#Techniciansmakeithappen
The demand for technicians is growing across the UK economy.
If a product has been manufactured, if an app has been coded, or if a research process has been optimised, you can guarantee a team of technicians will have helped to make it happen.
However, despite the importance of technicians, their role is often overlooked or poorly understood. To address this, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation launched Technicians Make it Happen in April 2016. The campaign aims to raise awareness and perceptions of the role technicians play in driving the UK economy, and encourage and inspire young people with a talent for STEM subjects, their teachers and parents, to consider the benefits of a career as a technician.
Sophy: Welding Technician at Hydram http://technicians.org.uk/technicians/sophy/
The campaign website features a host of technician stories, which illustrate the incredible variety of technician roles available and the many pathways to becoming a technician. There are technicians featured from across UK industry – the BBC, Brompton Bikes, Pimlico Plumbers, the RAF, IBM and Loughborough University to name just a few of the supporters of the campaign so far. In the coming months, more technicians will be interviewed and photographed and their inspiring stories posted online and across social media. If you’d like to share your technician story, make contact via the website or get in touch on social media (technicians_mih on Twitter).
Technicians Make it Happen will also be going on the road to events across the UK to highlight all of the brilliant work that technicians do to young people. If you would be interested in joining us at one of our upcoming events, please do get in touch – we’re always on the lookout for enthusiastic technicians to come and do a demo or talk about their role.
Joe: Mechanical Vibration Technician at RAL Space. http://technicians.org.uk/technicians/joe/
Alongside the events and website, we’ve recently launched an image sharing competition. We’re asking people to share an image of something that a technician has helped to make happen on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to be in with a chance of winning Amazon vouchers and £1,000. Get in touch if you’d like to receive some Technicians Make it Happen stickers and please encourage others to participate in the competition.
The campaign can’t succeed in its aims without the backing and support of employers. Higher education institutions have a vital role to play in highlighting the importance of their technicians. So here’s our challenge to you – engage with Technicians Make it Happen on social media, share your technician story online, partner with us at upcoming events. The UK desperately needs more highly skilled technicians now – help us to make it happen.
Jahangir: Apprentice Broadcast Engineer at BBC http://technicians.org.uk/technicians/jahangir/
Posted in: Technicians' network