By signing the Technician Commitment, the university joins a global community of more than 140 organisations improving visibility, recognition, career development and long-term sustainability of technical professionals in higher education, research and innovation.
Murdoch University has around 140–150 staff performing technical roles across teaching, research, and specialist facilities. This includes a technical services workforce of approximately 90 technicians, alongside research technicians and research assistants who contribute specialist expertise aligned to particular research programmes and facilities.
Together, this highly skilled and diverse workforce supports large teaching programmes, specialist facilities and internationally recognised research and professional practice across STEM and Environmental and Life Sciences, Health, Education and Media Arts.
Their work spans laboratory-based teaching, applied and field-based learning, specialist research facilities and clinical and professional practice environments, ensuring that students and researchers are supported by safe, well run and technically sophisticated spaces.
Louise Pallant, Technical Services Manager from Murdoch’s College of Environmental and Life Sciences said:
As Murdoch University continues to invest in its campus and facilities, technicians are playing a growing role in shaping environments for the future. Their technical expertise informs the design of contemporary, flexible, and sustainable spaces that enable new ways of teaching, learning, and research, and ensure infrastructure continues to meet the needs of future generations of students and staff.
The Technician Commitment is a pledge made by organisations to implement a long-term action plan to enhance technical careers and development opportunities to build a skilled and sustainable workforce.
Technician Commitment Programme Director Kelly Vere MBE said:
We warmly welcome Murdoch University to the Technician Commitment community as our fifth Australian signatory. Murdoch University's technicians are recognised for their adaptability, technical excellence and strong commitment to safety, quality, and student support. They are essential partners in delivering high-quality learning and teaching, enabling research impact and sustaining the university’s research and teaching infrastructure. The increased interest we've had from the international community is testament to the positive changes the Technician Commitment has had on shaping the technical workforce in higher education and research. By welcoming international supporters to our global community, we can learn and share best practice on developing career pathways, training and development and building a sustainable technical talent pipeline to meet research needs. We look forward to driving increased visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technical skills, roles and careers with Murdoch University.
The Technician Commitment community has welcomed nine international signatories and two international supporters in the last three years. The growing global community creates valuable opportunities to share expertise, good practice and experiences from institutions overseas.
The Technician Commitment has now grown to a global community of more than 140 organisations championing technicians and their contributions to higher education and research since its inception in 2017. The initiative is hosted by the UK Institute of Technical Skills & Strategy.
