LJMU joins action group spearheading positive change for technical career pathways

LJMU is part of a new action group formed by the UK Institute of Technical Skills and Strategy (ITSS) to drive positive change for technical career pathways in the higher education and research sector.

Technician Commitment institutional lead for LJMU Katie Farrance (Technical Resource Manager) and John Trantom (Organisational Development Practitioner) will represent the university on the group. Find out more about LJMU’s wider plans to support the professional development of technical staff at LJMU.

Currently, technical career pathways in the UK vary considerably across the sector and there is a significant technical skills gap. Challenges around recruitment, retention and clarity of technical career pathways in academia and research has also impacted on the long-term sustainability of the technical workforce.

The Institute’s Technical Career Pathways Lab, funded by Research England, is tackling this issue, by working in partnership with organisations to innovate and implement recommendations published in the TALENT Commission report.

Forty-four technical and HR professionals, representing twenty-two UK universities and research institutions have volunteered to join a Career Pathways Action Group.

Together, the group will experiment with new ways of working within their institution to cultivate change that improves career pathways for technical professionals.

Our Technical Career Pathways Lab is working in collaboration with individuals and institutions to implement actions that will improve technical career pathways and enhance entry routes into careers.

The number of volunteers we’re now working with to test new ideas and innovations is testament to the appetite and need for improvements in this area.

We have set up the Career Pathways Action Group to co-create solutions that can help build technical capacity and capability; several focussed projects will use the technical career framework within the TALENT Commission to action positive change for technical professionals through career entry routes, or promotional pathways.

We’re very excited to be at the start of this exciting programme of work, thank you to all the volunteers who have joined the Career Pathways Action Group for investing their time into this innovative project.

Sarah Allen, ITSS Technical Careers Lead is leading on the project

Members of the Career Pathways Action Group are:

  • Birmingham City University 
  • British Geological Survey 
  • Cranfield University 
  • De Montfort University 
  • Durham University 
  • Imperial College London 
  • Kings College London 
  • Liverpool John Moores University 
  • Manchester Metropolitan University 
  • Northumbria University 
  • Nottingham Trent University 
  • Queens University Belfast 
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council 
  • University College London 
  • University of Cambridge 
  • University of Essex 
  • University of Leeds 
  • University of Liverpool 
  • University of Salford
  • University of Warwick 
  • Ulster University 
  • University of York 

Projects will commence between October 2024 and January 2025 and the Technical Career Pathways Lab intends to share best practice with the sector by July 2026.

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