Transferable Skills Workshop TSW4 (24-25 March 2022; virtual)

FONTE’s final Transferable Skills Workshop is organised jointly for ESRs in projects FONTE, REAL-NET, MOCCA and WON.

  • Date: 24-25th March 2022
  • Virtually and online (due to the COVID-19)
  • Participants: ESRs from FONTE and ITN projects coordinated by Aston/AiPT: WON, REAL-NET and MOCCA
  • NOTE: All times are local Brussels/Paris/Berlin/Rome time.
    Please check time-differences to your own location.

The aim of this 2-day workshopis is to give an overview of

  1. Career Planning and the non-academic job market – delivered by Dr Sarah Blackford
  2. Science Journalism as a career – delivered by Andy Ridgway, Programme Leader of the MSc in Science Communication, UWE Bristol
  3. Career Paths – delivered by Prof Andrew Ellis, Prof of Optical Communications, Aston University
  4. Funding opportunity after your PhD – delivered by Paul Knobbs, Research Funding Manager, Aston University
  5. CV’s and interview skills – delivered by Skillfluence

Due to COVID-19 the workshop will be held entirely online in an interactive format allowing group work and high-level discussions with experienced facilitators.

THURSDAY 24 MARCH 2022
Time (CET; Rome, Berlin, Paris)
09:00-11:30; 13:00-15:30 Dr. Sarah Blackford : Career Planning and the non-academic job market
16:00-17:00 Andy Ridgeway : Science Journalism as a career
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
FRIDAY 25 MARCH 2022
Time (CET; Rome, Berlin, Paris)
10:30-11:15 Prof. Andrew Ellis: Career paths
11:30-12:30 Paul Knobbs: Funding Opportunities after your PhD
14:00-17:00 Heather Livingston of Skillfluence: CV’s and Interview Skills
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Faclitators

Dr Sarah Blackford is a qualified higher education careers adviser (MA, Warwick University) and an honorary teaching fellow (Lancaster University) with a background in scientific research and publishing. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Sarah specialises in providing career development education to doctoral students and early career researchers and has been delivering career workshops and one-to-one coaching for over 20 years in research institutions, universities, EU consortia and doctoral training programmes. As a registered career practitioner with the Career Development Institute and the Association for Graduate Careers Services (AGCAS), Sarah adheres to a recognised ethical code of practice.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahblackford/
http://biosciencecareers.org/about

Andy Ridgeway is Programme Leader of the MSc in Science Communication at UWE Bristol and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. One of his areas of research is Science journalism practices.

Andy spent nearly 20 years as a journalist, including a spell as Deputy Editor of BBC Focus magazine. Prior to that, he worked in local newspapers as a Reporter and News Editor

Andy continues to be a practicing journalist, writing predominantly for BBC Focus as well as New Scientist. He has also written for The Economist and Men’s Health among other publications.
As well as writing for and editing print publications, Andy has extensive experience of digital publishing, particularly on tablet computers. While editing BBC Focus’s interactive iPad app, it was named specialist publication of the year twice at the Digital Magazine Awards (2011 and 2012). Andy was also named Editorial Person of the Year in the BBC Magazines Awards for Excellence in 2010.

Andy is a member of the judging team for the Max Perutz Science Writing Award run by the Medical Reseach Council (MRC).

https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/AndyRidgway

Prof Andrew Ellis, 50th anniversary professor of optical communications at Aston University where he is also the Deputy Director of the Institute of Photonics TechnologiesAston University.

https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/andrew-ellis

Paul Knobbs, Research Funding Manager, Aston University, specialising in EU And Large Projects

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-knobbs-15428490

Heather Livingston is an experienced trainer, facilitator and coach. She specialises in helping individuals and groups work positively towards effective career transition, change and development. Heather is a fully qualified Careers Adviser and member of the CDI (Career Development Institute) with 20 years career management experience across all sectors. She is skilled in developing and delivering workshops to help people successfully develop and progress in their careers with confidence and purpose.

http://www.skillfluence.co.uk/our-courses/heather-livingston/