Case studies
Marianne Pagett- Masters - Human Resource Management - Sheffield Hallam University
Approximately 18.4% of graduates take up postgraduate study straight after their first degree, study which is usually closely connected to their undergraduate degree or a conversion course that enables them to move into a career such as teaching or law. But those who defer their further study can still achieve career progression and may even be lucky enough to find an employer to pay for it.
An employer-sponsored postgraduate course seems an ideal arrangement. You get to study for a qualification that will improve your ability to do your job and advance your career prospects, and your employer benefits from a better-qualified, more productive and better-motivated employee.
In practice the picture is more complex and convincing your employer to fund your further study may be a tough task. They will need to be sure that the qualification you want to do will be worth investing in and that you aren’t just using it as a way of moving on from the company as soon as possible. Most graduate employers have a positive commitment to training and development, but much depends on the company you work for.
You will have to put together a proposal, rather like a business plan. The first person you will have to convince will be your line manager. You should also be prepared to make a case to other senior staff or the personnel manager, who will normally have the last word on training expenditure and who will arrange things like time off for study or books and materials allowances.
If your company has a well-structured performance development process, you should use your appraisal as an opportunity to discuss your training requirements and raise the question of doing a postgraduate course.
Show your manager that you have already done some research and identified possible options. Emphasise the benefits you feel the course will bring to the company. Explain how it will help you do your job more effectively and describe the skills it will help you develop. Find out how much it costs and show your employer how you can fit it in to your normal workload.
There may be organisational or technological changes planned that obviate the need for you to do a marketing Masters, however appropriate it might seem at the time. Or your employer may prefer you to do a series of short courses or training programmes.
Signing an agreement, which will tie you to the company for a specified period once you’ve completed the course is not unusual. An MBA, for example, could cost your employer £18,000, and the last thing they will want is for you to sail off to a better paid job elsewhere.
Postgraduate study is just one element in professional development and you might find that your interests are best served by doing a series of shorter programmes orstudying for membership of a professional body such as the The Actuarial Profession or the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)
Many universities are stepping up their provision of short CPD (continuous professional development) programmes, often in conjunction with local employers.
An alternative approach is to apply for a PhD studentship sponsored by an employer who has an involvement in defining the scope of the research. This often leads to employment with the sponsoring company after graduation.
The availability of courses locally will be an important factor. If you work in a major centre such as London or Manchester, there will be a lot of choice on your doorstep. The situation will be different in Skegness or Oswestry. If there are no institutions offering the course you are interested in near home, you might consider doing one by distance learning. There is an increasing number of postgraduate programmes delivered partly or entirely by the internet, enabling you to earn a qualification from an institution hundreds of miles away.
Another alternative route for postgraduate study is Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). KTPs enable graduates to work in companies - usually for two years - on projects central to their strategic development. KTP schemes are run by commercial companies in partnership with ‘knowledge base’ organisations, i.e. universities or research institutes.
KTP Associates work on product development, quality systems, new technology implementation and other important projects. They are paid a competitive salary and are expected to spend at least 10% of their time on training and personal development, in addition to managing a project with strategic relevance to the company they’re working in. KTP vacancies arise in most industry sectors throughout the year and are advertised fortnightly in Prospects Graduate, which can be accessed at www.prospects.ac.uk
- How the fees will be paid (will you be responsible for some of the costs)
- Who will pay for your study materials
- Time off for classes, revision and exams
- Will this time off be deducted from your holiday allowance
- Will you be tied in to an agreement. If so, how long for
Further information:
www.ktponline.org.uk/Graduates
