Canada pushes abundant PhD graduates towards industry needs

PhD candidates is the workforce that drives the basic research at the Universities; high intellectual quality, dedicated and easily renewed. Some schemes with "industrial PhDs" are in operation. Still, industrial employment is a 2nd choice after PhD. In Sweden if you are looking for a industrial career, it is better with a technology subject master that you complement with some kind of MBA.

This glut of PhD graduates is also a phenomenon in other countries with fewer postdoc positions, e.g. Denmark. Globally, postdocs will leave the university in search of better jobs, often because their pay and conditions are so poor in the university sector, where they move from one short term contract to another. They can gravitate to higher salaried postdoc positions in industries such as pharmaceutical or medical device companies. However, due to work pressures, industrial secrecy or safeguarding intellectual property, this often results in fewer journal publications. In essence, they are closing the door to being employable in the university sector where the number and quality of journal publications are predictors for success in securing a job and gaining promotion. It also means while research units within universities of nursing are often in competition with industry for the best minds, they cannot match the attractive salaries or benefits. Accepting this, career advice on the benefits and drawbacks of working in industry should improve for postdocs. I doubt the best people to give such advice are academics, as most of them have never worked outside the academy.