This Action Plan is created by technicians for technicians.

It commits us to activities, policies, opportunities and networks that will ensure recognition for the expertise of technicians at Ulster, support career progression, encourage sustainability of a rewarding career path and a pipeline of vital technical talent, and share the impact of technicians to ensure greater visibility of their varied and highly specialist contributions.

The Action Plan includes both internal and external training and development opportunities, facilitation for HEA accreditation, reviews of role descriptions to support career progression pathways, research delivery, as well as networks and events for the technician community.

People are at the heart of Ulster University

We create the conditions, frameworks and approaches to enable people to achieve and exceed both in their own career aspirations and the University’s ambitions.

Take a look at the plan

Find out more and get involved as we invest in our people and recognise the role of technicians in creating and sustaining the environments in which academic and operational excellence thrives.

Together we are Ulster University.

The Action Plan

Planned Activity

Internal Area

Pillars

Delivery & Success

Introduce an annual fund to support external training.

  • Senior Leadership Team
  • Career Development

Delivery

A fund to be put in place and made available.

Success Measure

Process for Technician Committee accessing funds in place; funds acquired and onward sharing of training outcomes within technician community

Facilitate a process to encourage HEA Accreditation

  • Technician Steering Group
  • Career development

Delivery

An agreed plan of technical engagement with HEA including joining technical advisory groups.

Success Measure

15% of technical staff access HEA accredited material including engagement with strategic advisory groups.

Develop an internal training plan for technicians.

  • People and Culture
  • Career development

Delivery

Training plan accepted by Technician Commitment Steering Group to include a training minimum time commitment for professional and technical skills development.

Success Measure

Optimise and recognise training and development opportunities for technicians in support of career progression.

University to join HEaTED

  • Technician Steering Group
  • Recognition

Delivery

University a member of HEaTED

Success Measure

University a member of HEaTED

Explore technical apprenticeship options for the University.

  • People and Culture
  • Trade Unions
  • Sustainability

Delivery

Identify the appropriate apprenticeship model.

Success Measure

Implementation of an appropriate apprenticeship model.

Definitively determine REF-returnable status of technicians and technical staff.

  • Research and Innovation
  • Visibility
  • Career development

Delivery

Draft policy developed and circulated for review.

Success Measure

Position clear and technician status reflected in involvement and participation.

Implement a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy to support the technician commitment.

  • Marketing and Communications
  • Visibility

Delivery

Communications and engagement channels and content to include web pages, internal and external news and features, social media content, market engagement and sectoral, stakeholder briefings.

Success Measure

Fuller visibility for and appreciation of the role of UU’s technician community in achieving the ambitions of the University across research and innovation and supporting confident and skilled graduates in diverse disciplines.

Introduce a policy on naming technical staff on research papers.

  • Research and Innovation
  • Visibility

Delivery

Policy agreed by SLT

Success Measure

100% of research papers have technical staff name once agreed participation has been approved.

Encourage the development of a technician inclusive network within and external to the University to promote inter-institutional engagement and engagement opportunities.

  • People and Culture
  • Senior Leadership Team
  • Visibility
  • Career development

Delivery

Agreement that technical staff can attend these meetings/events within existing workloads. Opportunities actively promoted the University. Technician engagement actively sought where appropriate.

Success Measure

50% membership increase against baseline. Policy in place to support.

Create an annual diary of events for technicians.

  • Technician Steering Group
  • Visibility
  • Career development

Delivery

Annual conference, create network with QUB and regional colleges, develop informal learning opportunities, create mentoring scheme to support technicians. Encourage and support technical colleagues to represent Ulster on external groups.

Success Measure

50% of events complete by end of academic year 23/24, with 60% levels of engagement.

Review technical job descriptions to ensure role profiles reflect changes to specialism, expertise, and technology in order to look at developing a technician career pathways framework.

  • People and Culture
  • Technician Steering Group
  • Career development
  • Recognition
  • Sustainability

Delivery

Engage with current job roles and seek out good practice to inform discussions on job families and creation of a career pathway framework consistent with best practice in the sector.

Success Measure

Development and publication of a draft technician career pathway framework.