Warwick SkillsForge

Source: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/dc/pgr/skillsforge/ Parent: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/dc/schols_fund/staff_guidance/finance/

Warwick SkillsForge supports your Professional Development Framework to:

1. complete a Development Needs Analysis (DNA);
2. find and book onto workshops;
3. reflect on your development activities;
4. record your activities;
5. evidence your professional development.

Engaging with Professional Development will enable you to:

• Develop holistically as a researcher;
• Be more effective as a researcher;
• Navigate ethical frameworks;
• Balance and prioritise your work/life;
• Enhance your employability

Go to SkillsForge PGR User Guides Staff User Guides

Can a department book training for their PGRs?How do I log opportunities not on SkillForge?Can I book on to any opportunity?What is meant by 'yearly'?What is meant by 'a day'?What are the different attendance modes?What is the Developmental Needs Analysis?What if a course I wish to attend is full?

Can a department book training for their PGRs?

The Researcher Development Team run bespoke Departmental SkillsForge training workshops for PGRs and/or their supervisors. They are 60 minutes online via Teams. We recommend that each individual logs in separately since the learning gains are superior to it being run in a hybrid format.

Please contact us directly on RDContact@warwick.ac.uk

Individuals can also attend our Using SkillsForge for your Professional Development PGR workshop

How do I log opportunities not on SkillForge?

You can self certify other activities which have not been booked via Skills Forge. This includes both Warwick and external based courses. If you are unsure whether the training is appropriate and/ or should be included in your record, please speak to your supervisor.

Can I book on to any opportunity?

All Researcher Development workshops are bespoke to the people in the room. This allows for targeted learning and development.

Some of our sessions are specific, for example, to part timers, PGRs in their final years, or PGRs just starting out. Researcher Development has a specific Accelerator series for those in their first year. All our RD sessions are labelled

Early/ Mid /Late so that you know which group we are aiming to support.

Many of our RD sessions are oversubscribed already so we would prefer that we prioritise the target audience, and you may find that attending the session at a later stage may make more sense for your development. Do contact us beforehand if you want to check with us.

Other training providers will specify in their workshop descriptions.

What is meant by 'yearly'?

PGR colleagues start at different times of the academic year. SkillsForge will recognise your enrolment date and utilise that as the start of your yearly record. It will also recognise whether you are full or part time.

What is meant by 'a day'?

The day currently equates to six hours.\ \

What are the different attendance modes?

\ 1. A= Attended and allocated full hours/credits;\ 2. Pa= Part-attended defaults to 0 credits. You need to contact the facilitator to discuss what would be an appropriate credit for the time you attended.\ 3. E= Excused. If you need to cancel within 72 hours of the event running, you will need to notify the facilitator running the session. You will not be able to cancel via SkillsForge. Excused is 0 credits or can be cancelled by facilitator if we have sufficient notice.\ 4. NS = No-Show. Where you booked, did not attend and did not cancel. No-show's have a direct effect not only on the event, but also for those who are on a waiting list. We would be grateful if you could please cancel a booking (where possible) before the event. No-show is 0 credits;

The 0 credits remain on your transcript.

What is the Developmental Needs Analysis?

Becoming a researcher is an holistic learning process; we are developing our research skills alongside our personal and professional management, developing our career and managing our wellbeing.

As researchers we are always learning and developing. Engaging with a Development Needs Analysis ( DNA) tool helps you identify what is a priority for you at this particular time; think about how you want your career and knowledge to develop and be aware of the range of training available to you throughout your PhD.

Developing best practice in engaging with your professional researcher development builds for your future roles, supports job and funding applications, and engaging with promotions in the future.

For further support Understanding how to use SkillsForge for Professional Researcher Development workshop

What if a course I wish to attend is full?

Most Researcher Development workshops have waiting lists operating; so please add yourself to the list. You may receive an offer with four days notice. Either accept or decline the offer. If you decline you can choose to be added back on the waiting list.

The RDO attempts to get most overbooked sessions repeated in the last week of term.

Other providers will have different processes which they will outline in their bookings.

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