The Cross Institution Mentoring Scheme for Technical Professionals (CIMS-T) has successfully matched 106 technical professionals in its latest intake, marking another milestone for the first technician-led initiative of its kind.
Applications were received from across the technical community, spanning creative arts, engineering, biosciences, sport and exercise science and more. Following a summer of careful matching, 58 technicians have now been paired with experienced mentors, offering tailored guidance and specialist support.
We asked the technicians at the outset what they most wanted to gain from the scheme, this year’s mentees described goals ranging from confidence in a new role to a clearer sense of where their careers might go next.
Begum Canan Yildiz Aras, Deputy Technical Services Facilities Manager at the University of Warwick, said:
“The most important thing I would like to gain from this mentoring scheme is a clearer understanding of my strengths and how to build on them effectively. Rather than trying to achieve many goals at once, I want to focus on one key area at a time with the support and guidance of an experienced mentor.”
Others are looking beyond their current institution altogether. Alice Burns, Research Assistant at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said:
“As I have recently started my first job within a research institute, I want to gain a clearer picture of the career paths and opportunities that exist within the wider industry, drawing on my mentor’s own experience and perspective from working in a different research environment.”
The benefits run in both directions. Qi Zheng, Technical Specialist at the University of Kent, mentored in last year’s cohort and reflected on the experience in the scheme’s evaluation:
“Being a mentor has been really rewarding. It gave me a chance to reflect on my own skills, improve how I communicate and guide others, and understand how someone else approaches learning and problem-solving. Seeing my mentee make progress and put our discussions into practice was especially satisfying and helped reinforce my own knowledge and growth.”
The UK-wide initiative was established following a successful pilot in 2024, led by three technicians from across the Midlands. (Pictured above , starting from left to right) Lisa Bedder, Lead Teaching Technician at the University of Leicester, has been instrumental in shaping the scheme alongside Trevor Hardy from the University of Birmingham and co-lead Dorothea Mangels.
CIMS-T is supported by the UK ITSS, underscoring its commitment to professional development, collaboration and recognition for technicians ensuring the scheme benefits individual participants while advancing its wider sector goals.