School technicians support and assist staff and students by preparing materials and equipment and are involved in practical aspects of lessons. Typically, a school technician will specialise in a certain subject area such as science, IT, or DT.

Ultimately, your role is to support but what the role involves will depend on the specialism you choose. Below we will talk you through the three most popular technician roles and what is involved in each of them.

Science technician

A science technician is responsible for preparing practical equipment, providing technical support to teachers, and ensuring the health and safety of the labs and prep rooms. They may work alone or as part of a team depending on the size of the school. Some of the tasks expected to be completed by a science technician include:

• Maintaining the condition of the equipment and resources

• Preparing and setting up equipment 

• Setting up experiments 

• Giving technical support to students

• Supporting the teacher with practical classes 

• Follow and ensure that health and safety standards at all time

Design and technology technicians 

As a DT technician, your role will be to support the school’s DT department. Depending on the size of the department it may include food, textiles, 3D design and wood/metalwork. You’ll work as part of a team with teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff and play a crucial role in supporting and improvement of students’ learning experience. 

• Preparing equipment and materials for DT lessons

• Supporting the teacher with practical lessons 

• Advising students on their work and the correct way to use machinery 

• Maintaining the equipment and tools in the workshop and classroom

• Controlling stock levels and ordering new equipment

IT technician 

The role of an IT technician is to look after school networks, install, order and maintain software and hardware and provide technical support to teachers and pupils. As an IT technician, you’ll either work by yourself or as part of a team subject to the size of the school. The day-to-day work of an IT technician usually involves:

• Maintaining the school's network

• Installing new software and upgrading existing applications

• Providing technical support for students and teachers

• Ensuring internet systems are safe 

• Training students and teachers on how to use different systems and software 

• Maintaining and developing the school’s website 

To become a school technician, there are a few different routes that you can take. You can do a university course, a college course or an apprenticeship. However, the type of qualification and experience that you will need is decided by the school and local authorities so it may vary from school to school. In most cases, in addition to your qualification and relevant job experience, you’ll also need experience working with children too.

If you would like to find out more about the technician roles we have available, our support services team would be happy to help. Take a look at our latest technician jobs or send your CV now.