‘Team Science’ is a term that’s gained real traction in recent years. Yet the reality of this collaborative concept has been around for much longer and the technical workforce has always played a key role supporting teaching and research in universities.
However, technical staff – prior to the Technician Commitment initiative and the recently published TALENT Commission report – were often referred to as a hidden workforce, often only to be noticed when the technical colleague either left or retired, due to the loss of the skills and knowledge they provided. The TALENT Commission report highlights this as a national issue, with 30 per cent of the technical workforce in 2018/19 aged 50+ and 18 percent aged 55+, likely to retire in 10-15 years (HESA data).
