A new University of Kent initiative is helping students build practical, workplace-ready skills while giving technical professionals opportunities to share their expertise, get involved in recruitment processes and develop their supervisory practice.
The Student Technician Volunteer Programme has completed its pilot in Forensics/Chemistry and Computing, bringing students into technical teams to gain hands-on experience supporting teaching and research.
The response was strong: 46 students applied, split evenly between the two areas. Eight applicants from each area reached interview, and six students were appointed: four in Forensics/Chemistry and two in Computing.
Volunteers work alongside technical professionals, with training and supervision. They can develop practical and technical skills, learn safe working practices, and build confidence in communicating with students and staff. Their progress is recorded against a technical skills/competencies framework, giving them concrete experience and achievements to draw on in future applications.
For one third-year student, that experience made a clear difference when applying for work:
“The volunteer technician programme gave me the edge during my application and interview as it helped to show practical lab experience beyond undergrad lab sessions. I could demonstrate that I could work to ISO 17025 standards. It also demonstrated lab experience in a professional capacity and helped show that I could be trusted to carry out tasks under minimum supervision. It also helped show I can follow health and safety standards and anti-contamination procedures. All of this experience helped give me the edge over other applicants who may have just graduated.”
The programme also treats recruitment as a learning opportunity. Interviews give applicants a chance to practise a real-world selection process, and constructive feedback helps them identify strengths and areas to develop. One unsuccessful applicant wrote:
“While I am disappointed to hear that I will not be moving forward on this occasion, I am incredibly grateful for the time you took to share such constructive observations. It is rare to receive such actionable insights … Thank you again for the opportunity to interview and for the positive environment you created during the process.”
Technical professionals benefit too. Involvement in the recruitment process and supervising volunteers gives staff the opportunity to share specialist knowledge, support someone’s progress, and reflect on how they train and guide others. The programme recognises that technical expertise is central to teaching, research and the student experience, while creating space for staff to develop their own professional practice.
Thank you to Diana Suciu and the Forensics/Chemistry teams and to Keith Greenhow (Computing) for running the pilot programme and shaping it for future technical teams to get involved in. Following the pilot, the programme will be rolled out to wider technical professional teams across Technical Services for the 2026–2027 academic year, extending the opportunity to more students and teams across the University.