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Unpaid work and access to science professions

Author

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

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. Socio-economic inequality in the likelihood of obtaining entry in STEM by taking an unpaid position is a well-founded concern for scientific workforce diversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Auriel M V Fournier & Angus J Holford & Alexander L Bond & Margaret A Leighton, 2019. "Unpaid work and access to science professions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0217032
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217032
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Holford, Angus, 2017. "Access to and returns from unpaid graduate internships," ISER Working Paper Series 2017-07, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    2. Kathryn B H Clancy & Robin G Nelson & Julienne N Rutherford & Katie Hinde, 2014. "Survey of Academic Field Experiences (SAFE): Trainees Report Harassment and Assault," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-9, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Emilia Del Bono & Greta Morando, 2022. "For some, luck matters more: the impact of the great recession on the early careers of graduates from different socio-economic backgrounds [Cashier or consultant? Entry labor market conditions, fie," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 74(3), pages 869-893.
    2. Finn, Paul, 2021. "Organising for entrepreneurship: How individuals negotiate power relations to make themselves entrepreneurial," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    3. Del Bono, Emilia & Morando, Greta, 2021. "For Some, Luck Matters More: The Impact of the Great Recession on the Early Careers of Graduates from Different Socio-Economic Backgrounds," IZA Discussion Papers 14540, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. E. C. M. Parsons & Ashley Scarlett, 2020. "The problem of toxic internships in the environmental field: Guidelines for more equitable professional experiences," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(3), pages 352-354, September.

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