Warwick SkillsForge

Warwick SkillsForge supports your Professional Development Framework to:

complete a Development Needs Analysis (DNA);
find and book onto training courses;
record and reflect on activities undertaken;
record your own development activities;
have a single online portal for evidencing your professional development.

Engaging with the Professional Development Framework will enable you to:

Learn new skills;
Be a more effective researcher;
Navigate ethical frameworks;
Build extensive networks;
Enhance your employability in a challenging job market.

Go to SkillsForge PGR User Guides Staff User Guides

How do I log opportunities not on SkillForge?

Any activities not bookable via Warwick SkillsForge can be agreed in advance with your supervisor/s or Director of Graduate Studies (or equivalent), but the system and policy have been built to allow you to self-certify at this level of graduate study. For Warwick based courses or external activities that come under this remit, you will still be able to ‘add a new Development Activity’ within Warwick SkillsForge.

What is meant by 'yearly'?

We are aware that PGR colleagues commence on research studies throughout the academic year and have developed the platform to recognise your enrolment (start) month rather than the start of the academic year. Changes to dates will happen once you first use SkillsForge (training booking or self-recorded activity. The framework requirements will take into account if you are a full-time fully enrolled researcher or part-time fully enrolled researcher.

What is meant by 'a day'?

The day currently equates to six hours.
Should you undertake an activity which takes up (for example) three hours in one day, this would not equate to one day of development but three hours out of the 18 (12). The new digtial tool, Warwick SkillsForge, will allocate a credit weighting (from the framework) for bookable training and these will already be included.

What are the different attednance modes?

If you have booked onto an event there are four modes of attendance that you may receive:
1. A = Attended and you are allocated the full hours/credits;
2. Pa = Part-attended. This is where you are in attendance but may need to leave early e.g. due to illness etc. Part-attended defaults to 0 credits but the facilitator may feel that you have been able to upskill in that time, and give a number of credits up to the maximum;
3. E = Excused. Where you booked onto the course but where unable to cancel and notified the facilitator in advance. Excused is 0 credits;
4. NS = No-Show. Where you booked, did not attend and did not cancel. No-show's have a direct effect not only on the event, but also for those who are on a waiting list. We would be grateful if you could please cancel a booking (where possible) before the event. No-show is 0 credits;

We therefore advise when booking onto events that you consider what is best for you in terms of committing your time and when you can attend (where possible) the full event, and also what is best for your own professional development.

What is the Developmental Needs Analysis?

The Development Needs Analysis or DNA is a tool that you can use to self-certify your skill levels in: confidence, priority, and refine your search for training. You can choose to do as many as you wish. As you can also print the DNA, you may find it useful when having skills discussions especially with your supervisor/s.
The DNA is built around the six themes and related skills - there is hover over tool-tip text for each skill.

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