A new training scheme for students working towards postgraduate degrees was launched today by the Institutes of Technology Research Alliance.
The ITRA has prepared a selection of programmes geared towards accredited certs and diplomas which can be undertaken alongside a student's main graduate studies.
Those taking part will be able to mix the various education modules to suit their own existing skills, according to project co-ordinator Dr John Bartlett, who is based at IT Sligo.
In addition to modules which are overtly linked to research skills such as project management, research methods and data handling, there are others on wider issues such as creativity, entrepreneurship and communicating with the public.
Postgraduates who hold either a cert or diploma completed under the programme became more marketable when applying for jobs, Dr Bartlett said. Their skills were also highly transferable and were readily reapplied in the research workforce, he added.
Creation of the programme was one of the key objectives of the alliance when it was established in 2007.
Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation Conor Lenihan unveiled the programme in Dublin today.
The alliance is made up of representatives from all 14 ITs, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth, the University of Ulster and the University of Melbourne. The Higher Education and Training Awards Council, the Irish Universities Association and Ibec are also involved.