Technology & Innovation - Issue 11

Jamie Sloan looks at how students can be made more aware of the vital differences technicians are making across all areas of society T he vital role that technicians play in society can often be hidden, despite us relying on them every day to keep our modern world working. Technicians often work behind the scenes – behind a camera, in the laboratory or somewhere out in nature. Power network technicians keep our lights on. Hospital lab technicians test medical samples to aid diagnoses. Arts venue technicians enable artists to stage live shows and gigs – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s estimated that there are over 1.5 million technicians currently working in the UK (see bit. ly/TI24-T1) across many different sectors, in roles that most of us have never even thought about because they’re so often unseen. An urgent challenge In November 2022, the Science Museum opened Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery – a free, interactive gallery designed to introduce 11- to 16-year- olds to the vast, varied and often hidden world of technicians. This STEM careers gallery was made possible by generous funding from the Gatsby Foundation, and was developed in consultation with local young people using the principles of the Science Capital approach, as well as the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Careers Education. The result is a gallery bursting with hands-on exhibits, bold displays and stories from people working in technical roles. It’s a dynamic and engaging space, which serves to educate young people about technical careers, and inspire them to consider pursuing a technical career themselves. It’s estimated that the UK needs over 800,000 additional technicians and apprentices to meet the needs of the technology economy (see bit.ly/TI24-T2 ), and yet there’s currently a shortage of people working in technical roles. This presents an urgent challenge for the country, but also an incredible opportunity for those young people currently considering their future career options. Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery at the Science Museum aims to shine a light on the work technicians do and celebrate this unseen workforce. It invites young people into the world of technical careers, empowering them to explore job opportunities they might not have previously been aware of, and familiarising themwith the skills these roles will require. Based on prior consultations with young people, the gallery aims to address those topics and issues that young people actually care about. After a visit to gallery, we hope that young people will recognise and value the impact that technicians have had on our world, and see how they too could become a technician, via a number of different career paths. Challenging stereotypes The Technicians gallery highlights technical careers across four key areas – energy networks , advanced manufacturing , creative industries and healthcare . Within each area, young people will get to discover a variety of technical jobs, learn about the people performing the roles in question and explore the skills required in such roles, by trying their hand at a range of interactive challenges. These include learning how to operate a robotic arm, Let’s hear it for... THETECHNICIANS making lifesaving medicine and re-enacting the role of a lighting technician on the set of Marvel’s Black Panther . Students can also take part in an interactive careers quiz to find out what technical roles their existing skills and interests might lend themselves to. More than a hundred job roles are featured in the quiz, presented alongside useful details such as starting salaries, entry requirements and job availability. If young people are to successfully imagine themselves working in a technical role, then it’s vital that they have opportunities to meet people already doing those jobs. Students can do this at the Science Museum’s free, 60-minute Careers Uncovered sessions, where they will have the chance to meet and connect directly with professionals working in technical roles. During Careers Uncovered events, the Science Museum partners with organisations working within the STEM sector. Representatives of these organisations are invited into the gallery to deliver hands-on activities that showcase their work, and speak with young people about what it’s like working in a technical role. Meeting Gatsby Benchmark 5, Careers Uncovered presents an opportunity for young people to ask questions, discover their own skills and explore how they might be applied in a technical role. So far, the “It inspiredme to thinkyou can doanything in life.Nomatter where you come from,you can dowhat youwant todo – not what peoplewant you todo” – Y10 STUDENT 14 teachwire.net