A pioneering apprenticeship programme for aspiring laboratory research technicians has won the Education and Training Award at the UK Pharma Industry Awards.
The programme at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is being delivered in partnership with Tiro, the science technology apprenticeship training provider.
The apprenticeship scheme has been developed and delivered as part of a national initiative to strengthen and promote career development for scientific research technicians – made possible by a £1m grant from Wellcome that was awarded to The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in September 2023.
The funding, which followed a competitive grant application, aims to address challenges for the sector in the recruitment, development and retention of technicians; increase diversity by promoting technician apprenticeships to groups underrepresented in research careers; and improve the recognition of the technician career path throughout academia.
Developing the technician career pathway
Alongside the now award-winning apprenticeship scheme, the funding is allowing the ICR to:
- Build a new multi-institutional tailored technician development programme for mid-career professionals. This programme, called Ignite, focuses on building collaborative skills, sharing technical expertise and increasing the personal impact of our technical professionals. It will also provide them with an opportunity to network with like-minded colleagues across the ICR and with our external partners, The Francis Crick Institute, UCL and King’s College London. It is open to technicians at Scientific Officer and Higher Scientific Officer (or equivalent level) at the ICR or with our external partners.
- Deliver a leadership development programme for senior technicians and core research facilities managers. The ICR is collaborating with external partners to develop a modular programme that will build core leadership skills including customer service excellence, commercial awareness, grant application writing, marketing, managing people, creating an inclusive culture, and peer mentoring.
Collaborating with the wider sector
Together with the ICR, The Francis Crick Institute, UCL and King’s College London plan to share any resources with the wider sector by working closely with Research Institute Technician Group members and the UK Institute of Technical Skills and Strategy (ITSS), the new home of the Technician Commitment, of which the ICR is a founding signatory.
The original funding bid from the ICR was supported by peer organisations including the ITSS, members of the Research Institute Technician and Leadership Development Network – including The Francis Crick Institute and The Royal Society of Chemistry.
The ICR is collaborating with these organisations and others across the sector to champion technician career development and ensure that insights, outcomes and resources are widely shared, so that we maximise the impact of the funding from Wellcome.
Getting brilliant people from diverse backgrounds into research
Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
“We’re honoured our new apprenticeship programme, working with Tiro, has been given this award. Technicians make a significant and highly valued contribution to the ICR’s world-leading research to defeat cancer. We are fully committed to ensuring that their work is recognised, and that technicians are supported to achieve their full potential.
“This success has been made possible by the major grant from Wellcome that we secured last year – we were delighted to receive it so we could build a national initiative around technician development. The grant is already helping us to recruit and nurture brilliant people from diverse backgrounds and share what we learn with other research institutes and higher education institutions, so we can continue to build a positive research culture and benefit technicians at the ICR and beyond.”
Charlotte Blant, Chief Executive and founder of Tiro, said:
“We are thrilled to win the Pharma Education and Training Award at the 2024 Pharma Industry Awards with The Institute of Cancer Research for our outstanding delivery of Laboratory Science Technician Apprenticeships. This recognition celebrates our commitment to developing skilled professionals who are driving innovation and excellence in the pharmaceutical and research sectors.”
Dr Aline Tabib-Salazar, Technician Career Pathways Programme Manager at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in the first year of funding and it’s extremely encouraging that the apprenticeship programme we’ve developed with Tiro has been recognised with this prestigious award. But there’s much more to do – it will be a busy year as we look to build on the success we’ve had so far and crucially, help grow the programme into an established national initiative.”