Identifying transferable skills and competences to enhance early-career researchers employability and competitiveness

Early-career researchers (ECRs) are facing a diverse employment landscape that is becoming increasingly intersectoral, international, and interdisciplinary. Transferable skills and competences, i.e. skills learned in one context that are useful in another, are thus very important to increase the employability of ECRs and to support their diverse career paths. This report contains a skills matrix with nine categories focusing on essential research, career development, digital, communication, cognitive, interpersonal, teaching and supervision, enterprise, and mobility skills for ECRs. The skills matrix consists of a total of 66 transferable skills as summarised in the Eurodoc Transferable Skills for Early-Career Researchers Infographic. The aim of the matrix is to promote awareness and increase uptake and training in transferable skills among ECRs and higher education institutions. The report serves as a starting point to help ECRs identify the transferable skills they have already obtained and still need to acquire.