Technical Services Conference 2017
We are honoured to announce that ZEISS microscopy are the key sponsor for the University of Exeter Technical Services Conference at our St Luke’s campus in Exeter on 6 July 2017.
As a leading manufacturer of microscopes ZEISS offers inspiring solutions and services for your daily routine work in the field of life sciences and materials research.
Help shape your conference!Ā If you have ideas on awards, sessions and workshops, or are interested in helping out with this years event, pleaseĀ let us know.
Read about the event in anĀ article on the HEaTED webpages.
HEFCE Technician Skills Capture Survey
Thank you for supporting and completing the Technician Skills Capture Survey, we couldnāt have done it without your help. We launched our HEFCE Technician Skills Capture Survey on 3 Oct 16. The survey is being piloted at various universities across the UK, including the University of Exeter, in order to capture the views of technical staff and ensure the toolkit is as beneficial to the technical community as possible.
Across the University of Exeter, of the 199 technical staff who received a link, 108 finished it – so our overall completion rate was 54%. THANK YOU to all those who have already completed the survey.
All participants will receive a personal PDF copy of their responses, which they may find useful for their own personal career development.
Once we have received feedback from the survey from the TDM team, we will look to see how we can use the data to:
- Provide a collection of skill and responsibility data that can be used to help with career and personal development of our technical staff.
- Identify training gaps – gaps where our staff have responsibilities or tasks they are not currently trained in.
- Help identify current roles and responsibilities of our technical staff.
- Provision of accurate information to enhance career and succession planning activities.
- Inform senior management of career and professional development opportunities to help shape our development framework/training matrix.
Visit the survey homepage for more information about the survey.
Green Exeter
Green Exeter is an exciting new accreditation scheme that helps colleagues green their work areas. The scheme has been developed by our Sustainability Coordinator network and builds on the success of Green Impact.
Teams work through the Green Exeter Management Tool. This is built around the “Plan, Do, Check, Act” model and aligns with our ISO14001 Environmental Management System certification. The scheme aims to help you embed environmental sustainability into your departmentās activities in a way that is specific to your operations.
I would like to encourage all our Technical teams to take part, as we can make such a positive difference.
To register your technical team all you need to do is send Karen Gallagher a completed Green Exeter commitment statement. For more details on Green Exeter visit their webpages.
Technical Managers in Unversities
The 2017 TMU conference will be hosted by the University of Bristol on the 5th, 6th and 7th April 2017 at the Faculty of Arts. The Theme of the conference will be Leading Technical Services ā making it fit for the futureā?
The TMU website will publish the full agenda and details of how to book on the conference very soon.
For more information please visit the website.
Professional Registration Case Study – Chartered Scientist (CSci)
The award of professional registration is a significant milestone for any technician. It signifies that you have verified knowledge, understanding and competence in your scientific area.
Professional registration shows you are committed to continually update your skills and knowledge, keeping up to date with the latest technology and techniques.
Read more about what Abdelmalek Benattayallah CSci has to say about professional registration.
Professional Registration
As part of our continued commitment to our technical staff and their personal/professional development, Technical Services will cover the costs of initial membership fees for Technical Services staff.
Simply apply online. The online common application process for professional registration also includes membership with your chosen professional body. You can choose any of the professional bodies associated with the science council.
Completion of the online application form – using the competency matrix to align your application with the relevant level. You will need to clearly detail how you meet the criteria at your desired level, and should provide examples.
You can also get in touch with the Science Council to find out more.
Business Continuity
- Strathclyde University: There have been reports of a chemical spill in a lab at Strathclyde University. The building was evacuated and a team from Explosive Ordnance Disposal attended. I havenāt yet been able to find details about the chemical.
- Leeds University: Following a chemical incident (respiratory irritant) there was an evacuation at a Leeds University building.
- Oxford Brookes University: Chemical incident at Oxford Brookes University. Three fire engines, an ambulance and a Hazardous Decontamination Unit are reported to have been attendance during the incident. One person was treated for breathing difficulties. The building was evacuated. Read more about it here.
All Technical Services staff, at the University of Exeter, must ensure that their technical managers have up to date emergency contact details, so you can be contacted in the event of an emergency.
New Joiners in Technical Services
Technical Services would like to welcome the following new staff to the University, and congratulate existing staff in their new role:
- Miss Laura Briers (Research Technician)
- Judith Bannerman (Technical Services Manager)