by Paul Gilbert, Technical Manager - University of Liverpool, Chairperson - Technical Managers in Universities (TMU), co-chair - ITSS
To succeed, the ITSS must be ambitious, transformational, and it must be authentic. Lofty aims indeed, and you will hear the word authentic used a lot (not least in this post and not just because I lack a thesaurus!), but what does authentic actually mean here? And how do we ensure it does not become just another buzz word?
To me, authentic in this context means by technicians, for technicians. It means understanding technicians and creating policy and strategy that wholly meets the needs of the technical community.
The aim of the ITSS Technical Council is to provide a platform for the technical community, in all its breadth, variety, and complexity; to directly inform and constructively critique the activities of the ITSS. In short: to ensure authenticity.
The greater diversity of the council, the more authentic the voice.
In this post I want to reach out in particular to early career technicians.
I started out as a technician all the way back in the pre-smart phone dark ages of 2002, when Brexit was but a glint in UKIP’s eye and I still thought that long hair was a good look on me.
I did not really know what a technician was, and I had absolutely no idea or plan of where that first job would or even could take me. I would have loved the opportunity back then to actually understand more about the wider world of technicianing(TM) and how I could take charge of my own career. However, remembering who I was back then, had I had the opportunity to be on a national Technician Council, I would have thought “what do I know?”, and “I don’t belong in those conversations”. In both that regard and the matter of the long hair, I was wrong.
Since becoming a Technical Manager, I see the enormous value of creating an environment where technicians are encouraged to develop and grow. Here are some reasons why I want to encourage early career technicians to apply to be on the Technical Council:
If you are an early career technician now, then you have embarked on your career in the age of the Technician Commitment which, since launching in 2017, has significantly changed the technical landscape in the UK and has thrown the need for better understanding and development of technical careers into sharp relief. What better time to have your say on initiatives that may help to shape the direction of your career and the future opportunities available to you?
We want to hear from all parts of the technical community. If you have been a technician for 1 year or 30, your views on matters that impact your career are equally valid.
I have been in a technical role for over 20 years and, consciously or otherwise, my views are shaped and limited by my experience. A good mix of experience and naïve ambition will make the council a vibrant and exciting arena in which we can all challenge our ideas and biases.
In turn this will help you to think critically about what you want from your own career.
My esteemed Technical Council co-chair, Andy Filby, has personally promised to bring homemade biscuits and cakes to each in-person meeting.*
*not confirmed, or indeed true, but do you want to risk missing out?
Andy and I are very excited to be co-chairing this council because, as technicians, we are invested in the success of ITSS and we see the huge potential for technical staff in the UK. Come and join us and have your say.
Nominate yourself here.
