Program Overview

NRW Certificate Program – Skills for Careers in Business and Society

The NRW certificate program is designed to prepare postdocs for career opportunities outside academia, including activities in business and society, universities of applied sciences, and non-university research institutions. The program supports career orientation and enables participants to acquire additional key skills in leadership, management, communication, and methods.

Target Group

The program is aimed at postdocs who would like to work in business and society after their employment at RWTH. It is primarily recommended for researchers in the second year (or higher) of their postdoctoral career. By arrangement, other academic staff, such as advanced doctoral candidates, or employees in science management can also participate.

Contents of the Certificate Program

The core of the NRW certificate consists of five workshop modules:

• Module A – Leadership Skills: Participants will learn about different leadership styles and tasks to develop their own understanding of leadership.
• Module B – Management Skills: Participants will acquire the basics of project and change management and apply them to their own work and change processes.
• Module C – Communication Skills: Participants will become familiar with relevant aspects of communication and conversational skills and use them in various professional fields of interaction.
• Module D – Method Skills: Participants will acquire methodological skills to deal with different content or topics in a structured way.
• Module E – Advice, Career Planning and Application: Participants will explore their individual career goals and options and develop strategies for their future career planning.

Scope of the Program

To receive the certificate, participants must complete a total of 80 units from all modules (1 unit corresponds to 45 minutes, approximately 10 one-day workshops) as well as one initial and reflection meeting. Additional courses can be chosen freely and will be listed on the certificate.

Certification

Participants receive a confirmation of participation in the individual events. If the relevant requirements are met, the overall certificate will be issued as soon as the relevant confirmations of participation are submitted to the person responsible for the program at the participant's own university.

Participation in Events at Other Universities

The certificate is designed to be a cross-university NRW certificate. Participants of the certificate have the option to attend events at all member universities if there are free capacities and to use them for the NRW certificate. The conditions of participation for external participants are based on the requirements of the respective university offering the event.

Detailed Information on the Program Schedule and Conditions of Participation

• Registration and Application: Admission to the certificate program is possible at any time and takes place after an individual suitability assessment.
• Initial Meeting: In an initial meeting, the goals and contents of the certificate are presented and compared with the individual career goals of the participants.
• Workshop Modules: At least 8 units must be completed in modules A-D and at least 4 units in module E.
• Reflection Meeting: The reflection meeting will take place at the end of the certificate program, i.e., after completion of all the modules, as either a workshop or an individual session.

FAQ

• I have already attended events that correspond to the modules. Can these be credited? Yes, credit for work completed in advance or with other internal providers is also available in consultation with the program supervisor.
• Can any workshop offered at RWTH that fits the modules be credited? In principle, yes. However, some workshops may deviate from the requirements of the certificate. Always discuss this with the person responsible for the program.
• How do I know which workshops I can take to obtain credit? The workshops that can definitely be credited are marked as such in the events in the event database. Before you can start with the certificate, however, an initial meeting is required.
• How can I register for the certificate? To participate in the certificate program, please write an email to the person responsible for the program with information about yourself and the reasons why you would like to participate.