The University of Birmingham is a founding signatory of ‘The Technician Commitment’.
The Technician Commitment is a sector wide, collaborative initiative led by the Science Council and supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Technicians Make It Happen campaign. The Commitment aims to ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technical staff working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.
In line with this, the University of Birmingham’s Technical Academy aims to enhance skills and career development for technical staff, recognising their integral and invaluable role in the continued successful delivery of high-quality teaching and research on the global stage.
Read the Technician Commitment here
The Technician's Commitment at the University of Birmingham has been set up by Technicians for Technicians. Following feedback from Technicians at Personal Development Reviews and Town Hall Open Forums.
The Technical Academy is here to help promote Technicians and encourage more people into technical roles in the future.
The Technical Academy Operations Group was formed after the launch in 2017 and its remit is to co-ordinate and deliver the operational aspects of the academy. To allow for a full representation of the ‘technician voice’, it's membership is made up of managers and technicians from various backgrounds such as engineering, estates, life and medical sciences. It is each member’s responsibility to highlight any questions, requirements and complaints that their technicians have, as well as promoting the Technical Academy through advertising events and actively encouraging staff or team members to participate.
Career Development
The Technical Academy Operations and Steering groups can assist with networking and providing information to assist with your career development. Everyone has a responsibility for their own personal development. This responsibility is to yourself to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. The University of Birmingham holds a wide range of courses which may, or may not be directly related to your everyday work, but which you can use to help to further your personal career plans.
Information on Career Development is available on the following pages:
People and Organisational Development
You can also look at potential new roles:
Career opportunities
Recognition - Professional Registration
One route to increased recognition is through professional registration.
Both the Science Council and Engineering Council offer professional registration for technicians working across science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) areas. This allows both personal development and recognition of your achievements in your profession.
Professional registration requires the demonstration of competencies, knowledge and commitment to achieve, based on an individual's on-the-job learning. It provides quality assurance and recognition from an external body and a framework for future career development.
The Science Council and the Engineering Council have more information on Professional Registration.