Promotion Pathways Delivering Visibility, Recognition and Reward

Introduction

The ongoing national technical skills shortage is linked to the absence of clear progression pathways, leaving highly skilled technicians feeling unrecognised and undervalued. New sector-leading promotion pathways for Research and Education Technical Professionals (RTPs/ETPs) provide the crucial framework needed to deliver visibility, recognition, and reward. Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester Met) is leading this change, being the first to implement both pathways, setting a new standard for the sector.

The Technician Recruitment Challenge

The struggle to recruit and retain skilled technicians isn't a new story; it’s a decade-old problem highlighted by many including the Gatsby Charitable Foundation (2016, Gatsby, Technical Education Reform). A major culprit? A lack of clear, progression pathways. This absence is a significant barrier, feeding directly into the persistent technical skills shortage facing the UK. On top of that, many technicians report feeling undervalued and unrecognised, factors that align with the broader “Great Resignation” and “quiet quitting” trends. When technicians feel seen and rewarded, they are more engaged, more motivated, and ultimately, contribute more significantly to their organisations and the wider sector.

The Missing Rungs on the Ladder

Technicians in higher education contribute to multiple university strategies across various activities and responsibilities. Technicians typically focus on technical (skills-based) and technology activity or management and leadership (although hybrid roles do exist at some universities). The number of technicians can vary wildly between institutions, sometimes exceeding a thousand in larger universities.

Here’s the rub: while management and leadership pathways are typically well-defined across the sector, technical and technology-focused pathways often hit a dead end prematurely. This forces highly skilled technical and technology specialists to either transition into management or leadership roles (which might not be their forte or desire) or leave higher education altogether.

Research Technical Professionals

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has acknowledged the crucial role of Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) in delivering cutting-edge research. In 2020, UKRI issued expectations for employers of Technology and Skills Specialists (Statement of expectations for technology and skills specialists), including RTPs, calling for clear progression pathways and recognition of their research outputs. Following this, the University of Liverpool trailblazed in 2023, developing and implementing the first dedicated RTP promotion pathway. Crucially, these promotion pathways don’t require a vacancy or the establishment of a new role; technicians can apply for promotion by demonstrating they meet specific criteria, much like academics transition from lecturer to professor.

Paving the Way for Education Technical Professionals

The NTDC, the Office for Students’ national body for the higher education sector, has been the driving force behind the Higher Education Technical Taxonomy (HETT) Framework since 2014.  The HETT Framework provides a national structure of technical roles and has been used to support over 70 universities in improving their technician pathways.  

A comprehensive survey by the NTDC (The Survey by the NTDC), involving 3,500 technicians from 35 universities, revealed that 46 per cent of roles were primarily education-focused, with a striking 67 per cent reporting a direct contribution to education success. Given that 54 per cent of university income in 2022/23 came from course fees and education contracts, it’s clear that education-focused technicians, typically core-funded, are a significant cohort. Further analysis showed these technicians were undertaking higher-capability duties with a direct positive impact on key university education metrics, including student outcomes, satisfaction, and employability. These duties included teaching academic reasoning, leading practical sessions, assessing work, designing innovative practical sessions, analysing outcome data, and leading the design and delivery of innovative learning spaces. 

Concerned that education-focused technicians weren’t receiving the same attention, the NTDC stepped in to design a parallel promotion pathway.

NTDC National Education Technical Professional Pathway Working Group

A national working group, comprising 20 universities (including top QS World Ranking UK institutions) and the Institute of Science and Technology, was formed. This group co-created and delivered the NTDC National ETP Pathway, concluding in April 2025 (Project Report).

The group defined Education Technical Professionals (ETPs) as technicians who: make vital contributions to student education; deliver excellence in technical and technology education and its innovation, and work collaboratively with academic colleagues to provide a comprehensive education.

Professor Sir Keith Burnett CBE FRS CPhys FInstP FLSW, Chair of the NTDC Board, stated, “Education has the power to transform lives; Education Technical Professionals are a key contributor to this transformation.”

The ETP pathway’s primary purpose is to attract, develop, and retain ETPs with the cutting-edge technical, technology, and innovation skills essential for educating current and future generations of students.  The pathway consists of four clear, progressive roles, up to professor equivalent, each with a role outline, expected capabilities, and promotion criteria. This structured approach allows technicians to easily see how requirements evolve as they progress, making it clear what they need to evidence for promotion.

The pathway champions technical and technology education delivery and innovation, recognising that education is a team effort. By formalising and recognising the impact of ETPs, it provides a crucial mechanism for promoting and rewarding their critical contributions. This move significantly boosts the visibility of ETP roles and impact, pushing towards greater parity of esteem with academic colleagues and those on RTP pathways.

With employers continually citing a technical and technology skills gap between education and employment (2024, Institute of Student Employers, Student Recruitment Survey), ETPs, with their highly refined skills, are best placed to equip students with the capabilities needed to close this gap and enhance graduate employability.

ETP NET

The national working group established ETP NET (join the email discussion list).  ETP NET’s is uniting education technicians (ETPs) from all disciplines, fostering community, networking and the sharing of best practice.  The network is supporting exploration and promotion of education focused technical roles (including the National ETP Pathway).  It provides a critical spotlight and a national showcase for the work of education technicians.

Manchester Met: Leading the Charge

In July 2025, Manchester Met implemented both ETP and RTP Promotion Pathways, developed in partnership with the NTDC. Manchester Met, a TEF Gold institution, and ranked 11th in the National Student Survey (NSS) for student satisfaction by The Times, is the first university in the UK to introduce a dedicated ETP promotion pathway, and only the third to introduce an RTP promotion pathway.

These pathways align with the recommendations of the NTDC, UKRI, and the Midlands Innovation (MI) TALENT Commission focused on advancing technician careers. 

Professor Karen Moore, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Manchester Met, stated: “Our highly skilled Technical Services teams work alongside our academic colleagues to ensure we deliver an outstanding student experience and world class impactful research. Our innovative promotion pathways are another example of the importance Manchester Met. places on people and their career development.”

In recognition of their success Manchester Met was awarded the NTDC ‘Promotion Pathway Significant Progress Award’ in July and in October, the Promotion Pathways Project Team won the University’s Research Culture Award.