Research

Science technicians in the workforce: supporting their development needs

This report, carried out by CFE through a programme of market research assessed the views of individuals and employers on professional development and identity, as well as perceptions of professional body membership and registration.

The findings give further impetus to the need for the science community to fully embrace technicians as an integral and valued part of its workforce, as well as shedding new light on the shaping of membership services that are tailored to the specific needs of technicians.

This research has also proven invaluable in informing the development of robust standards for registration that will both challenge individuals and meet the changing needs of employers and the economy. The value of maintaining and developing competencies and keeping up to date come through strongly from employers and employees alike, and are reflected in the standards themselves.

The current and future UK science workforce

In developing the business case for professional registration in science, the NRAG agreed that it needed to know more about the scope and nature of the science workforce in the UK. The research, conducted on behalf of the Science Council by TBR, demonstrates that the qualification profile of the science workforce as a whole lends itself well to three separate professional registers, while also providing many new insights into the demographics of the current and future workforce.

Please follow this link to the TBR research