The IOP’s Technician Commitment Action Plan

What is the Technician Commitment?

The Technician Commitment is a university and research institution initiative, led by a steering board of sector bodies, hosted by the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy (UK ITSS).

Why is it important to technicians?

The Commitment aims to ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.

Why we’ve updated the plan

In June 2019, the IOP celebrated becoming the first official supporter of the Technician Commitment outside of the higher education sector and published its action plan.

The Commitment allows the IOP to demonstrate a set of values that recognise the important part technicians play in the workforce. The action plan outlines how we meet those values through visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability.

As a supporter, we are required to refresh this action plan every three years and the 2026 version is now available to download.

The action plan

Technician Commitment Action Plan 2026-2029

Download the action plan now (PDF, 362KB)

Technicians, including those with a physics background, play a vital role in our society and work in virtually every sector and industry. Technical pathways prepare individuals for skilled employment in occupations that require both a substantial body of technical knowledge and a set of practical skills valued by industry.

Find out more about the work we are doing to help technicians.

If you have any queries, please contact [email protected].