Technically Speaking: 

Investigating technicians' experiences during the Covid-19 crisis

With Kelly Vere MBE in the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Louise Mullany and Dr Victoria Howard have been researching the impact of the current Covid-19 crisis on the technical community in UK universities and research institutes. This EPSRC-funded investigation as part of the  University of Nottingham's STEMM-CHANGE project, focuses on investigating issues of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) during the pandemic.

The Technically Speaking project has analysed narratives of personal and vicarious experience from members of the technical community in UK universities and research institutes to examine in-depth the effects of Covid-19 in STEMM workplaces. It has investigated a range of EDI issues, both long-standing and newly-emerging, that have been laid bare by the pandemic.

The project foregrounds technicians' voices, in their own words, by capturing and analysing their experiences verbatim, to work towards a fairer workplace as part of Covid-19 recovery strategies. The project report, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: UK Technicians’ Experiences During the Covid-19 Pandemic identifies barriers to equal participation experienced by members of the technical community, as well as drawing attention to good practice, including recommendations for the future. 

The Report highlights major changes to working practices brought about and/or accelerated by the pandemic, including transformations in how teams communicate and the impact of increased flexible working. It also identifies new barriers that have emerged and the exacerbation of existing challenges in relation to mental health, gender discrimination, parenting and disabilities.

Read the Report