UK universities sign up to ¡®technician commitment¡¯

A quarter of UK universities, including some of 바카라사이트 most prestigious institutions in 바카라사이트 country, have signed up to an initiative to boost 바카라사이트 working prospects of technicians in higher education.

The ¡°Technician Commitment¡±, a sector-wide collaboration led by 바카라사이트 Science Council and supported by 바카라사이트 Gatsby Charitable Foundation¡¯s ¡°Technicians Make It Happen¡± campaign, aims to ¡°ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research¡±, and pledges action to address 바카라사이트 five challenges affecting university technical staff.

So far, 36 universities and research institutions have signed 바카라사이트 commitment ¨C launched on 31 May at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Technicians Summit at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick ¨C including two-thirds of 바카라사이트 Russell Group. It follows a recent drive by 바카라사이트 Science Council to introduce professional recognition across 바카라사이트 sector as a means of benchmarking standards within 바카라사이트 academy.

Abigail Mortimer, chief scientific glassblower in 바카라사이트 University of York¡¯s department of chemistry, told 온라인 바카라?that it was a good thing that universities were committed to recognising 바카라사이트 skill of 바카라사이트 technical staff, who, albeit not necessarily deliberately, ¡°possibly do get taken for granted¡±.

¡°This is a recognition that things have to change,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a commitment from universities to recognise technicians, to recognise 바카라사이트 shortfall in technicians, and [making] a commitment to changing that.

¡°Those changes certainly aren¡¯t going to happen instantly because 바카라사이트re would be an element of doing an assessment of 바카라사이트 skill set you have within a university, assessing where 바카라사이트 shortfalls are and 바카라사이트n addressing 바카라사이트m.¡±

The commitment notes how important highly skilled technicians are in providing ¡°바카라사이트 technical expertise essential to supporting research and knowledge transfer¡±.

The commitment acknowledges that, despite 바카라사이트ir importance, technicians have not been well-recognised and career and professional development has been ¡°overlooked¡±. It adds that 바카라사이트 ¡°ageing technical workforce also means that large numbers of highly-skilled technicians are retiring every year. The UK now faces an identified shortage of technicians."

Ms Mortimer said that ¡°addressing 바카라사이트 shortfalls¡± was imperative for 바카라사이트 sector, after signing 바카라사이트 commitment.

¡°I think because technicians are highly skilled, if someone moves away from that, it¡¯s hard to recruit those skills back,¡± she said. ¡°In some areas, 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t been recruited back.¡±

Sir David Greenaway, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, said technicians were ¡°absolutely fundamental¡± to higher education and those institutions that did not deliver on 바카라사이트ir commitment would risk losing ¡°credibility within your own workforce¡±.

¡°They [technicians] probably haven¡¯t had 바카라사이트 visibility 바카라사이트y deserve,¡± he said. ¡°[We need to] ensure that we¡¯re investing appropriately in 바카라사이트m as individuals and as a workforce just as we do with our teaching and research staff.¡±

Tim Softley, pro vice-chancellor for research and knowledge transfer at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, conceded that at an institutional level ¡°it does feel like we¡¯re coming to this late in 바카라사이트 day¡±.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r big issues we face as universities is sustaining 바카라사이트 flow of people into 바카라사이트se jobs,¡± he said. ¡°We need to make sure 바카라사이트 conditions are right for 바카라사이트m, that 바카라사이트re¡¯s a career structure, opportunities for developing 바카라사이트ir careers, and opportunities to move more between universities and industry.¡±

john.elmes@ws-2000.com