Transition Zone: A Training Ethos Designed to Scaffold a Ph.D. Degree

The Transition Zone is our bespoke training programme to support transitions throughdifferent stages in a researcher’s career: (1) into doctoral studies as a high performingresearcher, (2) through doctoral studies to make the most out of their doctorate and associatedtraining and, (3) on exiting, to empower and equip them as highly employable graduates. Thispaper focuses on the first (i.e. ‘Transition In’) and the second transitions (i.e. ‘TransitionThrough’). The purpose of this paper is to offer a programme evaluation of these twotransitions in order to assess whether the training ethos fulfils the three strategic aims (i.e.continuous learning as second nature, reflection in/on action, and deliberate employabilityboosters).Students have been encouraged to take ownership of their PhD and personal developmentfrom the outset (e.g. each student manages their own time, training, travel and consumablesbudget). The nature of the training activities has also been varied, accounting for to thestudent’s learning preferences, exposing students to both individual and group work,technical and non-technical training and with a strong flavour of externally-facing industryexperience. A series of tests and self-awareness exercises have allowed the students toexplore their own objectives and those of the program so that they dovetail, and allow aninformed decision on training components to deliver a rounded engineer and/or scientist whonot only is an expert in a research area but also possesses business acumen and industry readiness that are much sought after by employers in the current global market.