This year's Technicians' Festival will take place from Tuesday, 09 July, to Thursday, 11 July 2024. Please see our programme of workshops, conferences, and facility tours below and follow the links to book.
Technicians’ Conference, exhibition and tours
Tuesday 9 July, 09:00 – 16:15, Blackett Laboratory, South Kensington
Join technical colleagues from across Imperial for this year's full-day conference. We will focus on Sustainability, Innovation, Career Development and Reward and Recognition.
We have a fantastic line-up of internal and external speakers, including a keynote speech from the Provost, Professor Ian Walmsley FRS.
The conference will be live-streamed for colleagues who can't join in person.
Register to receive the live stream link
Places are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Wednesday 10 July, 11:30 – 13:30, Main Entrance, South Kensington, drop-in event
This year's Technicians' Exhibition is an opportunity to discover career development opportunities, network with technical colleagues, and meet the Technician Commitment project team.
Exhibitors include the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Engineering Council, HEaTED, the Science Council, People & Organisational Development, including the Safety and Wellbeing teams, the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Centre, and Student Services.
This is a drop-in event open to all.
There will be refreshments and freebies, so come along and find out more!
Workshops and Invention Room Tours
On 10 and 11 July, technicians will participate in a series of bite-size career development workshops and a guided tour of the invention rooms (makerspace, interaction zone, and hackspace).
bitesize career development workshops
How to make yourself transferable
Wednesday 10 July 2024, 11:00 – 12:00, South Kensington
Book your place - Places are limited; advance booking is required
This course has been designed using real-life scenarios and current information and aims to allow you to prepare to put yourself in the best position in your current or future roles.
In the course we will focus on:
- The Modern Professional Landscape
- Enhancing Yourself
- Utilising Your Transferable Skills
- Goal Setting and Value Propositions
- Case Studies
- Your Roadmap
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Recognise the current professional landscape
- Understand your skills and utilise tips and models to analyse your current position and improve future opportunities
- Define what career goals are important to your aspirations
Who is it for?
This is for any member of technical staff who wants a change, either to prepare for a jump to a new organisation or, most importantly, to make themselves a better version of themselves at their institutions.
It is for all disciplines and levels, mainly for technical grade staff.
It can be for managers and soon-to-be managers.
About the trainer
Delivered by JP Ashton-Kinlin. JP is a company director and consultant with experience working in higher education and industry (various science, health and sports grounds safety), starting his technical career at the University of Sheffield. After several sidesteps, JP now works in multiple disciplines and supports the work of many organisations, such as IST, HEaTED and sporting grounds.
Career Development for Technical Staff
Thursday 11 July 2024, 10:00 – 12:00, South Kensington
Book your place - Places are limited; advance booking is required
This highly interactive session is aimed at helping technical staff begin to explore their career development based on self-awareness of strengths and skills and openness to the opportunities available to them.
We will introduce the SOAR model of career development and encourage participants to take a positive and proactive approach to career planning. We will focus on self-awareness and how this can lead to more effective opportunity awareness.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Define what career and success mean to them based on personal experience, values and aspirations
- describe 4 stages of career development and planning using the SOAR model
- recognise the importance of self-awareness in career planning
- reflect on the impact of self-awareness on their career plan
This workshop is suitable for all at any stage of their career.
About the trainer
Helen Charlwood is a Senior Lecturer at Hertfordshire Business School, leading employability and leadership development modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Before joining the Business School, Helen was a member of the University of Hertfordshire HR Learning and Development team, working with staff across the University and facilitating various development workshops, including career and professional development for Technical Staff.
She is a facilitator for HEaTED, leading courses on Teaching and Learning skills, Project Planning and Career Development.
Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS): Enhancing Efficiency and Sustainability in Buildings
Thursday 11 July 2024, 14:00 – 15:30, South Kensington
Book your place - Places are limited; advance booking is required
Join us for an insightful exploration into the transformative power of Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) in the realm of sustainable building practices. In this event, we will delve into how BMS technology revolutionises building (HVAC) operations by enhancing energy efficiency, reducing costs, and fostering overall sustainability.
We will share practical insights and success stories, demonstrating the tangible benefits that BEMS implementation brings to diverse building environments.
Whether you're a building owner, facility manager, engineer, or sustainability enthusiast, this event offers valuable knowledge and inspiration for driving positive change in the built environment. Don't miss this opportunity to discover how BEMS can lead us towards a greener and more efficient future.
Key areas/learning objectives:
- Understanding BMS Fundamentals
- Components of BEMS Systems
- BEMS Contribution to Energy Efficiency Enhancement
- Examining Real-Life Successful Case Studies
The target audience for this workshop includes building managers, facility managers, engineers, M&E maintenance personnel, sustainability professionals, and anyone interested in learning about Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) and their role in enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings.
About the trainer:
Bulent Varol joined Imperial in 2019 as a BEMS Engineer, where his primary responsibilities involved overseeing the maintenance contract for Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS).
This included managing reactive and planned maintenance tasks to ensure the smooth operation of building management and energy systems.
Bulent focused on optimising system performance and maximising energy efficiency to contribute to sustainable building practices. With a commitment to delivering high-quality service, Bulent strives to ensure the effective functionality of building systems to meet the needs of Imperial and its stakeholders.
Wednesday 10 July - 11.30, 12.30 and 14.00
Thursday 11 July - 11.30, 12.30 and 14.00
Presentation on the facilities and equipment available to staff and students at the Advanced Hackspace workshops and labs in White City
Book your place - Places are limited; advance booking is required
Note. You can attend one session only. Each session is for 30 minutes.
The Advanced Hackspace is Imperial's accessible prototyping space available to all Imperial members.
The space offers advanced fabrication equipment spread over three workshops and labs, allowing all staff and students to learn new skills across disciplines, from biology to mechanical engineering.
The Hackspace is one of the only spaces on campus offering diverse training and skill development opportunities.
This presentation will focus on how the Hackspace can benefit Imperial technical support staff, focusing on how the facilities can be accessed for training and progression, how the space can be utilised in addition to departmental resources, and the support Hackspace offers for improving sustainability.
There is also the opportunity to help support teaching and student society events.
Key areas:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Understand the support and facilities at the Advanced Hackspace
- Understand how Advanced Hackspace can be used for skill development and progression
- Understand how the Advanced Hackspace supports sustainability at Imperial
- Understand how to get involved with teaching and societal support
Open to all members of Imperial with a focus on technical staff.
About the trainer:
David is one of the team of Hack Fellows who run the Advanced Hackspace workshops. Originally from a research background in the biological sciences, David joined the Hackspace in 2017 coinciding with the opening of the White City workshops.
He now teaches and trains staff and students in all aspects of engineering, from mechanical to biological. He is particularly interested in supporting multidisciplinary research and development, focusing on engineering in medical contexts.