Take the next step in your journey to develop your skills and become a confident leader or manager.

In the context of constant change, organisational and financial challenges, such as restructuring, the function of leadership is key to navigating and motivating people in achieving goals. This course has been designed for those who have line management responsibility and wish to further build their people management skills in the technical services environment. The two day CPD will focus on theories and models of leadership through a practical and tailored approach to leadership for technicians. The course will utilise work-related case studies to enhance your learning.

The aim of this course is to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to deliver their management and leadership roles effectively.

Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

- Leadership style and competency
- Working within teams and the roles you play
- How and what you need to do to lead and develop an effective team
- How you lead and manage change
- Development networks and securing stakeholder buy-ins
- Adaptation, emotional intelligence and resilience
- Chairing effective meetings
- Leadership and the power of reflection

This course has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from theory and practice, group discussions and individual reflection on the current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills in their work.

This two-week course offers a foundational understanding of AI for technicians, with live sessions and self-paced learning. It covers AI concepts, ethics, and future regulations, in partnership with the Institute of Science and Technology (IST). An accredited course option is also available.

This two-week course includes 10 hours of live online sessions, complemented by self-paced learning. This course offers a foundational understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tailored for technicians. It emphasises the rapid development of AI technology and the importance of balancing innovation with responsible implementation. As AI continues to evolve, it's crucial to address concerns related to ethics, data protection, and societal impact.

We are pleased to work with The Institute of Science and Technology (IST) on this course that introduces participants to key concepts in AI, such as its development pipeline, ethical considerations, types of AI, and the potential risks associated with its use. The course also explores the future of AI regulation and accountability.

This course provides an excellent introduction to AI specifically designed for technicians. For those interested in a more in-depth program that offers accreditation, we recommend exploring our 'AI for Technicians - Entry Level Accreditation' course.

This four-week course offers 20 hours of live online sessions and self-paced learning, preparing participants for RTechAI registration with the Institute of Science and Technology. Gain entry-level AI skills and professional accreditation.

This four-week course includes 20 hours of live online sessions, complemented by self-paced learning. We are pleased to collaborate with the Institute of Science and Technology (IST), a diverse professional body with members spanning various disciplines, including Science, Technology, Computing, and the Creative Arts. The IST has recently introduced a new registration for technical staff specialising in artificial intelligence. Given AI's rapidly expanding influence on society, this course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge required to register as a Registered Technician in Artificial Intelligence (RTechAI).

Upon completing the course, participants then have the knowledge to apply for IST's AI Professional Accreditation and can use the designation RTechAI. Please see here for more information on the different AI registration levels offered by the IST and explore the course FAQs below.

AI falls into this category. Already a major part of our lives, its influence and impact on society is growing at an even faster pace. As part of the AI Professional Accreditation at the Institute of Science and technology this training provides you with AI skills to the entry level criteria required for the IST. Delegates are then able to use the letters RTechAI after their name.

Discover how to be assertive and become an effective member of staff to improve the daily workings of your department.

Have you thought about the results of your behaviour on your personal impact, professional effectiveness and your career? Have you considered how lack of assertion impacts organisations and your own development?
Based on well-researched theories and rooted in everyday practice, this CPD will empower participants to instantly embed their learning into the workplace, enabling them to become more confident with their behaviour at work. We will work with real life scenarios and will be referring to real life practices to make the session as experiential as possible and to empower participants to take the learning and start using it straight away.
The aim is to equip participants with the practical tools and techniques necessary to increase their assertiveness in the services and support environment.

Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

-Beliefs, thinking processes, verbal and non
-verbal aspects of our behaviours to understand how we can increase our assertiveness in all these aspects
-How the lack of assertion and aggression impacts on our personal impact and organisational results -How to apply the learning in real life scenarios to make the sessions as experiential as possible
-How assertiveness can create empowerment
-How we are influenced by someone’s non-assertion or aggression

It has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussions and, individual reflection on the current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills in their work.

Take positive steps in managing stress so that you can become resilient.

According to the Labour Force Survey in the UK (HSE report statistics report, Nov 2020), stress, depression and anxiety contributed to over 50% of all work-related illnesses in 2019-20, resulting in the loss of 17.9 million working days. Dealing with stress, uncertainty and turbulence can therefore improve individual and team wellbeing for all within the technical workforce, who work to enable teaching, learning, and research and enterprise activities in higher education and research industries.

This course concentrates on what technicians can do to manage stress. It explores how they can increase their capacity to recover and bounce back from workplace setbacks and crises, and in so doing, build resilience to overcome stress and challenges in the technical services environment. It will focus on simple and practical processes to enable participants to effectively deal with stress for a positive impact on themselves and everyone around them.

The aim is to focus on practical processes in managing stress in the technical services environment and enable participants to become resilient.

It will explore the following themes:
Definition of stress and explore what stress feels like.
Stress factors in the workplace.
Causes and effects of burnout.
Indicators and warning of stress, depression and anxiety.
Impact of stress on wellbeing and quality of performance.
Identifying steps to managing your own stress levels.
Skills and techniques of dealing with stress at work.
Understand why emotional resilience is important.
Wellbeing, mental health and work-life balance.

There will be a mixture of interactive sessions, group work and learning through the use of individual and team diagnostics on this programme.

By the end of this course, participants are expected to be able to:

Identify the triggers of stress in the technical work environment.
Increase their awareness of the impact of stress, anxiety and depression.
Pursue actions to mitigate stress and thereby improve performance.
Handle challenges positively by maintaining their wellbeing.
Apply resilient skills and processes to bounce back from stress.

Explore your own career development and excel in your technical career.

Aims and Objectives
This highly interactive course is aimed at helping technical staff explore their own career development, based on self-awareness of strengths and skills and openness to the opportunities available to them.

Aim – to introduce the SOAR model of career development and encourage participants to take a positive and proactive approach to career planning, by increasing self-awareness, recognising opportunities, making positive decisions and reflecting on results

The course will not outline a specific career pathway or promotion plan, as this will differ between institutions.

Outcomes
By the end of the session participants will be able to:

Define what career and success means to them, based on personal experience, values and aspirations 

describe 4 stages of career development and planning, using the SOAR model

recognise the importance of self-awareness in career planning

capitalise on their current situation and evaluate future opportunities

make decisions based on personal motivations, abilities and aspirations

Understand and maximise opportunities from change in the workplace.   

Working in an ever changing environment has become the norm for many technicians in higher and further education. This includes restructuring of technical teams and functions, organisational initiatives and strategic goals that impact on technical teams. To operate in this climate, technicians are expected to support, enable and, where appropriate, drive the change processes for success. However, without clear understanding of the change processes, barriers to change and why resistance occurs, change will become stressful and unachievable. 

The aim of this course is to increase the knowledge and skills related to change management for technical staff.

Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

Understanding change in the workplace 

Stages of change transitions and how change is communicated and implemented 

Resistance to change and associated mitigations 

How to prepare yourself, embed and sustain change in technical teams

How to influence stakeholders – best practice for technicians

Essential requirements for success in the change management process 

This course has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussions and individual reflection on the current practice. Participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills in their work.

By the end of this course, participants are expected to:

Be aware of the factors that lead to change in the workplace
Effectively work in a change environment
Gain confidence and understanding of the resistance to change
Be able to proactively engage with the change process, to maximise opportunities
Influence the change team and champions, to achieve positive outcomes

Influence, motivate and boost performance through coaching skills

In professional settings, people must work with and through others to achieve goals. Coaching empowers people to take greater responsibility and ownership of their work. Coaching conversations are highly effective in influencing coachee thinking, feeling, and behaviour, leading to increase in performance and progress. This is especially relevant for technical supervisors, leaders and managers who want to build and maintain trust with team members, increase motivation and continuous service improvement.

Coaching helps the coachee to gain their own insights into a situation, usually on issues related to performance, development and decision-making. The process of questioning, listening, summarising, providing observations, feedback and summaries, enables the coachee to come up with the answers themselves. A successful coaching conversation is one that is open and honest, agenda and outcomes are owned and determined by the coachee, and helps the coachee to explore their situation, whilst building strengths and addressing weaknesses.

This course is tailor made for technical staff in Higher Education. It accommodates various learning styles, to allow participants to learn from theory and practice, through group discussions and individual reflection. It will utilise hands-on activities and formative assessments to increase knowledge, competency and confidence for workplace impact.

Aim: To increase awareness and equip participants with coaching skills, knowledge and confidence in the technical services environment.

Objectives: To explore:-
• The what and why of coaching – how it differs from mentoring and training
• Coaching leadership style and the benefits for technical services
• Coaching as an effective communication technique
• Building rapport, trust and credibility with others
• The GROW coaching model summary and key questions
• Setting goals and incorporating coaching into day-to-day work
• Active listening with a focus on what is being said and not said
• Effective questioning to uncover thoughts, perspectives and views
• Positive language and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)
• Technical services succession planning: coaching or mentoring? By the end of this course, participants are expected to be able to:
• Understand the role and benefits of coaching in the technical services
• Develop skills and behaviours for communication and coaching
• Apply a simple framework for coaching
• Build stronger relationships, listen and question effectively
• Better engage team members, increase team morale and performance
• Instructor-led Online
• Face-to-face Onsite

This activity is subject to minimum group numbers but can be delivered on-site at your institution at a time and date to suit your team. Please contact us at heated@sheffield.ac.uk for more information. For HEaTED members, we offer 1 free place for every 10 bookings, and 2 for groups of 15 or above.

For mor information please visit https://heated.org.uk/cpd/explore-courses/

Learn how to better support and enhance the student experience

Universities seek to be ranked high in league tables and recognised for their impact on teaching, learning, research and knowledge exchange activities, as evidenced in their strategic plans. The core university goals revolve around student-centered learning and satisfaction, and research-informed practice, coupled with a need to grow sources of income. Members of the technical service team(s) play an important role in support of increasing student satisfaction ratings and delivering customer services that can help universities achieve their goals in the current pandemic and beyond. Technical staff have always been at the customer-facing front line of teaching, learning, research and knowledge exchange, who’s telephone-based, online and onsite face-to-face interactions are critical to the success of services, support and products to a wide range of customers (including students, researchers, academics, collaborators, clients, contractors, and the wider internal staff groups).
This course is tailor made to meet the needs of technical staff in Higher Education. It accommodates various learning styles, to allow participants to learn from theory and practice, group discussions and individual reflection on their current practice. It will utilise formative assessments to increase learner knowledge, competency and confidence; enabling and empowering them to implement learnt skills in their work.

Aim: To increase awareness and build essential skills in delivering excellent customer service in technical functions.

Objectives are to explore:-
the importance of customer service in the HE context
customer service situations relevant to the technical services
principles of customer service and key transferable skills
key components of customer service/care excellence framework in technical functions
approaches in dealing with difficult customers and handling complaints
effective customer services communication and other interpersonal skills
the perception of being in the customer’s shoes for continuous improvement

By the end of this course, participants will able to:-
enhance their skills for delivering excellent customer service through:
effective listening and questioning
managing expectations
handling difficult conversations and applying assertiveness
Increase their competency in dealing with difficult customers and complaints
recognise and build partnerships in the delivery of customer service
develop an action plan with confidence for improving customer service

Communicate and network with increased confidence

We communicate all the time, even when we do not say a word, and the results that we get are directly linked to how well we do it. Effective communication and networking skills are essential in every aspect of our lives, both at work and outside of work. They underpin building and maintenance of relationships that enable us to achieve our goals.

This course will give participants an insight into the communication process and equip them with practical techniques and tools which will noticeably improve effectiveness of their communication and networking. It has been designed in a way which draws on real life scenarios and aims for immediate application.

Read, respond and manage situations through the power of emotional intelligence

As professionals in the technical workforce, the ability to understand, recognise and manage emotions in a positive way, both in ourselves and in others, is a powerful tool that can boost capability, performance and career goals.
Harnessing Emotional Intelligence (EI) skills in the technical service functions will help reduce stress, mitigate challenges, enable effective teamwork, better manage conflicts and positively influence others. Moreover, it will increase confidence in communication and decision-making for greater outcomes.

There is an increasing demand by employers for these highly regarded interpersonal emotional and social skill sets across roles, professional settings and industries, which come together to form the four key attributes of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness and relationship management.

This course has been tailor-made to consider the four key attributes of EI in the technical environment, to help equip technicians, supervisors, team leaders and managers, to develop their behavioural competencies by understanding how they perceive and express themselves. Importantly, it will enable them to consider how they can effectively utilise EI, especially in decision-making and meeting the demands and pressures of the workplace.

The course has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from theory and practice, group discussions and individual reflection on their current practice.

It will utilise formative assessments to increase learner knowledge, competency and confidence; enabling and empowering them to implement learnt skills in their work.

Aim: To develop an understanding and the application of emotional intelligence in expressing, coping and dealing with work pressures and demands.

Objectives are to explore the following:
- Introduction to EI and its impact in the workplace
Self-awareness - knowledge about our strengths, weakness and emotions
Self-management- controlling feelings, behaviours, and managing emotions
Social-awareness - reading concerns, needs and emotions of others
Relationship management - developing and maintaining good relationships
Problem solving, reality testing and impulse control
EI and stress management: flexibility and decision-making
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
develop their emotion management competency, confidence and outcomes through:-
deploying effective thinking, feeling and behavioural skills
management of emotional impulses and relationship with others
heightened social and self-awareness
reflection of personal triggers resulting in emotional hijack situations
apply pre-emptive and responsive emotional techniques to achieve results
develop an action plan with confidence for improving their EI

For more information please visist https://heated.org.uk/cpd/explore-courses/

Learn how to maximise income generation using the technical resources and services that you already have.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) engage in income generation activities, sometimes referred to as ‘enterprise’, ‘commercial’, ‘third stream’ or ‘third-leg’, along with their core mission of teaching and research. The Technical facilities and services capability in HEIs has the potential to generate significant financial impact. There are examples of universities in London and beyond where Technicians and Technical Resource Managers (TRMs) are contributing and conducting income generation activities that generate over £150K per annum. Technicians who support and deliver income generation activities often note a boost in their motivation, engagement and career success. They achieve recognition, increase the organisational bottom-line and reputation, and impact on student learning, teaching and research by gaining new knowledge, skills and experience in customer service.
Technical resources in HEIs have not been commercially focused and nor are they, on the whole, equipped with the skills and knowledge to capitalise on income generation opportunities. There is also a lack of available training for technicians by technicians in this area, to fully harness income generation potential.

The aim of this course is to (1) introduce a successful income generation model developed at a University in London that is then (2) adapted and applied by technicians in their own organisation.

Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

-Why are we doing enterprise activities? Provide background, strategy and direction for income generation
-Are you ready to support and deliver income generation activities? Quality assurance measures are important for increasing profile and promoting the services, getting recognition and buy
-in from clients. Are you a technical practitioner, specialist or an expert?
-Stakeholder Management
-What services or support can you offer and what would it look like to clients?
-Income: What should our pricing structure look like?
-Governance and Compliance: health and safety, due diligence and ensuring a fit-for purpose service checklist is in place -Systems, processes, organisation and communication plan
-Marketing and communication: Let’s get this right!
-Preparing, setting-up, delivering and reviewing each income generation initiative
-ACTION PLANNING: Agreeing on a target start date to offer services and support to clients, but who will do what, when and how?
-Invoicing, client setup and financial processing

It has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from practice, group discussions, and individual reflection on the current practice. The facilitator of this workshop is a former TRM, who will provide insight and know-how to help technicians, technologists, technical team leaders and managers to engage in income generation.

Gain the skills needed to effectively support students around their mental health and wellbeing.

Student mental health and wellbeing has become a key concern that is being underpinned in many university strategies, enabling the organisation to create appropriate support and service structures. The technical workforce within universities and colleges have significant contact time with students, who often provide a great deal of pastoral care to the student body. At HEaTED regional networking meetings and other technical initiatives across the UK, technicians have highlighted the lack of guidance and understanding of mental health and wellbeing support.

This one day, interactive CPD session aims to increase confidence around having helpful, supportive conversations about mental health and wellbeing; and will be an opportunity for participants to learn and practice the skills needed to handle these conversations effectively.

The course will provide participants with the chance to discuss the sorts of ‘pastoral’ care conversations that they find most challenging and will focus on the key skills needed to provide the type of support that is appropriate within their role as a technician.

Objectives of the session include the following:

- clarify the roles and responsibilities of technicians in relation to the mental wellbeing of students.
- develop practical skills and helpful approaches to handling conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
- explore the ways that technicians can better support these type of conversations without overstepping the remit of their role.
- enable participants to identify what they can do to find out about the types of support available within their own institutions.

This session has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussion and individual reflection on their current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills within their work.

Prepare yourself for an ever-changing and fast-paced world. Our jobs or careers are ever-changing and so our abilities and skills should be changing alongside this. Companies and organisations can sometimes only have one or two roles, with hundreds of applicants applying. It is essential to put yourself in the best position possible to be successful in the job or career you are in now and allow you to progress or side-step into other roles.

This course has been designed using real life scenarios and current information and aims to allow you to prepare to put yourself in the best position in your current role or for future roles.

In the course we will focus on:

1.The Modern Professional Landscape
2.Enhancing Yourself
3.Utilising Your Transferable Skills
4.Goal Setting and Value Propositions
5.Case Studies
6.Your Roadmap

OUTCOMES

At the end of this session, you will be able to:
1. Recognise the current professional landscape
2. Understand your skills and utilise tips and models to
analyse your current position and improve future opportunities
3. Define what career goals are important to your aspirations

Explore theories of leadership and management alongside workplace experiences in this holistic and tailored learning experience.

This course has been designed to cover eight key topics, linking theories of leadership and management together with workplace experiences, thereby providing a more holistic approach to learning. Delivery is through the provision of informal active learning sessions, which are intended to develop personal and professional leadership and management skills to enhance planning and delivery of services. Discovery learning forms a large part of this programme and as such collaboration amongst participants to discuss core concepts and reflect on current practice is actively encouraged in order to create a more tailored learning experience. We will consider communication, motivation, delegation, team roles and theories of team development affecting the efficiency of teams.
Throughout the programme you will be expected to apply the concepts and techniques taught to work-related situations in order to enhance your learning.
The aim is to explore leadership and management concepts by linking theories with workplace practice. Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

-Leadership versus management
-Supporting and leading teams
-Developing yourself and others
-Chairing meetings -Change management
-Problem solving and decision making
-Creative leadership
-Project management

This course has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussions and, individual reflection on the current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills in their work.

Boost your communication skills, gain self-awareness, and discover effective techniques to enhance your influence in various situations.

Summary
As part of the session you will gain a greater awareness of your core style; your signature strengths and the areas that you may wish to flex in order to enhance your impact with others.

The session will also give you the opportunity to consider what you can do to open the door of communication with different styles and how you might flex and adapt your approach to collaborate more effectively with stakeholders whose style is different.

Outcomes
To understand different styles of influence and their merits, and when/how to vary the approach dependent upon the needs of your stakeholder or the situation.

To have a greater awareness of our style and the potential impact that we have on others.

To know how to flex and adapt our style to have a more positive impact on others.

Learn about microscope components, configurations and light paths.  Learn about resolution and magnification. Gain an overview of brightfield and its components. Find out about the Köhler illumination set-up alignment process. Receive an introduction to the phase contrast technique and phase contrast components.  Benefit from hands-on practice time with the microscope for brightfield and phase contrast.

Get a practical insight into project planning, and go from project initiation to building a project schedule.

This workshop is aimed at technicians involved in running small to medium sized projects in the workplace who have had little or no project management training. The workshop will focus on planning as the foundation for successful project management and participants will take away an accessible, flexible and scalable framework for planning projects.

The aim is to introduce the principles of project planning from initiation through to building a project schedule and provide an opportunity to apply them to a group project.

Objectives of the course include exploring the project:
-overview
-scope
-unknowns
-interactions
-breakdown
-control
-schedule

This course has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussions and individual reflection on the current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills in their day to day work practice.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

-recognise when a piece of work would benefit from a structured, planned approach
-work through the essential elements of a project plan and apply them to a simple fictional project

This programme is for technicians aspiring to supervisory / management roles. The programme will be designed to develop the skills that will help delegates to successfully make this transition and to be effective in their new roles.

Aims and Objectives
Transitioning from a technical role to a leadership role is one of the biggest, and most challenging leaps you can make in the workplace. Leadership requires a different set of behaviours and a different way of thinking, so it’s now your job to grow and evolve. 

This programme of workshops is targeted at individuals who are stepping into leadership roles for the first time.  Even for the most gifted individuals, the process of becoming a leader is a challenging, albeit rewarding, journey of continuous learning and self-development. The initial challenge along the path is so fundamental that we often overlook it: becoming a leader for the first time. 

This transition has become even more challenging since 2020 and the sudden shift to hybrid and virtual working. The development of trust-building and communications skills have become even more essential in this new working world.

This programme of workshops focuses on some of the key differences between being a team member / technician and leading a team.  It looks at the psychological transition and difference in focus and time allocation that new leaders often find most challenging.  The workshops are stimulating and aim to engage delegates in varied activities and discussions.

Gain the skills to effectively support an apprentice in a technical environment

This CPD is suitable for any technical and professional services staff who are planning to support, or are already supporting, an apprentice in the workplace as part of their role. The one day interactive CPD will focus on developing skills to identify opportunities for evidence collection in order to demonstrate competence against the apprenticeship framework through a practical and tailored approach to supporting an apprentice. The CPD will provide practical help and guidance for technicians in understanding the apprenticeship standard and their contribution in ensuring apprentices achieve successful outcomes.

The aim is to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to enhance the workplace experience and opportunities for demonstrating competence of the apprentice for whom they are responsible. Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

-Essential skills, attitudes, behaviour and understanding required to effectively support an apprentice
-Apprenticeship standard and key elements
-Identify opportunities for assessment and evidence collection
-Technician's role and contribution in supporting an apprentice

It has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussions, individual reflection on their current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills within their work.

Learn how to embed environmental sustainability in laboratories

The aim of this course –is to increase awareness of laboratory sustainability and provide tips, advice and solutions for effective practice. This course has been tailored to meet the needs of technical staff in HE. It has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from theory and practice, group discussions and individual reflection.

The objectives are to explore:

Sustainability in Science: Why is it relevant to climate change?
Laboratory Emissions Review: Assessing the balance between buildings, equipment, consumables, travel, and comparing to non-scientific sectors.
Hotspot areas such as:
Plastics and consumables
Equipment (including freezers)
Waste & recycling
Carbon impacts of research
Research quality
Water usage
Engagement: How to engage your peers and institution on sustainable labs
LEAF and Resources: What tools exist to help you on your journey?

By the end of this course, participants are expected to:

Identify how science impacts climate change
Describe the actions needed to reduce carbon emissions and costs of laboratories
Have improved sustainable purchasing understanding, so that participants may make more knowledgeable purchases of equipment and consumables (like plastics!)
Access sustainability programmes to support your efforts, like LEAF, and learn how to assess if a lab is sustainable
Improve their ability to communicate their successes in Sustainable Labs through case studies and credentials

Become equipped with the tools you need to teach, demonstrate and contribute effectively to the student experience.

Technical staff are increasingly taking on teaching and demonstrating roles. Whether it is one-on-one training on specific techniques or small group training and demonstrating, this course will equip you with the tools you need to perform this role and contribute effectively to the student experience. The course is recommended for technical staff with a role in training or teaching undergraduates, postgraduates, post-docs, new colleagues and apprentices. The content of the course has been designed to cover key topics, linking theories of teaching and learning together with workplace experiences, thereby providing a more holistic approach to learning. It is relevant to all academic disciplines and will promote personal and professional development, which is valuable to both you and your employer.

Delivery will be by informal active learning sessions (group activities/discussion), discovery learning and reflection on current practice. Discovery learning forms a large part of the programme and as such collaboration amongst participants to discuss core concepts and reflect on current practice is actively encouraged, to create a more tailored learning experience.

The programme is intended for those who are currently leading a technical team in their department, school, or faculty.

The purpose of this programme is to enable leaders of technical teams to develop their leadership knowledge, skills, and behaviours thereby enhancing their effectiveness in leading and contributing to strategic change initiatives.

Individuals will have an opportunity to enhance their understanding and practice of leadership whilst at the same time consider how they lead change within their teams, their department and across the University.

Increase your awareness, insight and know-how of technical services structures and restructuring in Higher Education

In the last decade we have witnessed centralisation and decentralisation (in common terms, the ‘make-up’ and ‘break-up’) of the organisational structure in Higher Education (HE) across the UK, mostly in the name of seeking operational efficiencies, cost savings, meeting the needs of the customer (i.e. students) and achieving growth in a highly competitive environment. Restructuring can occur in the face of unprecedented financial pressures and challenges; often in times of crises, with change in the upper echelon of management that result in reviews and a revised medium and long term strategic plan. Whilst these are regarded as ‘hard’ restructuring at universities, there are also ‘soft’ and ‘organic’ transformations taking place at the business and functional levels that are smaller in scale, cost, change and complexity. Both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ restructuring have been applied to academic, administrative and professional service functions, including in the technical services structure.

Most technical services restructuring aim to create a more agile and responsive structure, address historic issues of duplication and silo working, coupled with enabling staff with the opportunity to gain new skills, operate in matrix structures and career opportunities. And like all change projects, it comes with a range of pitfalls that need careful understanding, insight and navigation, to achieve the best possible outcomes. However, this can be a huge challenge and a source of stress for leaders and managers in the current climate, especially as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

For more information please visit https://heated.org.uk/hoc-028/

Transition into supervision and management with skills, knowledge and confidence

As a new or aspiring manager, the role of supervision and management can be both exciting and challenging. To succeed, you will need people management knowledge and skills, coupled with process management practical tools. This is the backdrop for designing and developing a tailored course to help technicians feel and become confident in stepping into supervision and management.

Throughout the programme participants will be expected to apply the concepts and techniques taught to work-related situations in order to enhance their learning for effective transition from a specialist to manager.

This two day course is delivered over 2 consecutive weeks by a highly experienced technical management practitioner with 30+ years of experience in higher education, both in Russell Group and post-92 universities.

The course has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from theory and practice, group discussions and individual reflection on their current practice. It will utilise formative assessments to increase learner knowledge, competency and confidence; enabling and empowering them to implement learnt skills in their work.

Discover how to support successful outreach activities in higher education

Outreach activities to schools, colleges and the general public is an essential activity of the university portfolio. It supports young people and parents in making informed decisions and enables student recruitment. Technicians are uniquely placed to provide outreach activities, as they are engaged in supporting teaching and learning, research and knowledge transfer activities. The aim is to explore how to conduct outreach sessions in schools and colleges.

Objectives of the course include exploring the following:

-Types of outreach activities
-How to plan an outreach programme
-How to get others involved in the organisation
-H&S considerations in outreach activities: engaging young people
-Communication skills and live public demonstrations

It has been designed to accommodate various learning styles and to allow participants to learn from group discussions, individual reflection on the current practice. The participants will be encouraged to implement learnt skills in their work.

Boost your time management skills to reduce stress and increase productivity

Aim: To equip participants with skills, techniques and knowledge, to better manage time and increase productivity at work.

Objectives are to explore:-

What time management means and how it differs between technical and management levels in the delivery of customer services.
Key elements and tools of good time management, and identifying both time-savers and time-stealers in the workplace.
Time management techniques: delegation, planning and prioritising tasks, managing expectations, negotiating alternatives and assertively saying ‘no’ when required, The 4 D’s of time management. All of this in relation to management of self, teams and projects.

Work with real life workplace scenarios to make the session as experiential as possible.

By the end of this course, participants are expected to be able to:

Identify time related factors, which reduce productivity in their job role
Apply time management techniques in the workspace
Recognise, reduce or remove time blockers
Apply time management skills to prioritise tasks and workload.

The aim of the course is to explore, and to assess the application of, the key interpersonal and practical elements that underpin effective technical training.

The objectives are to help the participants to:

plan and lead a coherent training session
develop a constructive and cooperative atmosphere that maximises participant input
deliver training events with increased confidence
create activities aimed at reinforcing learning.

The outcomes - participants are expected to be able to:

design and develop interactive training sessions
confidently deliver training activity
utilise new training capabilities
implement practical solutions to support hands-on training

Course Summary - This course is composed of 3 parts:

Pre-event activity- designed to provide a foundation for drawings on participants’ prior knowledge and ideas; to prepare participants’; also to give the TtTT trainer useful supporting information.

The event

Day 1 (full-day) - divided into coherent sessions, including interactive plenary and group exercises that builds on the interpersonal skills and the practical elements of technical training.

Day 2 (half-day) - final preparation and a short 10 minute presentation by participants, followed by trainer feedback

Post event learning in the workplace - opportunity to build on the feedback and practice in the workplace by (1) developing a workbook, to help build on the contact time learning.

By meeting the course outcomes participants will be able to implement effective skills in facilitating training and learning. This is a practical ‘learning by doing’ training programme. Participants will be using their expertise of techniques, facilities and tools for a short 10 minute training session they will be delivering.