Training & CPD for Higher Education Professionals
My six flagship training programmes have been crafted to equip attendees with the skillsets, mindsets, confidence and approaches to reflect upon and continually advance their contribution to learning and teaching experiences.
Technicians and the National Student Survey (NSS)
This course explores the role of technicians in influencing National Student Survey (NSS) outcomes. Participants will learn how NSS data is used within institutions and externally, access and interpret quantitative and qualitative results, and identify how their own actions and environments impact student perceptions, experiences, and outcomes. The session will promote a proactive approach to student experience, emphasising responsibility, communication, and evidence-informed enhancement.
Who is it for:
- Technicians at all levels and career stages, from early-career to senior practitioners
- Technical managers and team leaders seeking to support and develop their staff
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the purpose, structure, and importance of the NSS and related surveys;
- Access, interpret, and compare NSS data across providers and over time;
- Map technician contributions to NSS question areas, including teaching, organisation, and resources;
- Use quantitative and qualitative feedback to prioritise and implement improvement actions;
- Apply NSS insights to professional development, appraisal, and institutional impact.
AI for Technicians: CustomGPTs for Technical Teaching and Operations (ChatGPT)
AI is now part of the everyday toolset in higher education. The sector is understandably focused on policy, academic integrity, ethics, sustainability, and workforce impact. But technicians are practical people working in specialist contexts and high-level policy only becomes meaningful when it translates into useful tools at the point of need.
This half-day course is designed to do exactly that. It centres technicians as educators and as operational leaders in practice-based environments, using the ‘Enable / Support / Deliver’ framework to translate AI from abstract debate into tangible benefit for workshop, studio and laboratory contexts.
The core practical outcome is confidence and capability in using ChatGPT (OpenAI) to create and train personalised GPTs that reflect your unique local reality, trained on your spaces, kit, workflows, SOPs, induction content, risk assessments, and geared to the support your students need. While we use ChatGPT as the model in this course, the principles (augmentation not automation; local context; guardrails) are applicable to other AI tools.
Who is it for:
- Technicians at all levels (early career to senior) working in workshops, studios, labs, learning spaces, and specialist technical services.
- Technical managers and team leaders who want to build team capability, consistency, and efficiency.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the Enable / Support / Deliver framework as a practical lens for AI adoption in technical work in higher education.
- Identify high-impact, low-risk use cases where ChatGPT can improve quality, efficiency and consistency without eroding judgement, safety, or craft.
- Build and test a personalised GPT in ChatGPT, trained on approved local resources and tailored to their technical context.
- Apply a simple set of guardrails covering privacy, safety and quality assurance for day-to-day use.
- Create a short personal action plan for adoption and/or for contributing to institutional AI strategy from a technician perspective.
Level Up Your Pedagogy: Teaching Excellence for Technicians
This engaging and reflective course supports technicians to recognise, benchmark, and develop their pedagogies using a unique and empirically derived conceptual framework. Participants will explore a broad spectrum of techniques and approaches, ranging from basic demonstration, instruction, consultation, collaboration and transformation. The course builds language, confidence, and strategies empowering participants to develop their teaching practices, align their practice with institutional goals, and evidence their contribution to student learning.
Who is it for:
- Technicians at all levels and career stages, from early-career to senior practitioners
- Technical managers and team leaders seeking to support and develop their staff
- Academic colleagues who collaborate with technicians in teaching and learning
- Professional services staff involved in quality assurance, enhancement, or staff development
- Anyone interested in understanding and strengthening the pedagogical role of technicians in higher education.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Critically evaluate a range of pedagogical theories and approaches, and articulate how they apply to the unique context of technical teaching and learning;
- Select and adapt appropriate teaching strategies, from demonstration and instruction, to consultation, collaboration and transformation, based on learner needs and disciplinary context, and curricula;
- Design and facilitate personalised learning experiences by asking purposeful questions, encouraging reflection, and building independent student engagement, exploration and autonomy;
- Reflect on and transform their teaching approaches by moving beyond content delivery to student-centred learning;
- Apply quality assurance and enhancement principles to their own practice, demonstrating their contribution to student learning outcomes.
Change One Thing: Introduction to Action Research for Technicians
This practical one-day course introduces technicians and professional staff to action research and reflective practice, equipping them with tools to improve their work and evidence their impact.
The course presents a real-world authentic case study and uses it to introduce attendees to the ITDEMS model of action research (Identify, Think, Do, Evaluate, Modify, and Share) before guiding them to apply it to their own professional context. Participants will reflect on their current practice in relation to learning, teaching and research, explore opportunities for meaningful, small-scale change, and develop the confidence to design, implement, evaluate and share their own intervention. The course facilitates a culture of curiosity, reflection, and continuous improvement, equipping participants with a structured, empowering approach to professional development and educational enhancement.
Who is it for:
- Technical staff
- Library and learning support staff
- AV/IT and digital learning teams
- Early career academic-related professionals
- Anyone curious about educational research in universities but unsure where to start.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Reflect on their own professional context to identify an area of practice for meaningful improvement;
- Use the ITDEMS model to structure and undertake a small-scale, practice-based intervention;
- Gather evidence and evaluate the effectiveness of their change;
- Articulate the rationale, process, and impact of their intervention with clarity and confidence;
- Recognise how reflective practice contributes to professional growth, student outcomes, and positive educational culture.
AdvanceHE Fellowship for Technicians
Technicians play a vital role in higher education, yet their teaching, support, and leadership contributions often go under-recognised. Gaining AdvanceHE Fellowship provides a powerful platform for professional recognition, evidencing impact, and enhancing career progression.
This practical, supportive course guides technicians through the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), helping them to map their experience to the relevant descriptors and identify evidence of their teaching and learning impact. Participants will explore case studies of successful technical Fellowship applications, learn how to frame and articulate their work in pedagogical terms, and begin drafting their own claim.
By demystifying the process, building confidence, and fostering peer support, the course empowers technicians to pursue AFHEA, FHEA, or SFHEA as part of their professional development journey.
Who is it for:
- Technicians at all career stages seeking AdvanceHE Fellowship.
- Technical managers supporting staff development.
- Learning and Teaching or OD teams looking to embed technician recognition in CPD pathways.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understand the structure, purpose, and institutional value of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) and AdvanceHE Fellowship;
- Identify and evidence their own contributions to student learning, teaching support, and curriculum enhancement;
- Articulate technical teaching and support activities in the language of pedagogy and the PSF dimensions;
- Begin drafting a Fellowship claim (AFHEA, FHEA, or SFHEA) with clarity and confidence;
- Recognise how Fellowship contributes to institutional KPIs, Technician Commitment, and career progression pathways.
Techs for Execs: Understanding the Strategic Value of Technicians in Higher Education
Technicians are often described as invisible within HE, enabling research, delivering teaching, ensuring compliance, and driving innovation. Yet, their potential remains under-leveraged at a strategic level. This half-day course is designed specifically for senior leaders and decision-makers in higher education who want to better understand the contribution technicians make to institutional success.
Drawing on sector policy, pedagogical research, real case studies, and award-winning practice, this session shines a light on the technician workforce and their potential to contribute to delivering institutional KPIs including student recruitment and retention, NSS, TEF, GOS, KEF, REF, and sustainability targets. Participants will leave with new insights into how to unlock value from their technical workforce through investment, leadership, and alignment, positioning their institutions to thrive in an increasingly competitive and metrics-driven environment.
Who is it for:
- Vice-Chancellors and Deputy Vice-Chancellors
- PVCs (Education, Research, Innovation, or Global)
- Directors of Technical Services, Estates, HR, Strategy, and Planning
- Heads of Faculty/Executive Deans
- Governors and Executive Board members
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Recognise the critical role of technicians in delivering institutional KPIs, including NSS, TEF, KEF, REF, and Graduate Outcomes;
- Identify common blind spots in strategic planning, investment, and people management that risk under-utilising the technical workforce;
- Critically evaluate their institution’s current approach to technician engagement, Technician Commitment, leadership, and progression/promotion pathways;
- Connect technician activities to teaching excellence, research intensity, student satisfaction, commercialisation, and enterprise;
- Plan for better inclusion of technicians in strategic initiatives, institutional action plans, and workforce development frameworks;
- Champion policies and practices that enhance visibility, value, and sustainability of technical expertise within their institution.
Bespoke Institutional CPD Packages
I also offer bespoke packages, written in partnership with clients in support of institutional need, for example:
- Workforce development programmes for technical and professional services
- Teaching and learning capability programmes for technicians who teach
- Reflective practice frameworks to support TEF, NSS, and staff engagement goals
- AdvanceHE Fellowship preparation workshops and mentoring for non-traditional educator pathways (AFHEA, FHEA, SFHEA and PFHEA).
If your institution is looking to embed professional and technical scholarship, build CPD/career pathways, or enhance pedagogical capability across teams, I can co-design a programme aligned to your strategic goals.
- Questions or ready to book? Reach out via the contact form below.