Technician Commitment Signatory Event

UWS Co-lead for the Technician Commitment, Marie Anne Pringle, attended our first signatory event for this initiative in Belfast on 14th May 2025. 

This event saw attendance from the majority of the 135 signatory institutions and HEI’s and was a fabulous day for networking and discussions on what matters most within our technical communities. 

There were sector updates from the Technician Commitment founder and lead, Dr Kelly Vere, providing the latest guidance on assessment of Action plans and the peer review process. 

Queens University, Belfast, who hosted the event this year, presented a fantastic update on the progress they have made so far with their Technician Commitment journey, reflecting how they can continue to move forwards in this ever changing HEI sector. 

Duncan Shermer, Head of REF Evaluation and Development, was there to provide some great new insights into REF2029 and highlighted the key developments for REF 2029.  In particular the People, Culture and Environment (PCE) indicators and pilot projects will enable the assessment criteria to change. 

Career pathways for technical staff were in discussions and talks from Sarah Allen (Technical Careers Pathways Lead) from the Insitute for Technical Skills and Strategies (ITSS) which will shape the future visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability of our technical workforces. 

Read more about the event at Queen's University News section