Careers Talk

WHRIAsaf Federman

June 2010

Staff numbers in academia

Source: HEIDI database: HESA. Academic Staff FTE Cost Centre (13) Agriculture & forestry

fixed term open endedAberystwyth University 4 24Bangor University 23 27The University of Central Lancashire 1 30The University of Greenwich 8 43Harper Adams University College 6 91The University of Lincoln 19 43University of London 0 5The University of Nottingham 16 24The Nottingham Trent University 13 22The University of Reading 44 87Scottish Agricultural College 22 164The University of Warwick 0 0Sum aggregate 188 757

HE institutions Employing in Agriculture & Forestry 2008-2009

Staff and PhD numbers in academia

Source: HEIDI database: HESA. Academic Staff FTE Cost Centre (10) Biological Sciences: research only VS research and teaching.Student FPE – HE Qualifications obtained, JACS Subject Area (3) Biological sciences, Doctorate.

Metcalf, Hilary, Heather Rolfe, Philip Stevens and Martin Weale (2005) Recruitment and Retention of Academic Staff in Higher Education National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Research Report, No 658 p.107

The Supply and Demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Skills in the UK Economy by Department for Education and Skills , 2006. p.20 ISBN 1 84478 768 0

What do researchers do? First destinations of doctoral graduates by subject. Vitae 2009.

Years 2003-7 total number of 250 PhD graduates

56%

9%

What do researchers do? First destinations of doctoral graduates by subject. Vitae 2009.

Years 2003-7 total number of 5135 PhD graduates

56%

9%

41%

4%

55%

Beyond Academia

The industry (SEMTA report) (Semta Bioscience labour market survey 2006)

29% of employers responding to the survey report skills gaps among their current workforce. Most often these are among the following occupations:

• laboratory scientists,• senior scientists, • other managers,• senior researchers • science managers.

 The following recruitment issues have been raised by employers as having an

impact on their recruitment:• Bioscience graduates that are weak in chemistry, mathematics and

physics, and are not equipped to cope with the cross-disciplinary of modern bioscience;

(Semta ) – AACS LMI (Version 2.5) March 2010 (word .doc)

The industry (SEMTA report) Skill shortagesFor specific scientific areas, the greatest skills shortages are in:• Clinical/pharmacology/translational medicine• Bioscience • Analytical and physical chemistry• Process and chemical engineering• In vivo sciences• BioinformaticsHard to fill vacanciesThe three most common reasons for Hard to Fill Vacancies in the UK science

companies surveyed are:• lack of applicants with required work experience (39 out of 59 companies), • lack of breadth of skills (23), • lack of applicants with required qualifications and skills (21).

(Semta ) – AACS LMI (Version 2.5) March 2010 (word .doc)

The industry (SEMTA report) The main scientific skills gaps were in: The main generic skills gaps were in:

> Bioscience and molecular biology> Analytical and physical chemistry> Biochemistry> Biotechnology/biopharmaceuticals> Geomics/proteomics/metabolomics> Synthetic organic chemistry/medicinal > chemistry> Mathematics or statistics.

> Business skills> Management skills> IT skills (general)> Project management> Team working> Regulation

(Semta ) – AACS LMI (Version 2.5) March 2010 (word .doc)

O*NET – jobs in the US

Salaries – some examples

Entry Progression Senior

Plant breeder/geneticist

£20,000 to £27,000

£25,000 - £36,000

5 years

£35,000 to £44,000

Horticultural consultant

£17,000 to £20,000

£25,000 to £45,000

Agricultural consultant

£15,000 to £22,000

£25,000 to £50,000

Science teacher £20,627 £30,14840k-100k+ deputy & head

teacher

source: prospects.ac.uk

Type of jobs• Plant pathologist Monitors the response of plants to different stimuli such

as light, temperature and nutrients.• Botanical archivist Maintains and updates records in a botanical collection

such as at Kew Gardens.• Sports surface technologist Develops and maintains turf to the highest

competitive standards – there are opportunities for this in several sports.• Tree risk assessor Gauges the likelihood of a tree, or part of it, falling and

causing an accident, and therefore the assessor decides whether or not the tree ought to be removed.

• Crop trials analyst Checks the behaviour of a crop to see if, for example, it is consistent or can be marketed as a new variety.

• Forensic ecologist Analyses evidence of plant, insect and soil traces, which can help in solving crimes.

“SIX OF THE BEST JOBS”

International Society for Horticultural Science: http://www.ishs.org/news/?p=1050#more-1050 O*NET – soil and plant scientist

Jobs• http://www.jobshorticulture.org.uk/• http://www.ieem.net/jobs.asp

What Next? • Information pages for Life Sciences• Network• Professional Bodies • Prepare documents • Use others – groups? • Career Guidance, counselling, LDC

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/Vitae-WDRD-career-profiles-Jun-09.pdf