Career development: professional and support staff

Technical Staff

There are 39 technicians in the DoM. In our AS2016 application technical staff focus group reported that the lack of a formal career structure at UCL was making their progression difficult. There was an express of interest to participate in accredited training to enhance their career development. The DoM SAT chair reached out to the UCL Technical Managers Group (TMG) to discuss opportunities for networking, to help create joint development scheme and keep up-to-date with the latest developments in the relevant sectors. Since the UCL is a member HEaTED (Higher Education and Technicians Educational Development) UCL staff is elligible to apply for any training and accredited CPD courses they offer. Furthermore, AS leads have secured funding from the DoM for the accredited CPD courses.

Gaining Fellowship Improved My Career Prospects: Tope Oyelade

Tope is a Lab Technician in the Integrated Medical Sciences programmes. He became one of the first lab technicians in UCL to obtain FHEA accreditation.

"My role as a teaching laboratory technician involved direct contact with students, where I directly contributed to students' learning.

My plan is to change my career track from lab technician to a teaching and reseach role. I am currently enrolled in a part-time PhD programme in the DoM and gaining a qualification especially alighed with my future direction.

I was awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2020.

Thanks to one-to-one support from a member of the UCL Arena Centre, who is also on the DoM SAT team, I received valuable mentorship helping me to acieve my goals"

Professional Support Staff

PSS staff benefit from the same Divisional training, policies and incentives available for all staff. PSS Training needs are discussed and agreed with their line managers and completed training record is reviewed at annual appraisal. PSS are expected to undertake at least three training, learning or development events annually as well as completing mandatory induction training. Staff are kept informed and encouraged to attend training courses by newsletters and emails. PSS can participate in internal and external courses; the latter are supported where appropriate for their career development. PSS are encouraged to express interest in UCL Leadership Courses and are regularly nominated to attend (Women in Leadership, Self-Managing Leadership, Fundamentals of Management). Over a third of our attendees on these courses since 2016 have been PSS, 75% of these were women (women make up 73% of all PSS - data on 5-year average). Divisional PSS are also encouraged to attend and to be involved in the organisation off UCL wide communities of practice and Faculty PSS career development days.