Paul Labine Ph.D.’s Post

Northeastern University and Similar Universities Offer Practical Work Experience from Freshman to Senior Years in College In my opinion, our Covid era college students could mature faster with at least once per year practical training in STEM industries for 3 to 4 month per year where they will be exposed to work experiences similar to their future careers. In my opinion, most college professor are not aware of the typical jobs that their students will be doing after graduation. Summer internships for faculty and students in companies might bring relevance to the college experience. I worked in industry for 30 years and in academic environments for a total of 30 years. Most industrial STEM employers admire the brilliance of professors; but they also realize that professors are not aware of how technical knowledge is used in solving practical problems.

We might argue that too many students change their majors—often more than once. This can sometimes be an obstacle to timely graduation and increases college costs for the student, challenging retention and graduation rates. We know that some colleges readily allow students to easily switch majors in an effort to retain them. We recommend instead having a support structure in place to help prepare students to be employed in varied areas without necessarily needing to change majors. Even when we exclude “adjacent” major changes (like Chemistry to Biochemistry or Marketing to Digital Marketing), and true changes in interest (a liberal arts student decides their passion is nursing) we must do more to guide students towards their career goals from the outset. Practicums, co-ops, internships, and micro-internships are vital opportunities that help students explore their interests and gain valuable experience early on, opening their eyes to the overlapping venn diagram that most college majors really are. Early first year academic advisement on majors, minors and concentrations as a mosaic of ways to obtain skills and knowledge can prepare students for diverse careers without always necessitating a change in major. How can we better equip our students for their first jobs post-graduation in adjacent fields? Students need help to see the broader career possibilities within their current major/minor/concentration. For instance, we’ve just partnered with some folks in Computer Science departments to explore options to transition into roles beyond traditional IT, such as engineering, data science, analytics and stock research. These pathways can be pursued without a formal major change if students are given the right experiences and support during their academic journey. Sometimes the key is how majors are presented and academic advisement occurs while the student is a freshman. If they see structured paths to single outcome, they will react with changes in their major. If they see the path as one of gathering skills and experiences, partnered with online micro-internships and summer internships, they will see a broader myriad of options still open to them in a wider array of careers. Early work with Career Services on resumes and internships can open eyes to focus on the destination more than the major.  This can help students connect their academic pursuits with real-world opportunities, ultimately enhancing their employability and career satisfaction. It’s just one more way we have advised our partners to keep those students progressing, graduating and getting great new roles post-graduation. #highered #highereducation #studentsuccess #careerReadiness #internships #academicadvising 

In a recent survey from Inside Higher Ed x College Pulse, parents are the No. 1 choice of influence for students thinking about which careers to pursue after graduation, with continuing-generation students being more likely than first-generation students to cite their parents as a top factor. The next top 4 career influences are: - strengths and weaknesses - Professor(s) - Peer(s) - My academic abilities Read more about students’ biggest career influences and the impact of internships for students here: https://lnkd.in/enVTWPnS #highered #postgrad #career

Several years ago, during a laboratory interview, the researcher remarked a comment that persists in my mind to this day. - "I've encountered many young researchers like you, engaging in summer internships throughout their academic journey but always in diverse companies and laboratories. Almost none of them have repeated and continued doing the same research" (Adapted) While this comment may suggest the importance of focusing on a specific field for the upcoming stages such as pursuing a degree, a Master's, a Ph.D., I hold a different perspective. I believe that our diverse learning experiences in various laboratories, interactions with diverse colleagues, and exposure to different situations equip us with a broader focus and more applicable expertise. Particularly relevant during early formation stages. #Experience and #Expertise #PhD #Networking

To employers in my network: There is so much great work going on to encourage students to pursue a STEM degree, but employers are a big part of getting students to the finish line. I have spoken to many of you over the years about your challenges with being a part of the change you want to see. Many understand the importance of providing internships as a gateway to an entry level job but don't have the requisite support from their company to make it a reality at scale. Others have the authority to make these decisions on behalf of their organization but cite competing priorities as a reason for not taking action. Even those recruiting from a small number of academic institutions who can pay the premium to beat out the rest of those competing for that same subset of students know that they are missing out on great talent from a diverse set of life experiences that can fuel innovation and a positive change to their work culture. At the same time, there are many non-profits out there that exist for the sole purpose of making it easier to find, develop, place and support early talent into internships/micro-internships. What needs to be true for employers to rethink their early talent strategy to ensure undergrads who are showing up every day and doing the hard work to complete a STEM degree are able to secure an internship (or even a micro-internship) outside of their academic environment? What is the impact to these graduates, their families, and the regional economy if these opportunities are not made available to those without the networks that others might have to connect to these opportunities? Check out the research from The Burning Glass Institute and Strada Education Foundation to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e-ePJ9hj

Just finished writing a strong reference letter for a talented university adjunct researcher at our institute. Their dedication to student engagement, scientific knowledge, and classroom management skills truly shined through. Wishing them the best of luck in their internship search! #scienceeducation #supervisorlife #scienceteacher

📢 Calling all UKRI funded PhD students - come intern with us! 📢 🎉 Last week UK Research and Innovation's Policy Internships opened for applications! 🏠 There's 2 intern posts available in the Build Environment Innovation Team (my team!) and many others across SICE and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ)! These are great opportunities to spend 3 months in the Department gaining an insight on how science and engineering works in government and how it informs policy making. ⬇ More details of the internships can be found on the 'Host partner information' document, alongside details on how to apply! #phdstudent #intership #science #engineering #ukri #innovation

Letting others experience the world of research- Cristina shared that as an undergraduate on a European exchange in Manchester, she had the opportunity to work alongside a Postdoc as a volunteer.  While opportunities exist for funded research internships, they may not give students equal chances to experience the research environment. Unfunded research internships have always existed, but some institutions may now prevent some of these opportunities to avoid exploiting students. While this is all good in principle, it could limit the chance for some students to experience the world of research. In the interest of diversifying the workforce, I firmly believe that providing opportunities for students from minorities to experience the world of research should be part of the positive actions institutions take. Unpaid summer internships are rarely an option for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, so offering dedicated funding to create these opportunities is essential in shifting the balance of those who apply for PhDs. For researchers - taking an undergraduate student under your wing during the summer may feel like a time commitment you do not have. This is fair enough! This opens the door to others, particularly those less likely to access these opportunities easily. We have all been helped by someone along the way. Who is it that you could invite to discover the world of research? 🌎   Is there a scheme in your institution to help you supervise an undergraduate student who is interested in exploring further what research is really like? 🌎   Could you see your contribution to opening the doors to research to a student from a minority/ disadvantaged background as your way of contributing to the EDI agenda in the research environment? 🌎  Suppose you encounter a talented student who does not “see themselves” in the research environment. Can you take it upon yourself to get them to experience research firsthand so that they can discover this for themselves? https://lnkd.in/eFuupTzw #researchworld #whoentersresearchcareer #stemcellscientist #canadastemcellresearchnetwork

week 2/35: how do we unlock cool opportunities for students at TKS? the focus process. simply put, it's a 10 month process where students build knowledge/skills/networks/mindsets through project building when students first come to TKS, my first task is to revive their curiosity let's say a student learns about DNA for the first time in biology at school. how often do students go down rabbit holes about DNA or get curious on their own to learn more about it? close to zero. it's because if they do, they're penalized for it - i.e it's not on the test, so why waste the time? i'm confident this is one of many reasons why existing systems have slowly stifled curiosity through the focus process, students are incentivized to use their curiosity to drive their learning in their focus topic. i.e double down on a niche they find truly interesting, and then start to build projects around that to build expertise when they do this consistently over a long period of time, it compounds to them unlocking cool opportunities - like internships, research positions etc.

Skills-based paid internships the first in summer 2014 have been great on ramps to helping underrepresented populations persist and complete 2-year STEM degrees in Pathways in Technology Early College High School or programs MDRC P-TECH 9-14 Pathways to Success Implementation, Impact, and Cost Findings from the New York City P-TECH 9-14 Schools Evaluation New findings in this report indicate that the P-TECH model increased students' postsecondary degree completion, particularly for male students, and boosted internship and dual enrollment rates, even during the pandemic. "By the end of the first year of postsecondary education, 2.6 percent of female and 1.8 percent of male P-TECH 9-14 students had earned degrees, compared with virtually no students from the comparison group, of either gender. These impacts for both genders are statistically significant". "Male students who had the chance to attend P-TECH 9-14 schools were more likely to attain college degrees than male students assigned to other kinds of schools". https://lnkd.in/eQBKPNsA www.ptech.org