What I do

I’m a School Technician at Carmel College Sixth Form. My job involves helping students set up their equipment for practical experiments in science lessons. When they carry out practical work in the lab, I gather the equipment and troubleshoot any problems. I guess I’m the gap between teachers teaching a lesson and students getting hands-on experience with practical experiments, which give them a better understanding of what they are learning. I also give health and safety advice to staff and students for all the chemicals and equipment we use.

How I became a technician

After finishing school at 18, I saw an opportunity to do an apprenticeship. It was busy – I was working while I studied for my BTEC in Applied Science and completed an NVQ in Laboratory Techniques and Associated Technical Activities. It took about a year, and then I went on to do my Level 3 apprenticeship, which took two years. Alongside that, I also did a Higher National Diploma in chemistry. I really enjoyed following the apprenticeship route and being able to learn as I went along.

A typical day in my
working life

I start at 8am and get the equipment for the first practical ready for 9am. We have five lessons throughout the day, so I prepare any upcoming practicals beforehand. We usually plan practicals a month in advance as there’s quite a lot to prepare.

There’s a whole range of experiments I help to prepare, such as standard titration (measuring the amount of a solution required to neutralise another solution), enthalpy of combustion (burning a substance and measuring the heat energy it gives off), enzyme concentration (calculating measurements between enzyme solutions and weight) and dissections of animals, organs or plants.

I also offer advice to staff – we have an open-door policy, where they come in and ask questions and we do the same.

Don't worry about the mistakes that you make, learn from them instead.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

Every day is different with new challenges to solve. I love interacting with students and seeing them learn from the practical work and get inspired by science. It’s amazing to see how much they progress over two years, I think that’s the biggest benefit of my job. We’re helping to build their knowledge and enable them to take their expertise out into the world!

The best bits about working in a team

It's great getting different views on things. When problem-solving, someone might look at it from a completely different angle. We understand each other’s views and meet in the middle to find a solution that works best. Plus, there's a great atmosphere - we care about each other professionally and personally.

The skills I use most

Manual handling and dexterity are the main ones. I do a lot of repairs on site, like fixing microscopes and equipment. Maths is also important. When you're making concentrations of acids, you need to know basic equations and calculations. Problem-solving is another big one - I might not have the answer to my questions straight away, so I’ll need to try a few different routes to find a solution to my problem.

My school days

For my GCSEs, I did triple science, IT, geography and French, along with the standard subjects like English and maths. Then for A levels, I chose dual applied science and dual applied ICT. When I was at school, I was a trained archery leader. I've been a trained archery leader for about 20 years now, so I can teach people how to do archery. I was also just a typical teenager who loved socialising
and playing snooker with friends.

My favourite piece of equipment

I love a burette, which is a graduated glass tube with a tap at one end. I've spent many years using a burette for titration and will never get bored of it. My second favourite is probably a centrifuge, which is a device which applies a centrifugal, rotating force to separate fluids, gases or liquids.

What I like to do in my spare time

My partner loves walking, so we do a lot of hiking and nature trails. The Lake District is right on our doorstep, so we can easily go there. My family are also massive rugby league fans, so I often go to games with my dad.

The advice I’d give to someone younger

Don't worry about the mistakes that you make, learn from them instead. I think a lot of people, especially when younger and just starting a role, can be harsh on themselves and let mistakes get them down. Everybody makes mistakes. One of the hardest things I’m trying to learn is to just take a step back and think about how to solve the problem. It's all part of the learning experience, especially when you're being trained in a new role.

A gloved hand dipping a test tube into water

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