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#TECHOGNITION: Recognition for school technicians

Support staff Trade unions
#TECHOGNITION returns on March 10 when the hard work of school technicians will be recognised and celebrated. Joanna Parry explains and introduces a new quality mark for schools


Schools and colleges have always needed technicians. In the first half of the 20th century, volunteers would be relied on to assist with washing-up in science and cutting materials in woodwork. As recognition of the importance of technicians started to grow, schools and colleges started to employ paid staff to carry out this work, initially on very low pay.

These roles have developed significantly over time into the technical workforce that is now an essential part of every secondary school.

Technicians are still doing the washing-up in science, but they are also now balancing departmental budgets, developing practical work, and training teachers how to use equipment.

In design and technology, they are still cutting materials, but now with CNC lathes and laser cutters. They are using professional CAD software to operate 3D printers and overseeing state-of-the-art workshops.

And this is not to mention technicians in other areas such as ICT, music, food technology, drama, and art whose roles are worlds apart from those of previous generations.

These technical roles have evolved immensely over decades but the pay and perception of these roles in most cases has not.

UNISON has been working with Preproom – a national support organisation for science technicians – to increase the profile of technicians in schools.

A few years ago, Preproom conducted a survey which showed the extent of the issues facing technicians in schools. Almost every metric produced worrying results – a lack of pay, an ageing workforce (many of whom have now retired and have not been replaced), a lack of CPD, and the most prominent observation – a distinct lack of recognition of the role by school leaders.

Only 6% of technicians surveyed said that they felt their school leaders fully understood what the technician role entailed. This is still very much the opinion of most technicians and is a common conversation in technician forums and network groups.

To highlight this lack of recognition, in 2018 Preproom, alongside UNISON, developed #TECHOGNITION – a national one-day event to celebrate the work of school and college technicians and showcase their vast range of skills and the variety of tasks that these jobs entail.

#TECHOGNITION returns this year on Friday, March 10.

Over the last five years, hundreds of schools have come on board and senior leaders’ understanding of the importance of technicians has improved. We would love for your school to promote the event this year and ask your technicians to take part.

Each year during the event, several thousand photos appear on social media showing technicians undertaking a multitude of daily duties from the mundane to the spectacular. These all are publicly showcased in the hope that school leaders take notice and regularly engage with technicians on a professional level.

And #TECHOGNITION has spawned a new Quality Mark for schools and colleges too. Technical Champions assesses how well technicians are supported in the workplace. It celebrates those schools which support their technicians well and offers long-term support and feedback to those who need assistance. The project is both simple in design and affordable so that every school and college in the UK can benefit from applying.

As the technician landscape continues to evolve, involvement in these kind of projects really can help senior leaders to keep a finger on the pulse and understand how their technicians fit into the wider school picture.

With the current support staff recruitment crisis in schools, an increase in practical work and with school budgets stretched more than ever, supporting and retaining technicians has never been more important.

As Ofsted itself has said recently in its Finding the Optimum report (2023): “In schools where technicians were valued staff, supported with appropriate training and CPD, practical work was more likely to be high-quality, well-resourced and meaningful.”

Your technicians are no longer “helpers”, but dedicated, knowledgeable, professional experts in their field. They deserve your support and recognition.


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