Training & CPD for Higher Education Professionals
My four flagship ‘one day’ 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:
- Describe the purpose, structure, and strategic importance of the NSS and other student experience surveys (e.g., PTES, internal pulse surveys);
- Access and interpret NSS data, including trends over time and comparison across providers;
- Identify how technician contributions are reflected across key question areas including teaching, organisation, and access to learning resources;
- Use student feedback (quantitative and qualitative) to develop and prioritise improvement actions within their own work areas and those of academia;
- Understand how NSS-related performance can support appraisals, CPD planning, professional recognition, and business cases.
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, consultion, 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 course introduces attendees to the ITDEM model of action research (Identify, Think, Do, Evaluate, Modify) and supports them to apply it to their own professional context. Participants will reflect on their current practice, explore opportunities for meaningful, small-scale change, and develop the confidence to design, implement, evaluate and share their own intervention. The course promotes 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:
- 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:
- Reflect on their own professional context to identify an area of practice for meaningful improvement;
- Use the ITDEM 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.
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 the NSS, TEF, Graduate Outcomes, 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;
- 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.