Valuing the technical community in the Midlands
Technicians have historically been undervalued in academia, leading to a lack of opportunities for career progression and a shortage of technicians in the higher education (HE) sector. To lose the knowledge, experience, and expertise of technicians would be a huge loss. Recognising both the risk of this loss and the value of technicians, Midlands Innovation TALENT (MI TALENT) was founded in 2020 to recognise, promote, and advocate for the technical community in the Midlands.
Spearheaded by the Midlands Innovation partner universities, MI TALENT received over £3 million from the Research England Development Fund, alongside additional funding from the partner universities and key industry partners.
MI TALENT seeks to advocate for the technical community in the Midlands by:
- Raising the profile and reputation of technicians
- Recognising the talent and contribution of technicians to academic institutions
- Promoting opportunities for career progression and development.
Advocating to advance the careers of technicians
MI TALENT advocates for the advancement of technicians’ careers alongside recognising and valuing the work they do. To achieve this, there are four key aspects of the four-year project which guide the work and outputs of MI TALENT.
- National Policy Commission: in 2022, MI TALENT released the TALENT Commission Report which sets out strategic insight for a national policy commission which sets out what is required by technicians going forwards.
- Cultural change: MI TALENT has set out to work collaboratively with partners and technicians to advocate for, and deliver, a change in the culture in higher education (HE) to raise the profile of the technician career.
- Training and development: MI TALENT delivers a range of training and development opportunities for the MI technical community of over 2,100 full-time technicians.
- Advocate for technicians: MI TALENT seeks to ensure that technical careers are supported, developed, respected, and recognised as a career to aspire to.
Looking to the experiences of technicians who have been involved with MI TALENT, the positive impact of MI TALENT’s work on the technical community in the Midlands is clear. An example of what this impact looks like on an individual basis is clear when talking to Dr Steven Servin-Gonzalez (University of Warwick).
Having received funding from MI TALENT to pursue professional development opportunities, such as shadowing colleagues at University of Birmingham, Dr Servin-Gonzalez notes that MI TALENT has helped to advance his career as a technician. Beyond this, Dr Servin-Gonzalez states he has seen firsthand the impact that MI TALENT has had on changing views towards technicians in the HE sector.
Influencing policymakers to advocate for technicians nationally
Following the recommendations put forward by the landmark TALENT Commission Report that was released in 2022, MI TALENT’s reach is now expanding beyond the technical community in the Midlands to positively impact technicians on a national scale. An example comes from the influence of Recommendation 16, which suggests the creation of a collaborative entity titled the UK Insitute for Technical Skills and Strategy (UK ITSS).
UK ITSS was established in 2023, receiving £5.5 million funding from Research England. UK ITSS is home to the TALENT Commitment and builds on existing work aimed at championing technicians. Alongside supporting programs aimed at developing technicians, UK ITSS also influences policy through its Research and Policy Group. The Research and Policy Group conducts relevant research, consults on policies concerning technicians, and actively influences policy through consultations with the government and policymakers.
As MI TALENT’s four-year project ends in 2024, it is increasingly clear to see the extent of its positive impact for technicians on a regional scale. As the work transitions from a region-focused project to a national one, it will be exciting to see how MI TALENT’s research is adapted to meet the needs of the technical communities across the UK.
