From an analytical perspective the pattern of results reveal the more training and the more
relevant the experiences of students, the higher the expected benefit. The extra skills gained from
education in general and the gains from RA experience, leads to two conclusions: in the longer
term, the return on investment is probably recovered to the public purse because of higher
lifetime wages and the returns to employers are measurable through the higher wages they pay
individuals with research experience. In fact, the empirical evidence suggests that the returns to
employers and through them to the wider economy are bigger than is perhaps widely assumed.