I think that the GitHub comment should be extended beyond that and into non-academia projects. It should be emphasized that those hiring PhDs (and especially those that have been burnt - see this comment which exemplifies by experience http://chronicle.com/blogs/phd/2013/09/19/the-ph-d-industry-...) will be looking for evidence of work beyond academia. I am thinking within CS so I can't speak for the rest of STEM.
However the fault probably lies within the wider academia culture and the lack of expertise that academics/institutions provide to those wishing to leave and go to industry. Some PhDs genuinely do enter for the purpose of having a research career only to realise that academia is not for them and vice versa..
However the fault probably lies within the wider academia culture and the lack of expertise that academics/institutions provide to those wishing to leave and go to industry. Some PhDs genuinely do enter for the purpose of having a research career only to realise that academia is not for them and vice versa..