Celebrating Technicians

Technicians: The David Sainsbury Galleryis a permanent, interactive exhibition at the Science Museum, London, which gives young people aged 11-16 the chance to step into an interactive world of technician and STEM careers and take a look behind the scenes, to explore a variety of different technician roles.  

Visitors can try hands-on exhibits that bring to life a wide variety of workplaces, from a blockbuster film set to a pharmaceutical lab, allowing them to experience the hidden yet vital careers of technicians.

Industry leaders such as Marvel Studios, the NHS, National Grid, and the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, worked with Gatsby and the Science Museum to create innovative, interactive exhibits true to the tasks technicians do every day, so visitors can unearth their own skills and find out how they could make a real difference as a technician. 

There is also the opportunity for schools to bring Key Stage 3 and 4 students to ‘Careers Uncovered’ sessions, where students can meet a real technician and experience what it’s like to do their job through hands-on activities and Q&A sessions, finding out what they do, what their role involves and why they love being a technician.

Technicians: We Make the Differencehave collaborated with BBC Bitesize and we are now an official partner of the annual BBC Bitesize Careers Tour. The four-month tour visits 150 secondary schools across the country, running careers sessions for 11–16-year-olds, which feature a panel of people from the local area, talking about their careers. Topics covered include qualifications, career progression, advice on work experience and key technical skills needed for the workplace.

Technicians from our campaign are invited to join the careers panels and talk about their role and their technical education route into it, and the technician films, careers quiz and free school resources on our website are also featured in the tour.

As an extension to the Technicians: We Make the Difference campaign, Gatsby collaborates with schools to inspire young people in Key Stage 3 and 4 about the wide range of aspirational, attainable technician roles they can explore, following a T-level, Apprenticeship or Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ).

We are an exhibitor and sponsor of the Big Bang Fair, the UK’s largest STEM event, held annually in June at the NEC in Birmingham. The three-day event, attended by secondary school groups, brings together some of the country’s biggest employers, showcasing STEM activities and providing a unique opportunity for young people to learn about technician and STEM careers from the people doing them, such as the technicians who join us on our stand. We also exhibit at and sponsor the Schools’ Day at New Scientist Live, held annually in October at Excel in London, with interactive career exhibits and demonstrations from real technicians.

We collaborate with STEM Learning to deliver Technician STEM Clubs in schools, drawing inspiration from the Technicians: We Make the Difference website and Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery at the Science Museum. The clubs engage students in career-focused activities, with students learning about a variety of technician roles and carrying out tasks and practical activities imitating elements of real technician tasks.

Teachers can also access free lesson plans, posters and materials to help deliver technician career lessons and activities in their school, helping them to work towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance, and they can also visit Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery at the Science Museum to add further value, with a chance for students to use the interactive exhibits and take part in Careers Uncovered sessions, delivered by real technicians.