PTSE & IST Conference July 2012 Andrew Dodman Director of Human Resources

The Future of Technical Support Staff in HE: An Institutional View

Institutional View? The colloquial & local approach The progressive & professional approach The 2022 dichotomy?

A colloquial & local approach? Individuals/teams managed locally Recruiting & selecting individuals into specific jobs that require specialist/ specific skills To retain (at least until the research project is completed)

Support and success reliant upon local managers/PIs/sponsors within their department Minimal occupational/professional visibility A colloquial & local approach?

Is this approach sufficient?

Are there broader collective corporate challenges? Skills gap 1/3 rd of our technical staff at or beyond NRA by 2022 (intellectual capital loss)

Are there broader challenges? Levels of Staff Engagement? 5% lower participation in staff survey Strong % for flexible working/work-life balance BUT

Are there broader challenges? I am valued for what I can contribute to the University? - 13% lower Co-operation between and within departments - 10% lower Development/career opportunities - 10% lower Engagement with University – 5% lower

Diverse workforce?

Institutional View The colloquial & local approach The progressive & professional approach

Viable with Voice & Visibility Professionalise & up-skill Professional standards/competence Technicians Register Higher Diplomas CLTS HEaTED project CPD A Progressive Approach?

Mentoring (Technical Focus) Apprentice Technicians Bespoke training & development Embedding within extant mechanisms (recruitment, appraisals, pay/reward, promotion) For the employer?

Voice & Visibility Nomenclature Changing the perceptions of the profession… For us all?

Personnel ?

Comfort the Afflicted Afflict the Comfortable

HR?

Building viability, voice & visibility: Individual and collective professional contributions are recognised by the employer and its funders Benefits

Direction of travel Coherent, professional group Disparate individuals

What about the context? Economic Challenges: Reduction in public funding National/international competition (uncertainty/fluctuations in student numbers) Diverse/new income streams Downward pressure on costs/Efficiencies Agenda

What about the context? Delivery Challenges: Student experience Teaching excellence Physical infrastructure Technological Challenge: Revolutionise R&T and associated processes

One of the key challenges for the future HE environment is the continued turbulence, instability and increasingly fast pace of change being experienced. In contrast to the relative stability of the historical, predominantly publicly funded model of HE, the future environment looks far less predictable The HE Workforce Framework 2010 HEFCE

So what does this mean for institutions? A workforce that it agile and flexible to adapt to new conditions and demands

Coherent, professional group Disparate individuals Cross-boundary/ blended professionals Bound by role, task, function, speciality? But the context is changing, uncertain & ambiguous

Cross-boundary/ blended professionals? Multi-skilling/Cross-training Soft skills Project based/collaborative roles No longer undertaking one task for one person at any one time?

Cross-boundary/ blended professionals? Relations/discourse with others Move within, between & beyond dept Professionalisation to support career development

Cross-boundary/ blended professionals? Challenge for employers: How can we become more flexible whilst maximising individual talent?

Institutional View The colloquial & local approach The progressive & professional approach The 2022 dichotomy? In partnership to develop a vibrant and outward facing community of professional technicians