Ariyachandra, Mahendrini; (2025) Enhancing Career Development for Engineering Postdocs: Engagement Factors and Programme Design Insights. In: Proceedings of the Sustainable Ecological Engineering Design for Society (SEEDS) 2025. SEEDS: Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK. (In press).

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Abstract

Postdoctoral researchers are essential to the advancement of research and innovation, yet their career development is often hindered by fragmented institutional support, narrowly defined academic pathways, and limited access to relevant training. Although several UK-wide initiatives seek to address these challenges, many institutional programmes still fall short of supporting the increasingly diverse trajectories of postdoctoral researchers. This paper investigates the factors influencing engagement with Career Development Training Programmes (CDTPs), addressing the critical gap between programme design and researcher needs. Drawing on pre- and post-programme survey data from 50 civil engineering postdoctoral researchers across five UK universities, the study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining thematic analysis with descriptive statistics. Findings highlight the importance of aligning CDTP content with individual career aspirations, offering structured mentorship, and providing meaningful follow-up support. Additionally, the perceived attitudes of supervisors toward professional development were found to significantly shape researchers’ motivation and engagement. Based on these insights, the study informed the redesign of participating institutions’ CDTPs to incorporate learner-centred content, interactive learning strategies, and targeted mentoring. Post-programme evaluations indicated increased participant satisfaction, perceived relevance, and skill alignment, although confidence in achieving long-term career goals varied. This research offers empirically grounded recommendations for enhancing postdoctoral career development, advocating for programme customisation, supervisor engagement, and institutional strategies that reflect the complex realities of contemporary research careers. The findings contribute to ongoing discourse on postdoctoral support, providing actionable frameworks for institutions seeking to strengthen the professional trajectories of early career researchers.

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