Professional Registration Scheme Ian Moulson FIScT RSci Faculty of Engineering Sheffield University

The changing role of technicians Why is the role changing? What is it changing to?

Why is the role changing? “ESTABLISHING A COMMON FRAMEWORK OF REGISTRATION FOR TECHNICIANS WORKING ACROSS THE STEM SECTORS PRESENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH COMMON QUALITY STANDARDS FOR UK TECHNICIANS AND ENSURE THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE LEARNT WITHIN TECHNICIAN PATHWAYS DEVELOP IN LINE WITH EMPLOYERS’ NEEDS. OVER TIME THE REGISTERS WILL RAISE THE STATUS AND PROFILE OF TECHNICIANS AND THIS, IN TURN, SHOULD DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNICIAN TRAINING AND SUPPORT INCREASED RECRUITMENT. THIS INITIATIVE, THEREFORE, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO SOLVING WHAT FOR MANY YEARS HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM.” Lord David Sainsbury “WE MUST PROMOTE THE PROFESSIONAL STANDING OF TECHNICIANS, RAISE THEIR PROFILE AND ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO NUTURE OUR HOME GROWN TALENT IF WE ARE TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE SKILLS WE NEED TO COMPETE IN THE HIGH-TECH, HIGH-SKILLED ECONOMY OF THE FUTURE.” Skills Minister John Hayes

What is it changing to? The Technician Council developed a set of eight recommendations 1.Endorse and promote professional technician 2.Support registration and professional development and announce own aspirational targets 3.Active support for professional technicians 4.Improve communications on career choices 5.Raise the profile of professional technician in Government communications to the young 6.Use the professional technician brand 7.Promote greater diversity 8.Sustain the work of the Technician Council “Often neglected by policymakers and left on the educational side-lines, technicians are the unsung heroes of some of the UK’s leading industries. For too long they have been undervalued, undernourished, and relegated to an occupational division considered less important than their professional counterparts.” Alison Halstead (Chair) Technicians and Progression 2011, Skills Commission report

The changing landscape and the need to demonstrate competence The Registration System and the need for engagement Why HE Institutions need a highly skilled, highly motivated, highly respected workforce - the 2022 vision. Providing high quality training and development. All bodies and training course providers to work in full partnership for the benefit of the technical community. The national perspective for sustaining the UK's position for delivering teaching and research in a rapidly changing environment THE PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIAN

Professional technician A combination of professional membership and registration Defined standards for entry Defined qualifications and Competence gained in work Defined codes of ethical conduct Requirements for on-going CPD

Why is it relevant to you Because HEIs are changing the way they work and this impacts on you. Wakeham Report (June 2010) Browne Report (September 2010) Diamond Report (September 2011)

9 So Why should Technicians Engage?

HE technical support So what’s the current position ?

Higher education workforce profile in 2011 Key facts: 314,860 people in England are employed in Higher education institutions (HEIs) 145,000 academic (46%) 160,000 professional/support (51%) 9,600 have combined (academic + administrative) an upward trend (3%) 21,320 technicians (13% of all professional/support staff)

Technical staff: current profile Some reductions in staff numbers in from peak in Limited knowledge about background, but main routes into career: Previous technical careers 48% are qualified to degree or doctoral level Vocationally trained technicians from HE or other educational settings Diverse in terms of age, disability and ethnicity but… Only one third of technicians in HE are female Stable age profile, 7% (rising) of technicians are aged over 60

Age profile of technical staff

Technician numbers

Strategic issues for HE Technicians Greater involvement with learner support – how best to support technicians to do this? How best to engage technical community in professional development? How to raise the profile and esteem of the technical profession? Gender diversity?

The danger of not understanding technical roles Eg. when undertaking major reorganisation/restructuring IS THIS JUST A “BLACK ART”?

Technician qualifications

Technicians’ qualifications

Supporting the student experience Technicians crucial to the student experience Increased student fees More skills teaching

The student experience

So what does this mean for technicians? General diversification of activities undertaken by academic and professional/support staff Greater alignment of academic working styles to meet student demands and needs Greater focus on interdisciplinary work A more strategic approach to professional/support staff work Greater flexibility and higher skills levels Movement of technicians into teaching and research roles Cost reduction – potential redundancies/closure of Departments Shared Services across Institutions and Public Bodies

THE UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIAN

Professional pathways QCF level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship A-Level, NVQ3 QCF level 5 HND, FdSc, some Higher Apprenticeships QCF level 7 MSc, MSci, etc CPD standards, code of conduct and competency areas are all common across the registers RSciTech Registered Science Technician RSci Registered Scientist CSci Chartered Scientist

What is registration?

Why encourage your team?

Why encourage your team Targeted career training and development Nationally registered CV and CPD updates Database of accredited career history Professional recognition Creation of a talent pool Improve morale Job security Key, flexible technical support

Additional benefits Two way street – HEI commitment Formal career structures New blood programmes Succession planning Improved technical morale

Maintaining the standard Underpinning knowledge to 3/5-Level and experience CPD activity Annual revalidation

Registration Application Process Membership of a licensed body (such as the IST) Then:- Application form CV A Competencies Report A PPD Report Indicative Cost Membership of IST: Junior: £5 Affiliate: £16 Associate: £32 Member: £42 Fellow: £54 £25 for Registration (Science Council National data base costs)

Registration Demonstrates to employers and future employers that you Have achieved and maintained competency in your field of work Undertake continuing professional development Have been recognised and licensed by the Science Council as a Professional Practitioner Are proactive in your approach to work This can give you the edge in an increasingly challenging sector

Competencies report Competencies

Engagement stream Faculty Directors & College Secretaries Departmental Managers & Administrators Facility ManagersHR Training & Development Officers

New posts

Benefits to the employer Accredited staff - knowledge of skills base Proof of competency influencing future income generation Ability to direct resource as required Implementation of Diamond, Wilson and Wakeham reports Improved technical morale

What the future may hold

Shared services A key political priority More than ever, institutions must offer value for money to students and prospective students in the new funding environment. So efficiency and effectiveness must remain priorities for the sector and we expect universities and colleges to deliver further efficiencies in all elements of teaching, research and administrative activity over the coming years. In achieving these efficiencies you should encourage HEIs to collaborate for example through greater sharing of research equipment and infrastructure Vince Cable MP and David Willetts MP, Grant Letter to HEFCE, January 2012

IST formal partnership with the University Of Sheffield Quote from a recent press release by the VC of the University of Sheffield: “The future vitality of higher education in the UK will depend on the creative abilities of our technical staff. They are the people at the cutting edge of the research and teaching that drive so much of the innovation we need. They are often the unsung heroes of the advances in Science, Engineering and Medicine. There are few things more important to us than ensuring this talent is properly nurtured and sustained by our Universities and Colleges.”

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