Supporting Technicians

The final report of research designed to understand where and why skills gaps exist within off-stage technical roles in the theatre industry, and how these can be addressed.

An analysis of local skills improvement plan progress updates, and interviews with training providers.

How local employer bodies might alleviate the persistent shortage of skilled technicians and its ramifications for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The University of Lincoln carried out foresighting looking at the knowledge and skills that will be required to automate the packing of fresh produce – to help inform the development of apprenticeships and qualifications.

Report by Dr Craig Holmes analysing mobility and career progression for technical occupations in the UK which make use of STEM skills. It explores the role of education, training, and skills in supporting progression, and the barriers people may face.

This report summarises points raised by thirty employers from the land, construction and water industries, when they came together over the course of three summits at the Gatsby Foundation in spring 2019 to discuss the future of higher technical education.

This report commissioned by the Gatsby Foundation and authored by Professor Paul Lewis, Economics Professor at King's College London, explores the direct and important contributions technicians make to both radical and incremental innovation in advanced manufacturing in the UK.

This paper reviews the first-year impact of the Technician Commitment, drawing out recurring themes across signatory organisations.

This 2017 report investigates the roles of IT technicians in England, their training routes, employer expectations, tutors' views and learner experiences to inform technical education policy.

Gatsby’s response to the UK Government’s 2017 Industrial Strategy Green Paper, urging stronger investment in technical education, better funding for skills training and action to address technician shortages.

This report studies technician roles in the emerging UK cell therapy industry. It examines current and future technician needs, training gaps, employer challenges and makes recommends to ensure a skilled technician workforce in this sector.

A study of the roles, skills, and training of industrial biotechnology technicians in the UK.

Key STEM education indicators showing trends in student choices at GCSE, A-Level, and university, plus data on gender balance, apprenticeships, and STEM teacher supply.

This leaflet gives an overview of the work Gatsby is undertaking with a range of partners to address the acute shortage of technician skills in this country.

This web-friendly leaflet explains Gatsby’s rationale for supporting technician professional registration, showing it as trusted proof of skill and competence, regardless of training route.

Our country’s 1.5 million technicians are the linchpins of the economy. This web-friendly leaflet sets out Gatsby's ambitions for the country's technician workforce.

In June 2015, Gatsby funded the Institute of Employment to run a workshop to examine the potential of an occupational database to help research and address UK occupational and skill challenges.

Technicians are the linchpins of the UK economy and at Gatsby we are committed to raising the public understanding of their importance. This leaflet sets out how we work with partners to give technicians the status they deserve and what we believe the technical education landscape should look like.

This research by Paul Lewis examines the various models of over-training currently being used by employers, and assesses whether these models could be adopted more widely to help increase the number of high-quality science, engineering and technology-related apprenticeships.

This report by Dr Scott Kelly investigates the link between employers' ability to identify their skills needs and their knowledge of the qualifications system.

Annex to Understanding the UK STEM technician workforce report.

Gatsby commissioned TBR to use labour force data to look at what proportion of STEM workers are technicians and how they are distributed by discipline and sector.

In 2010 we commissioned Dr Paul Lewis of Kings College London to undertake a study of the skills and training of university laboratory and engineering workshop technicians - ‘Technicians under the microscope’.

This report explores how UK composite material firms recruit and use technicians, aiming to inform policy in this growing sector of economic importance.

In March 2013, following the publication of the Government’s response to the Richard Review of apprenticeships, we updated our overview of technician registration and its benefits.

As background to our work with unionlearn, Richard Blakeley and Lauren Usher produced this paper outlining the historical ties between unions and technician registration. The paper also explores how unions can work with professional bodies to promote technician registration.

Full report examining how occupational identity relates to modern apprenticeships in England and explores policy implications of separating apprenticeships from defined occupations.

We commissioned Frontier Economics to examine the economics of registration schemes. Their report, published in August 2013, considers how registration schemes can help match STEM technicians to STEM jobs and, in so doing, provide benefits for technicians and their employers.

We sponsored research into electricians’ perceptions of professionalism and recognition. The report of the research, published in May 2013, highlights that a lack of recognised standards for industry competence is hindering electricians’ ability and desire to progress their careers.

We commissioned teams from the University of Southampton and the Institute of Education, London, to undertake research to understand the role of technicians in the healthcare sector.

We commissioned Dr Paul Lewis of King's College London to undertake a study of the roles of technicians in the space sector and how employers ensure they have the technician staff they require.

We commissioned Dr Paul Lewis of King's College London to undertake a study of the roles of technicians in the aerospace sector and how employers ensure they have the technician staff they require.

This piece of research was carried out to establish if practical work in schools, in particular within science A level qualifications, provides students with the practical skills they need to successfully pursue a career in the STEM sector.

In October 2011 we responded to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills consultation ‘New Challenges, New Chances: Next Steps in Implementing the Further Education Reform Programme’.

In 2010 we commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to undertake a series of econometric analyses of the relative impact of SET Professionals and SET Technicians in different sectors across Europe.

In December 2010 we brought policy-makers and stakeholders together at a conference to explore how technical education can best meet future demand for STEM skills. The conference report sets out the key challenges and opportunities.

In October 2010 we submitted evidence to the government-commissioned review of vocational education for 14-19 year olds undertaken by Professor Alison Wolf.

In 2010 we commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to examine critical features of UK science, engineering and technology technicians and compare these to technicians working in other countries across Europe.

In November 2009, alongside the publication of the national skills strategy, Lord Mandelson invited Lord Sainsbury to explore the issues surrounding the professional registration of technicians. The final report of this work was submitted in April 2010.