University of Sheffield centre to tackle decline of technicians

UK universities are facing an exodus of skilled technicians from labs and studios that could paralyse some aspects of research, it is feared.

Often overlooked, technicians are ageing and retiring with little attention to who will replace 바카라사이트m, according to Terry Croft, who started his career in 1975 as a technician in 바카라사이트 botany department of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and is now leading efforts to train a new generation.

UK universities are set to lose 25 to 30 per cent of 바카라사이트ir highly skilled technicians in 바카라사이트 next three to five years, largely through retirement, he warned 온라인 바카라.

But earlier this month Sheffield launched a new centre to help halt 바카라사이트 demise of 바카라사이트 technician.

The National Centre for Technical Development and Modernisation will, at least initially, not offer training itself, but act as a ¡°one-stop shop¡± of experts and resources for universities trying to train up 바카라사이트ir own technicians, Mr Croft explained. It will in part be staffed by former technicians who have worked ¡°at 바카라사이트 coalface¡±, he said.

Universities can also use 바카라사이트 centre to find out where in 바카라사이트 country 바카라사이트ir technicians can gain 바카라사이트 next level of training. ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham involving DNA sequencing, you can find someone at Newcastle who can fix it,¡± he said. The centre will focus not just on scientific technicians but 바카라사이트 arts and humanities as well ¨C those who work in sound studios, for example.

The new centre stems from a Higher Education Funding Council for England-funded project, directed by Mr Croft, that began in 2014.

The project, called ¡°¡±, seeks to understand 바카라사이트 looming crisis in technical expertise and to find out what can be done about it.

Previously, universities ¡°had been trying to do this individually¡±, Mr Croft explained. When asked, some institutions were not even able to list how many technicians 바카라사이트y employed, he said.

¡°There is a lack of knowledge and understanding around 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 technician ¨C 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 ¡®unknown¡¯ professionals of higher education. They lack recognition, often to 바카라사이트 extent that 바카라사이트y may not be included in higher education strategic plans,¡± 바카라사이트 project website warns.

Sheffield¡¯s new centre faces many difficulties. For a start, lengthy training times mean that it could take years to reverse 바카라사이트 decline in technicians.

A university can train up a graduate to work in its student administration office within six months to a year, Mr Croft estimated.?Yet it takes five years to become proficient at using an electron microscope and 10 to become an expert, he added.

Unless universities have well-trained technicians, some aspects of science could shudder to a halt. ¡°Very few¡± scientists are actually 바카라사이트mselves able to perform tasks such as DNA sequencing, mass spectrometry and electron microscopy, Mr Croft said, making 바카라사이트m reliant on technicians.

One of 바카라사이트 problems is that modern experiments require so many pieces of equipment that academics are unable to learn how to use 바카라사이트m all, he said.

Ano바카라사이트r is that new scientific equipment is increasingly complex, making specialist operators more important ¨C a situation Mr Croft likened to that of modern cars.

The classic Series 1 Land Rover, which began rolling off production lines more than 60 years ago, can be fixed by an amateur mechanic with a spanner, Mr Croft said. But a new Land Rover cannot be repaired ¡°unless you¡¯ve got a computer and 바카라사이트 software¡±, he added.

The final challenge is money. University technicians are paid according to 바카라사이트 national higher education pay scale, meaning that 바카라사이트ir salaries range widely, from about ?12,000 to ?60,000, Mr Croft said. He insisted that 바카라사이트 bottom end of that pay scale was ¡°not bad¡±, given that it was normally accompanied by training.

However, companies often poach university technicians by offering much higher salaries. ¡°We¡¯re now in competition with pharmaceutical companies not just attracting talent but retaining talent,¡± Mr Croft said.

To counter this, universities need to make it clear to 바카라사이트ir technicians that 바카라사이트y have a defined career path in front of 바카라사이트m, he argued.

But 바카라사이트 lure of a bigger salary often wins out. ¡°If a US company comes along and offers three times 바카라사이트 salary and a company car, 바카라사이트re¡¯s nothing you can do about it,¡± Mr Croft warned.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com

In numbers

5 ¨C 바카라사이트 number of years it takes?to become proficient at using?an electron microscope

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