Unpaid work and access to science professions

Auriel M.V. Fournier, Angus J. Holford, Alexander L. Bond, Margaret A. Leighton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Unpaid work in the sciences is advocated as an entry route into scientific careers. We compared the success of UK science graduates who took paid or unpaid work six-months after graduation in obtaining a high salary or working in a STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) field 3.5 years later. Initially taking unpaid work was associated with lower earnings and lower persistence in STEM compared with paid work, but those using personal connections to obtain unpaid positions were as likely to persist in STEM as paid workers. Obtaining a position in STEM six months after graduation was associated with higher rates of persistence in STEM compared with a position outside STEM for both paid and unpaid workers, but the difference is considerably smaller for unpaid workers. Socioeconomic inequality in the likelihood of obtaining entry in STEM by taking an unpaid position is a well-founded concern for scientific workforce diversity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere0217032
JournalPloS one
Volume14
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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