Taking place at Burlington House, London, the launch included presentations on successfully securing status and opportunities for technical roles, alongside improving health, safety and accessibility in higher education laboratories.
RSC’s plan for the chemical sciences, which was introduced by RSC President Dame Carol Robinson, focuses on four pillars. These are: visibility, recognition, career development, and sustainability.
Each of these pillars offers support to technical staff through a range of grants, awards, networking, discounted training, mentoring, alongside professional accreditation and registration (RSci/RSciTech).
In addition to supporting individual technicians, RSC are encouraging organisations to get in touch with them for assistance in achieving their own goals with regard to technical staff.
Professor Dame Carol Robinson, President of the RSC, said: “A career in the technical sciences is both fulfilling and rewarding – I started my own career as a technical member of staff. It is only right that we make sure all technicians receive the recognition and career development that they deserve.
“I was one of the people who would say I am ‘just’ a technician – we have to stop saying that. Technicians are vitally important to the advancement of the chemical sciences and the health of our economy. Our action plan has been designed to improve the landscape in which technicians find themselves working, to not only maximise the potential of and retain our skilled technicians but also attract new talent to the sector.”
At the event, Dame Carol presented the RSC’s 2019 Higher Education Technical Excellence Award to a winning team from Dublin City University’s school of chemical sciences. This was in recognition of their exceptional services to health and safety and accessibility in higher education laboratories, which they also gave a presentation on during the day’s proceedings.
Veronica Dobbyn, Chief Technical Officer at Dublin City University, said: “As a technician, it’s a very unusual position I find myself in. I am honoured to be here, and would like to say thank you very much to the RSC. We work away in the background and don’t expect to be given awards, so we are absolutely delighted to receive this.”
Members of the Science Council were also in attendance to discuss the progress of the overall Technician Commitment initiative, which has over 80 signatories including universities, research institutions and UKRI.
For more information, visit rsc.li/technician-commitment.
