The Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership is a pioneering national programme designed to elevate and advance opportunities for women, who are current or aspiring leaders in technical roles.
This years cohort of 198 technicians from 54 higher education and research institutions concluded their 6 months of training with an in-person celebration event, held at the East Midlands Conference Centre at the University of Nottingham. I was lucky to be a part of the programme this year as an alumni of the 2023 cohort. It was a privilege to be invited to be a part of the welcome event discussion panel, alongside some truly inspiring women. We offered our insight and experience of being on the programme, how the programme has impacted us and provided this years cohort with ‘top tips’ and advice on how to get the most out of the programme.
I had the amazing opportunity to further support the Herschel Programme by co-facilitating the Culture & Context module alongside Emily Thorpe (Technical Training Manager at MI TALENT) and Dr. Lindsay Davies (ITSS Learning and Development Manager). Fiona Robertson (Senior Technician from the University of Lincoln) and myself supported on the module throughout this years programme as #HerschelLeaders alumni. We were thrilled to be invited to the in-person event to share in the celebrations with this years cohort.
To date, over 700 technical colleagues have completed the six-month programme and form the #HerschelLeaders alumni. This programme is truly inspiring and empowering and I encourage technical colleagues to sign up for next years cohort when applications open in September 2024. You can read more about the Herschel Programme here.
You can also read the UK Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy’s (ITSS) news item about the Herschel Programme here.
