I am pleased to announce that the University of Exeter, Technical Services Conference 2017 will take place on 6 July 2017 at our St Luke's campus in Exeter.  There will be delegate tickets available to other HEIs and sponsorship opportunities for the event. Spread the word!

Following receipt of my MIScT Diploma of Membership I though I would write a post about how I found the process.

Finding the membership application process and documentation was really straightforward.  I navigated to the IST membership webpages, where I found everything I needed to apply.

I downloaded the word version of the membership application form so that I could work on it at my PC (this avoided anyone trying to read my handwritten hieroglyphs...).  

The application form was clearly set up to collect:

• Personal details: Name, Date of Birth, Address etc.
  
• Details of present post.
  
• Previous employment history.
  
• Qualifications.
  
• Courses and other relevant Details. I utilised the data held in our HR training record, and other training events to help populate this section.
  
• Referee.
  

It may be more appropriate for Mechanical Engineers to become members, and subsequently professionally registered with, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

I have tried to sum up the application process and make applying for membership as easy as I possibly can.

Professional registration gives you:

• The chance to benchmark your skills against a global standard.
  
• Recognition of your experience and better career prospects.
  
• Transferability of your skills to other roles or organisations.
  
• Improved job satisfaction and ongoing development.
  
• Other membership benefits can be found here.
  

• CEng 
  
• IEng 
  
• EngTech 
  
• Affiliate.  Apprentices can apply for affiliate membership FREE.  (click on the blue "apply for apprentice membership" button near the bottom of the page at the link)
  

• Get support from 2 sponsors.
  
• Submit your application by applying online Links at the bottom of the following guidance pages.
  
• Professional review interview.  The interviewers will focus on your most recent and relevant experience. They will make their judgements based solely on the information provided on your application and your performance during the interview.  The interview will take approximately 45 minutes.
  

Hi everyone, 

The next TechNet event at the University of Sheffield is coming up:

Health and Safety
Friday 14th October, 12.30 - 1.45
Council Room, Firth Court

We will have a talk from the Head of Health and Safety at the UoS and then table discussions and questions. 

With drinks, cake and time for networking.

Find out more and sign up here

See you there 

A big thank you to Andrew Kent (Plymouth) for volunteering to take the role as the HEaTED SW regional coordinator, and for organising the first of many HEaTED SW Steering Groups.  

It was great to meet Fred Hale (Bristol), Rod Taite (Falmouth), and Richard Wood (Plymouth), to discuss how we can promote HEaTED within our organisations.  

We are now looking at arranging a FREE HEaTED networking event in 2017.  Keep an eye out for HEaTED SW posts with further updates.

Hi everyone,

There will be a free coach from Sheffield to the IST Conference in Manchester on the 15th of September. 
 
The  coach will be going from the University of Sheffield to the Manchester Conference Centre and will be returning to Sheffield at the end of the day. 

The coach will be leaving from Durham Road at 7.45am on the 15th of September and will pick up at 16.15 outside the Manchester Conference Centre. 
 
To book a place on the coach, please contact Natalie Kennerley on n.j.kennerley@sheffield.ac.uk.
 
Places are available to both those who have already booked a place at the conference and those who have yet to do so. 
 
Please be aware places are limited, so book your place soon. 

For more information on the IST Conference or to book your place go to http://istonline.org.uk/ist-technical-conference-2016/

Hi everyone,

Has anyone seen the new campaign Gatsby have launched recently to raise awareness of technicians and promote technical careers?

"The multi-channel campaign aims to raise awareness and perceptions of the role technicians play in driving the UK economy, and encourage and educate young people with a talent for STEM subjects, their teachers and parents, to consider the benefits of a career as a technician. The stars of this campaign are the technicians themselves – we want to put them in the spotlight. Over the next two years we will be creating a series of ‘technician stories’, that we can use as a basis to promote and celebrate the skills and achievements of technicians across the UK."

You can visit their website:
 Technicians Make It Happen

You can follow the campaign on twitter: @technicians_mih  #techniciansmakeithappen

And then they have a few things coming up that we can get involved in:

Join their thunderclap - a mass simultaneous social media post to promote the campaign, going out on the 15th of August:
Sign up here

A 'technicians make it happen' photo competition - with prizes:
"Look around you and find something that technicians will have helped to make. Be creative - we're talking about almost anything you use in your daily life, from your face wash to your trainers. Next snap it - take a picture of it with 'Technicians Make it Happen' somewhere in the pic - it can be a sticker, post-it note, chalkboard - whatever you fancy. Finally, post it on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using #techniciansmakeithappen.

A winner will be announced every month on social media who will receive £25 Amazon vouchers. An overall winner will win a cash prize and career mentorship in 2017."

For more info and how to get involved visit the Thunderclap link above and click on updates. 


What do people think of the campaign so far?

Hi,  Does anyone have an Astell AVS360 autoclave?
Would be interested in your opinion on them.

Thanks

Hi everyone, 

The next TechNet event at the University of Sheffield is coming up:

Teaching, training and recognition
Tuesday 19th July 12.30 - 1.45

Come along to find out about training courses from HEaTED and how to get recognised for your teaching with the Higher Education Academy. 

With drinks, cake and time for networking.

Find out more and sign up here

See you there

Is anyone else struggling to Log out? Since the website has updated I cannot log out, even after weeks I reload the site and I am still logged in. I am using a mac which never helps matters but as this is a shared computer other users won't be able to log in