Blueprint for a PGR Routes Out Hub

This document presents a blueprint for a Routes Out Hub to support Global Majority Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) in the West Midlands region in navigating what we are calling the “Routes Out” of PGR study, defined as the pathways to employment and employment pathways after completing a doctorate. It connects with multiple other That’s Me! Outputs: Secondments (O9), Employer Board (O15), Baseline Data, University Hospitals Birmingham Case Study and Barriers to Recruitment Reports (O16, O17), Inclusive Workforce Strategy (O18), Research Exchange (O21), Reverse Mentoring (O30, O31), Portfolio Review (O32), Pre-doctoral Bridging Programme (O33). This document is underpinned by analysis triangulated from four key areas: 1) multiple systematic literature reviews to situate the proposal for a hub in relation to previous and current debates and contexts; 2) participatory creative methods and interventions; 3) employer perspectives gathered through surveys, interviews and That’s Me! employer engagement events; and 4) alumni perspectives collected through online interviews.

In enhancing the employability of Global Majority PGRs specifically, this Blueprint considers the lived experiences of these minoritised groups alongside employers' perceptions of PGR studies (and PGRs) to develop a Routes Out Hub as a space that supports and connects current PGRs, PGR alumni, universities and employers. In doing so, this document is structured via three areas: 1) contextualising the need for a Routes Out Hub in line with the UK researcher development landscape, UK Government drivers to increase the number of PGRs and the barriers experienced by Global Majority PGRs, 2) conceptualising a hub as an interconnected nexus between stakeholders and 3) the components of a PGR Routes Out Hub as centred on multiplicity, exchange, accessibility and co-creation.