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NEW PATHWAY LAUNCH: NTDC National Education Technical Professional (ETP) Pathway
6 October 2022
The Herschel Programme, which supports technical advancement for women in leadership, is accepting applications for its 2023 cohort.
The national programme, funded by Research England and led by MI Talent, is open to women from any technical discipline across UK higher education or research institutions.
Named after Caroline Herschel, a 19th-century pioneer in astronomy, the six-month programme seeks to elevate and advance opportunities for current and aspiring technical leaders.
According to research from the University of Nottingham, only 32% of women are in technician management and leadership roles and less than half of those in the technical workforce are women.
The Herschel Programme addresses this issue by providing participating women with helpful tools to use in the workplace.
Kelly Vere, University Director of Technical Strategy for the University of Nottingham and Programme Lead for TALENT said, “There is a lack of women in technical leadership roles across all disciplines, which is why we designed an intervention to try and address this issue.
“The programme focuses on upskilling and empowering women to progress in their own leadership journey and the pilot has created an incredibly supportive network of over 170 technical leaders.”
More than 170 technicians representing 53 higher education and research institutions from across the UK took part in this year’s pilot programme, which has led to many technicians progressing their individual leadership journeys.
Nadia Rahman, Histopathology Lab Manager at Queen Mary University of London, said, “I feel strongly that all the modules studied are great tools for the development and recognition of technicians and I can boldly say ‘I’m a technician and proud’.
“I feel empowered and now equipped to fully assume my role as a leader, and be confident, assertive and more visible in my place of work and beyond by my contribution.”
Applications close on Friday 21 October and the programme will start in January 2023. Women across the UK technical sector who are seeking to develop their careers in leadership are encouraged to apply.
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