Education Technical Professionals

Celebrating the Evolving Role of the Education Technical Professional (ETP)

Higher education has changed dramatically over the past decade, and with it, the role of the Education Technical Professional (ETP). Once primarily associated with preparing equipment and maintaining specialist spaces, today’s ETPs are recognised as high-capability educators, innovators, collaborators, and leaders in student experience.

To highlight this shift - and to showcase the lived realities behind sector-wide change - the NTDC has brought together three powerful case studies from members of the ETP network. Their stories offer a first-hand look at how technical staff are reshaping teaching, driving pedagogical innovation, and enhancing student outcomes across UK higher education.

In this feature, you’ll meet:

• Gemma Truman (Manchester Metropolitan University) – whose self-directed training journey shows how non-traditional pathways fuel creativity, accessibility, and inclusive practice.
  
  

• Bill Surradge (Edinburgh Napier University) – who transformed his role through digital innovation, Advance HE accreditation, and leadership of high-impact training programmes.
  
  

• Michael Bayliss (University of Liverpool) – who demonstrates how podcasting and media production can enhance curriculum design, employability, and student engagement.
  
  

Together, these stories capture a sector undergoing a genuine paradigm shift - one where technical professionals are central to high-quality teaching, curriculum innovation, and student success.

The full case-study document is included below.