Education technician

Education technicians support science, art, IT and design and technology teachers by preparing equipment and materials for practical lessons.

• Starter salary£23,000 a year
• Experienced£32,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 42 a week

What you'll do

As an education technician, you could:

• speak with tutors about the resources needed for practical lessons
• set up and check equipment for lessons and demonstrations
• make sure rooms and experiments meet health and safety rules
• support teachers and students during lessons
• dispose of hazardous materials in line with safety standards
• manage equipment stores and stock levels
• service and maintain equipment and teaching aids
• help to set up equipment and demonstrations for open days, science clubs and conferences

Working environment

You could work at a university, at a college or at a school.

Your working environment may be physically demanding.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
• analytical thinking skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
• maths skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a education technician

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• applying directly

College

You could do a college course to improve your chances of finding a trainee technician position.

Courses include:

• chemistry, biology or physics
• applied science
• creative media production
• computer science
• T Level in Science

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, for example with a university, college or the NHS.

These include:

• Education Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Laboratory Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Audiovisual Technician Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships take around 2 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Work

If you're already working as a trainee or assistant technician, your employer may give you the opportunity to do training in:

• laboratory and technical activities (education science)
• laboratory technical skills
• health and safety

Training may also include Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) , if you work with chemicals.

Direct application

You can apply directly for education technician jobs if you've got the right skills and experience.

Employers will expect you to have GCSEs 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent qualifications, in English, maths and usually at least one science subject.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a senior education technician, laboratory researcher or audio visual technician.

You could also train to be a secondary school teacher, or tutor in further and higher education.

Career tips

Education technicians are often employed term-time only. A working week can vary from a few hours up to full time.

Advertised pay rates may be listed as full-time equivalent (FTE). Actual pay will depend on the number of hours worked.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join The Association for Science Education or Higher Education and Technician Educational Development for professional development and training opportunities.

Guides for this industry

• Education & Teaching: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleLaboratory technician
• Job roleAudio visual technician
• Job roleIT support technician
• Job roleTeaching assistant

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