National Education Technical Professional Pathway 

Summary

There has been significant change in HE technical roles over the past decade.  Progressive career pathways are considered fundamental to attracting and retaining talent.  While there has been renewed interest in technicians supporting research, those supporting, delivering and innovating in education have not received such attention.  Of a sample of 4,200 technicians: 46% reported to be education focused; 67% reported some education responsibility.  These technicians are highly qualified (68% possess a first degree, masters or PhD) and are a fundamental part of the HE education team. 

The National Technician Development Centre invites its Partner Affiliates to join it in co-creating the National Education Technical Professional Career Pathway.  This will provide parity between technical professionals working in education or research settings and recognise the invaluable contribution technicians made to education.  See the full project brief below.  Register your interest in joining the working group here. 

Research Technicians

There has been significant interest and highlighting of research technician activity and output.  UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) include technicians delivering research within the group of professions called Research Technical Professional (RTPs).  UKRI recognises that the skills provided by RTPs “are essential to the delivery of cutting-edge research”.  Two universities have introduced RTP pathways to:

• Recognise and value the experience and expertise of RTPs as an essential part of the research workforce;

• Establish clear career pathways with specified criteria for progression;

• Provide transparent reward and recognition frameworks based on team working and research outputs.

UKRI appreciates that research is a team effort; it aspires to RTPs being held in parity of esteem with other members of the research team. 

There is currently no equivalent pathway for education technical professionals.

Evolution of Education Technicians

£20,811m (56 %) of university income was derived from course fees and education contracts in 20/21 according to OfS data.  Technicians who are teaching focused are usually core funded.  An NTDC survey of 4,200 technicians found that 46% are education focused and 67% contribute to education success in some way.

Enabling each and every university student to reach their full potential requires a highly skilled team of professionals.  The role of the education focused technician has expanded in line with other technical roles.  Education focused technicians have traditionally:

• Prepared specialist spaces (workshops, studios, laboratories etc.), equipment and materials for classes (and managed associated health & safety);

• Demonstrated practical skills, techniques and specialist equipment to students;

The NTDC’s research reveals that education focused technicians are now undertaking higher capability education duties (traditionally academic staff responsibilities) given they possess highly refined practical skills and are experts in the use of technology and related innovation.  This is also reflected in their formal qualifications (28% first degree, 25% masters and 15% PhD).   These additional duties have a direct impact on student outcomes, with education focused technicians:

• Teaching students academic reasoning by learning how to select and utilise a variety of skills, techniques and equipment to achieve learning objectives;

• Leading taught practical sessions;

• Assessing students work;

• Using learning objectives to design practical sessions (pedagogical innovation);

• Analysing student outcome data to improve content to increase future student attainment.

Working collaboratively with academic colleagues, education focused technicians ensure that content and delivery modes enable the highest continuation, completion and progression (as measured by OfS), teaching excellence (as measured by TEF) and student satisfaction (as measured by NSS).

National Education Technical Professional Career Pathway

The NTDC is establishing a group of Partner Affiliates to develop the National Education Technical Professional Career Pathway.  A project brief can be seen below.  If you are from a Partner Affiliate organisation and would like to join the working group, please  complete this form for further information, or e-mail enquiries@ntdc.ac.uk.  Alternatively, if your organisation is considering becoming a Partner Affiliate please also get in touch.

Project Brief: National Education Technical Professional Career Pathway 

Enabling each and every university student to reach their full potential requires a highly skilled team of professionals.  The group of colleagues termed Education Technical Professionals includes technicians operating in specialist spaces (laboratories, workshops, studios etc.) at Higher Education establishments.  Education Technical Professionals are critical to the development and delivery of education within the skills and technology arena.  The NTDC and selected Partner Affiliates will develop the National Education Technical Professional Pathway and associated expectations.  

Benefits

The benefits to Higher Education establishments will be:

• Attracting, developing and thus retaining Education Technical Professionals with cutting edge technical and technology skills and expertise crucial for educating current and future generations of Higher Education students.

• Realising the full potential of Education Technical Professionals in collaboratively driving forward technical skill and technology education innovation.

• An education to students delivered by both academic colleagues and Education Technical Professionals ensuring the broadest access to skills, knowledge and experience.

Outputs

Provide a National framework to enable Higher Education establishments to:

• Extend the Higher Education Technical Taxonomy (HETT) Framework to include further education focused technical roles to introduce parity to the Research Technical Professional (RTP) Pathway.

• Establish a clear Education Technical Professional pathway with transparent reward and recognition frameworks based on criteria relevant to the specialist technical, technological, educational innovation and collaborative working skills, and outputs specific to education specialists.

• Value and promote the work of Education Technical Professionals in securing positive student outcomes (as demonstrators, trainers, teachers, etc.), driving innovation in education and as members of the wider education community.

¹ https://www.google.com/url?q=https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/Publications/2021/2021-02-12-research-and-technical-workforce-in-the-uk.pdf 

² https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/annual-financial-return-sector-level-data-for-financial-years-ending-in-2021/income-by-source/