The UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy

"Empowering, inspirational, life-changing." That’s some of the feedback we’ve had from participants of the Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership. This bespoke six-month programme, funded by @ResEngland, is helping to tackle the lack of women in technical leadership and management roles within #highered and #research.   The 2024 #HerschelLeaders programme concluded at a celebration event with inspirational keynote speeches from Professor Sarah Sharples, Professor Carole Mundell, insights from our panellists Helen McNamara, Sarah Allen, Janet Marshall, Jade Christie and Sarah Wappatt and talks from Claire Cawthorne and Kelly Vere MBE. More than 90 hours of training has been delivered by Claire Cawthorne, Emily Thorpe, Dr Lindsay Davies, Sandy (Dicks) Sparks, Emma Colley, Jenny Wilkinson, with support from Joanna Scamp and Fiona Robertson Herschel class of 2023, managed by Claire Devey, Susan Matthews and Fiona Poole. Now the #HerschelLeaders community is 700-strong, and growing! ✨ Wishing this years’ delegates every success in the future - this is just the beginning 💫  Applications for the 2025 programme open in September 2024. It is free, thanks to funding from @ResEngland. (*Travel costs required for in-person celebration event) 🔗 Find out more about the programme https://lnkd.in/enfXC8U5 📰 Read about the celebration event https://lnkd.in/eY8P4QEN #HerschelLeaders #TechsWhoLead #TechsWhoTeach #LeadershipProgramme

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP | New webinar to watch on demand Our bespoke technical leadership programmes have helped technical professionals boost their careers, gain confidence and learn practical skills. Why choose one of our specialist leadership programmes? ✅"It will benefit you, and those around you" ✅"I met the most supportive group of people" ✅"I now talk with more confidence and advocate for my technical team" Thank you Kate Thornton (Queen Mary University of London), Fiona Robertson (University of Lincoln), Chris Furze (University of Warwick), Trevor Hardy (University of Birmingham) and Hayley Markham (The University of Manchester) for sharing your professional and personal technical leadership journey with us. Find out which technical leadership programme they completed, how it benefited them, their teams and institutions. 🖥️ Watch our latest webinar: Power Up Your Technical Professional Development on demand https://lnkd.in/g5FXVVQH 🔗Link to our technical leadership programmes https://lnkd.in/eabzhB6V #HerschelLeaders #TechsWhoLead #TechsWhoTeach #EPSTL #ITSSEvents #TechnicallySpeaking #TechnicalLeadership, Technician Commitment, Nottingham University Business School

We are proud to collaborate with BBSRC and The UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy on this three-part video series, highlighting the ALERT programme and the key role research technical professionals play in delivering world-changing research. Watch our videos and follow our pages for more funding opportunities to benefit your technical communities and networks. #rtps #researchtechnicalprofessional #ukresearch #bioscience #ukri

TECHNICAL CAREER PATHWAYS | Event Round Up 75 senior technical professionals and HR professionals attended the Managing Technician Career Pathways event, hosted by our Technical Careers Pathways Lab this week (9 July). Talks were delivered by technical professionals from eight institutions who have pioneered change in their own organisations. Topics included: 🔹 Analysing and mapping the technical workforce 🔹 Succession planning 🔹 Career pathway and promotional pathway best practice 🔹 Talent pipeline for technicians 🔹 Working together “Technicians and HR” Our key takeaways from the informative and practical event, for technical professionals who want to deliver change: 1️⃣ Identify and engage your internal stakeholders early 2️⃣ Collaborate to succeed (with peers and your internal departments) 3️⃣ Invest in new technical talent and grow your own technicians 4️⃣ Evolution not revolution – Be patient. Change takes time Thank you to speakers Jenna Hopkins (University of Essex) James Magee (University of Reading), Melanie Hannah RSci and Somer Finlay (The University of Sheffield), Ian Hancox (University of Warwick), Kelly Vere MBE, (Technician Commitment) Jan Brett B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc CSci MISTR FIScT (University of Liverpool), Fred Hale (University of Bristol), Martin Dellar (University of Nottingham), Jiteen Ahmed (Aston University), Edward Bowerman (TALENT Programme & ITSS) and Emily Thorpe (TALENT Programme). This event wouldn't have happened without Sarah Allen, our Career Pathways Lead and Elaine Mills from the Institute. 🔗Learn more about the work of our Technical Careers Pathways Lab https://lnkd.in/ePWkiWft 🗞️Subscribe to our newsletter for the most up to date information and opportunities https://lnkd.in/ekCp5Y6f #TechnicalCareers #TechnicalProfessionals #CareerPathways #PromotionalPathways #Technicians #RTPs #RSEs

EVENT | 2025 UK Higher Education Technicians Summit Save the date - One year today, we shall be hosting #HETS2025 📅 Wednesday 9 July 2025 📍 Leonardo Conference Centre, Watling St, Burbage, Hinckley, LE10 3JA The biennial UK Higher Education Technicians Summit (HETS) returns next year with the acclaimed Papin Prizes. The one-day event will be free to attend and is kindly sponsored by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Midlands Innovation. Expect keynote speeches, workshops, networking and the prestigious Papin Prizes, the only UK awards dedicated to celebrating technical excellence in higher education and research. Be the first to know when registrations open - subscribe to our mailing list http://eepurl.com/ixy59g #HETS2025 #PapinPrizes #TechnicalProfessionals #ITSSEvents

OPPORTUNITY | Technical Career Pathways Action Group Are you passionate about improving career pathways? Can you help us co-create practical, workable interventions? Do you have scope to pilot change within your organisation? Our Technical Career Pathways Lab, funded by Research England, is 🔷 co-designing initiatives that improve career pathways and enhance entry routes into technical careers 🔷 identifying best practice and intelligence from the sector to design innovative interventions 🔷 recruiting institutions to join our ITSS Career Pathways Action Group We're inviting five pairs of Senior Technical Managers and HR or Learning and Development professionals to group our Career Pathways Action Group, led by our Career Pathways Lead Sarah Allen. 📄 Group Terms of Reference https://lnkd.in/eRXWrzpg ➡ Apply here https://lnkd.in/eDfzFbyG 📅 Deadline Monday 15 July at 10am 🔗 Technical Career Pathways Lab webpage https://lnkd.in/ePWkiWft #TechnicalCareers #CareerPathways #Apprentices #TLevels #SkillsforLife #HigherEd #Research #Innovation #TechnicalProfessionals

PODCAST | #TheMicroscopists Kelly Vere MBE speaks to Peter O'Toole to talk about her role at the University of Nottingham, the highs and lows of balancing part-time studies with full-time employment, the Technician Commitment and Research England funded TALENT programme, which were instrumental in our inception. She explains how these initiatives and support from the sector has helped to advocate and support technical skills, roles and careers across higher education and research. And we even learn about Kelly's childhood astronaut ambitions! 👩🚀 🚀 🎙 https://lnkd.in/g4KGAcc8

WEBINAR | Power Up Your Professional Development 📅 Tuesday 16 July, 9:30am-10:15am ➡️ Register here https://lnkd.in/eam3XPsD ✅Find out what development programmes are on offer for technical professionals through the UK Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy and our partners ✅Hear experiences of technical professionals who have completed the programmes and how they’ve benefited ✅Ask questions to see which of our flagship programme would suit you best ✅Learn when the programmes open for applications and how to apply ✅Find out about additional learning and development resources and opportunities Join: Ruth Francis, Sandy (Dicks) Sparks, Dr Lindsay Davies, Kate Thornton, Fiona Robertson. Further speakers to be confirmed.

BLOG | Craft Your Perfect Knowledge Exchange Placement Since our Knowledge Exchange Placement scheme launched in January: 🔹 24 technical professionals have successfully applied for a placement 🔹 totalling 500 hours 🔹 across eight disciplines. We spoke to Clare Levitt (Ridder Levitt) from University of Brighton to get some top tips for creative technicians who want to upskill, innovate and network and apply for this placement scheme📸 🎭📽 Read Clare's blog for some inspiration and find out more about our Knowledge Exchange Placement, which is open for applications throughout the year. 📰 https://lnkd.in/egDxTvQf 📸 Photo credit: kirsty thomas #KnowledgeExchange #CreativeTechs #HigherEd #TechsWhoTeach #TechnicalProfessionals #TechsCommit

T LEVEL PLACEMENTS | Watch our webinar If you missed the Talking T Level Industry Placements at Universities webinar this week, you can now watch it on demand. 📺 Click here: https://lnkd.in/einbE-cd Hosted by Jo Hartley-Metcalfe, our T Level Support Manager and Janet Marshall, Senior Talent and Development Business Partner / Cranfield University Apprenticeship Employer Lead, the 45 min recording answers common questions. 🔷How do I set up a T Level placement in my university? 🔷What’s the benefit of hosting a T Level placement? 🔷Who is responsible for safeguarding? 🔷What kind of thing should the student be doing on the placement? 🔷Are the placements funded? 🔷What support is available for employers who host placement students? Thank you to the guest speakers; Hannah Charlotte, Jane Hubble, Julie from Milton Keynes College Group and Terry for sharing your experiences and highlighting how the placements can support university Technician Commitment action plans. Subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date with upcoming #TLevel placement resources, case studies and future webinars http://eepurl.com/ixy59g #TLevels #Placements #SkillsforLife #Apprenticeships #Technicians #TechnicalProfessional #Science #STEMCareers