Definition of Professional Skills for Career Progression - Task 015
Fit to programme
This task has been identified by the working groups as part of the agenda behind WP 3.3.
The task number is 015.
Description
Professional skills are often undervalued or misunderstood by Research Technical Professionals (RTPs), who may see them as unrelated to their technical expertise or beyond their role. However, these skills—such as procurement, supplier engagement, project management, and cross-team coordination—are not only relevant but essential for career progression and for enabling RTPs to contribute meaningfully to institutional and industry partnerships. This mini-project will establish a clear, working definition of “professional skills” tailored specifically to RTPs, grounded in the realities of technical research roles. It will explore how these skills are developed through technical work and how they empower RTPs to engage effectively with suppliers, funders, and collaborators. To build engagement and demonstrate impact, the project will collect and present case studies and success stories from RTPs who have benefitted from professional skills training. It will also compare practices with industry, where structured approaches to project management and supplier engagement are standard, to highlight transferable models.
Outcomes
- A published definition of professional skills for RTPs.
- A set of at least three case studies from RTPs demonstrating how professional skills training has supported career progression and institutional engagement.
- Recommendations for how SHAREing can embed and communicate professional skills within future training resources to maximise relevance and uptake