So, in my boring, post-wisdom teeth extraction recovery life, I came across this article a friend posted on facebook, entitled: "In Canada, you can get a PhD but maybe not a job". I have more than a few bones to pick with the author of this article... more like a skeleton full of bones to pick.
The author starts by talking about how increasingly knowledge-driven our world is becoming. And without a doubt, he is right. With so many complex economic, environmental and social problems affecting first and third world countries a like, it's no surprise we are pushing young people to get educated. Go get a higher education, not only to help the world's current population...but to ensure there is a world to live in in the future.
He then mentions that the employment rate and pay rate of people with higher education in the US is a lot better than that in Canada. He cites a CDHowe report (based on 2001 census data) which states that a PhD in Canada makes 8% for than an MSc, and in the US they earn 43% more. In Canada the PhD unemployment rate is also 50% higher than that for people with an MSc. Maybe I am guilty of not fully understanding these studies, one of which is a government labour report for graduates from over 7 years ago (with looootssss of fine print)... but is this unemployment rate based on actual unemployment.. like doing nothing at all... or unemployment at a University. If the latter is the case I find this surprising given that you for the most part, at least in Canada, need a PhD, and a post-doc to get a full time teaching position. If they are referring to actual unemployment, then again, I find it surprising, as a PhD would be just as qualified for a position as a person holding an MSc was.
One of my FAVOURITE lines from this article: "Also, a government report shows that a good number of PhDs are driving taxies in Canada". So are these people with PhD's in Science.. or social sciences/the arts...are these people educated IN Canada? Well, click on the source for this statement and it's a globe and mail article about foreign PhD's unable to find employment in Canada. I do think it's upsetting to think of how many immigrants have doctorates in other countries, and come here, and can't find employment. But at the same time, teaching and research standards are different everywhere, and in order to keep research in Canada at it's highest quality, you need to make sure everyone has the training necessary, which based on the statistics, most immigrants don't. That doesn't mean our old pal Stephen Harper couldn't step in to make it easier... but that's a whole different rant.
From my perspective there are a several reasons why I know my post-doctoral job hunt (in Canada) will be hard.
The reasons the author gave were pretty similar:
1) Cut-backs at Universities everywhere
2) Fewer Universities in this country, when compared to the number of successful PhD's a year
3) My field of study isn't cutting edge, and not funded externally by industry
1) Cut backs Agreed
2) The Canadian private sector's focus on natural resources He didn't expand much on this.
3) Politics Agreed
Now, I don't think the article's topic is NUTS per say, I have seen a million articles about how there is an "over abundance" of PhD's in Western countries.... the facts and stats in the article just don't add up, and are not up to date. I feel like he was stretching to make a point sometimes, and not always up front about the information i.e the taxi example. The article was focused on PhD's from Canada intending on working IN Canada. I think in many cases most doctoral candidates, like myself, are not dead set on staying here to work. That's not to say the job market is superb elsewhere. Competition in the US is greater, but there are way more positions to choose from. The same with many other countries, The author, has also written a book called "No PhD's please: this is Canada". I can't decide whether or not to read it. My hunch is no!
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