Training and Careers in Public engagement

If you are starting out on your public engagement path then it is likely you would benefit by brushing up on your existing communication skills with some training. Training courses should help you aquire new and better skills and also give you the confidence to step out of the confines of the lab to inspire new groups of people.

Communication and media training will often benefit researchers who have some fimiliarity with public engagement activities. It can enhance their experiences and is especially valuable when planning work with new audiences or in a different medium.

Revealing Research has developed its own communication workshops in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. We will run two communication workshops each academic year - one for researchers in science disciplines and another for researchers in the arts and humanities.

Our courses are free and open to all research students and staff. They are designed for researchers with no previous public engagement experience.

To find out more about our courses and how to request a place visit our training course page.

Careers and Job Opportunities

Researchers from the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences in Oban taking part in training delivered as part of the Sharing Science project. This photo shows researchers acting out a roleplay scenario based on what they might expect at a public event!

For most researchers public engagement is a way of informing and enhancing their academic research. However, for some early career researchers public engagement opens up a wide range of alternative career options.

If you are a researcher looking for a career in public engagement you should start by trying out some of the training courses and activities. Building up experience in this area will help you make a decision if this change in direction is right for you.

Direct public engagement experience will also improve your chances of finding work in this competitive field. Having a PhD in a relevant subject will often make you stand out ahead of other candidates, as long as you can show evidence of public engagement skills and experience.

If you want to find out more about jobs in public engagement and outreach please go to our ‘Finding a related Job’ section.