB) Marcelline Bangali, Associate Professor, Department of Foundations and Practices in Education, Faculty of Education, Université Laval (Québec, QC) Dwayne Benjamin, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Toronto; Vice-Dean, Graduate Education, Faculty of Arts & Science (Toronto, ON) John (Jay) Doering, FCAE, Associate Vice-President (Partnerships), University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB) Bryan Gopaul, Assistant Professor, Warner School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY) Diane Gray, Founding President and CEO, CentrePort Canada; Chair, Mitacs Board of Directors (Winnipeg, MB) Tina Gruosso, Board of Directors, Science & Policy Exchange; Scientist, Translational Research, Forbius (Montréal, QC) Jennifer Polk, Founder and Principal, From PhD to Life (Toronto, ON) Susan Porter, Dean and Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of British Columbia; Past President, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (Vancouver, BC) Reinhart Reithmeier, FCAHS, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto; Director, Professional Development and Alumni Engagement, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto (Toronto, ON) David Walters, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Guelph (Guelph, ON) Paul Yachnin, Tomlinson Professor of Shakespeare Studies, Department of English, McGill University; Director, TRaCE McGill (Montréal, QC) Council of Canadian Academies | vii Message from the Chair Canada’s PhD graduates are important contributors to our highly skilled and innovative workforce. With their depth of expertise and complex problem-solving skills, these graduates are well placed to create opportunities while addressing challenges across sectors. PhD-holders also benefit society in other ways, generating new knowledge during their studies and advancing understanding across disciplines. Furthermore, these graduates have high expectations of themselves and want to make a difference. Despite their value, PhD grads are increasingly confronted with roadblocks on their entry into the labour market. While there has always been some variation across academic disciplines, many graduates traditionally moved into the professoriate. This path still exists but is available to fewer individuals. In the last decade, there has been a decrease in the number of assistant professor positions while the number of people graduating with PhDs in Canada has steadily increased. At the same time, expected increases in the number of high-quality industry and public sector jobs have not materialized. New graduates may face extended periods of temporary employment, underemployment, or unemployment, whether they are attempting to enter academia, or the public or private sector. The difficulties facing PhDs raise important questions about the nature of PhD education in Canada and how to ensure the potential of PhD graduates is fully realized. The Panel’s report seeks to spark a conversation about these issues by detailing the challenges faced by PhDs as they begin their careers, key factors contributing to these challenges, and promising practices to address them. The Panel recognizes that many of the challenges facing PhD graduates as they transition to the labour market are formed by their experiences during their studies. Degrees of Success considers how a range of stakeholders can influence those experiences at various stages in PhD students’ development. These include universities, governments, employers, as well as the students and graduates themselves. When the CCA was asked to undertake this assessment, and while the Panel deliberated, the challenges facing PhD graduates in Canada did not include entering a labour market drastically altered by a pandemic. Its long-term effects on the economy and society remain uncertain in many ways, and a near-absence of data means that this aspect could not be explored by the Panel. Having said this, the skills and aptitudes