The Technician Commitment is a sector wide, collaborative initiative led by the Science Council and supported by Gatsby’s Technicians Make It Happen campaign, to ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research.
Universities and research institutes are invited to become signatories of the Technician Commitment and pledge action against five key challenges affecting their technical staff.
It is spearheaded by Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz and Professor Sir David Greenaway and formally launched on May 31st 2017 with 36 founding signatories, of which the University of Plymouth is one.
Degree courses at the University of Plymouth are underpinned by a significant element of practical classes and fieldwork. They are designed to meet the needs of industry and commerce and an emphasis on experiential learning aims to equip our students with the skills required for the workplace. While the theory is delivered by our academics, much of the practice is supported by our technicians.
Traditionally technical roles have neither been well understood nor recognised. However, the role has been evolving and has assumed greater significance as pressure on academic roles has increased. Technicians are now highly skilled, many have degrees and a growing number have doctorates. Academics and students alike rely on their support in laboratories, workshops, studios and the field, where their development of techniques and expertise in the use of complex equipment is vital.
The University of Plymouth has a cohort of 180 technicians at all grades, from apprentice to Faculty Technical Manager, supporting a broad range of subject areas across our five faculties. Roles are therefore very varied and no two roles are the same. For example we employ technicians who:
“We are proud to be a signatory of the Technician Commitment initiative which supports technical staff to develop their careers and be recognised for the great work they do. We are determined to ensure we are visible as key members of staff driving forward the successes of the University of Plymouth and that our expertise is well utilised and sustained across the university.”Andrew Atfield
“Technicians play a vital role in the kind of experiential learning that we emphasise at the University. Supporting the Technician Commitment makes it clear to all how important this group of people is to our student experience and highlights the opportunities for growth and development within those roles”
Professor Kevin Jones, TC Academic Champion, Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering
Colin Shipp, TC Institutional Lead, Human Resources Director, says:
"All our people working at the University are dedicated to providing a great student experience and our Technicians provide a vital contribution.
The Technicians Commitment provides a clear and helpful framework for developing, supporting and recognising our Technicians, not just within our University but across the sector."
Our technicians manage the technical operation in laboratories, workshops and studios. They supply practical expertise for practical classes, fieldwork, undergraduate and MSc projects, postgraduate research and commercial projects.
