University of Bristol, CSci case study
As part of our CSci campaign we spoke to our Employer Champion University of Bristol to gain their insight on why Chartered Scientists make good employees.
What is the value, to your organisation, of having those in your employment who hold Chartered Scientist status?
CSci status demonstrates a level of professionalism in our technical community that has equivalence with both academic and professional services colleagues, that was previously not available to technicians. Chartered status helps us gain the respect for our skills and knowledge and contributions in carrying out our work with others, both internally and externally to the organisation. The status also demonstrates our organisations commitment to CPD.
In what ways has Chartered Scientist status supported the professional development of your workforce?
As well as being a vehicle for critical for those with CSci status to maintain a focus on CPD, having CSci status provides an example to aspiring technical staff at all levels to achieve professional recognition themselves. We aim to lead by example and to encourage others to achieve accredited professional status themselves.
What visibility has CSci status provided those employees who hold this designation?
CSci status is held by some of our most senior technical staff, visible in signatures, correspondence and through individuals extolling the virtues of professional registration through case studies, videos and at technical staff development events. Professional registration is mapped to our career framework and in our job descriptions, with CSci mapping to the most senior technical levels as a desirable characteristic.
What do successful registrants say?
Our primary benefits include the use of the letters, implying a level of professionalism and in the requirement to maintain a broad and deep level of continuing professional development.
How have you encouraged your staff to become Chartered Scientists?
We have included professional registration in our technical career framework and all of our technical job descriptions as a desirable level indicator of competence. We have promoted the benefits of professional registration at our technical staff conferences and through communications and in our long standing Employer Champion Status. We also encourage our apprentices to seek professional registration and start the journey towards maybe one day becoming a CSci.
How do you see the future of professional registration, such as CSci, at your organisation growing?
We anticipate professional registration becoming the norm as great numbers of early career technical staff seek accreditation and seek to advance through the levels as their careers progress. The visibility of status of technical staff in the HE sector continues to grow, as do the expectations of technicians to be professionally recognised for their capabilities.