Emma, who is based at Queen's Marine Lab in Portaferry, recently completed the course, which is run by MI Talent and is open to technical staff from any discipline in a research institution or higher-education setting. She was the only person from the School of Biological Sciences on the programme but was joined by five other staff members from across Queen's (pictured, right).

Aimed at addressing the lack of women in technical, senior-leadership positions, the programme is named after Caroline Herschel, an early ‘technician’ at the turn of the 19th century who paved the way for women to play key roles in scientific endeavours.

Reflecting on the six-month programme which was mostly carried out online with an in-person event in Birmingham at the end, Emma said it was a "great opportunity" that she would highly recommend to other colleagues in the School and wider University.

She said: "The programme really helps you to focus some time on you and your career development, recognise and adapt to different management skills, and connect with like-minded women in a similar field across the UK.

"My big 'takeaway' has been that we all face very similar problems despite working in a variety of different roles, and that we can employ a range of tactics to help manage our day-to-day workload. The whole experience really helps to build your confidence and I would recommend it for technicians at any level, not just aspiring managers."

Although many of the participants on the programme worked in science laboratories, the course is not restricted to science positions and open to women in technical positions from any background including the arts, eg. a sound lab.

Those working in a technical role in Queen's who would be interested in partaking in an upcoming course should keep an eye on the Technicians at Queen's | Queen's University Belfast (qub.ac.uk) web pages, where details of any future opportunities will be posted.