There Aren't Enough Academic Jobs, So NC State Tries To Help

Prospects for Ph.D. earners are dismal in the academic job market, with stories abounding of people who have doctorates serving lattes at Starbucks.

N.C. State University has taken on that conundrum with a new program that leads science, technology, engineering and math doctoral students to careers in industry.

Known as A2i, or Accelerate to Industry, the program started last year with 50 students. It’s so popular that NCSU trademarked the curriculum, which is now offered at the University of Florida, the University of Arkansas and soon, at other campuses around the country.

The program is something of a crash course in business for hard-core scientists who rarely make it out of their solitary world in the lab. They learn soft skills such as teamwork, networking, project management, mentoring and marketing their ideas. They’re exposed to industry leaders and recruiters who can offer advice and, ultimately, jobs.

On Friday, the 60 students in A2i did product pitches, “Shark Tank” style, at the end of an immersion week of training. The program is sponsored by companies such as LORD Corporation, ABB and Eastman.

Increasingly, graduate students see their future in industry, said Laura Demarse, assistant dean of NCSU’s graduate school.

“It’s depressing to be honest with you, how few Ph.D. candidates actually enter in to the academic pathway,” Demarse said. “We really feel a need to create meaningful opportunities for career readiness and development for our STEM grad students.”