Australia's Science Forum

Woow! What a great idea! A site like this is brilliant!

I have one suggestion though! We have fought for years to be recognised as Technicians! How about calling this "The Website for School Lab Technicians" Just a thought worth considering.

We have been known in Tassie as laboratory technicians for at least 29 years. I know this from personal experience. We still sometimes have to remind our fellow education workers of our correct title. State school lab techs, through our Tasmanian Association of Laboratory Technicians, are currently investigating the possibility of changing this to laboratory manager as we see this as a title more descriptive of our job. The main problem with this will be that most position descriptions with this title state supervision of staff as a criterion for selection and most school here only have one technician. However at my school my AST3 (HOD) and Principal insist that I be known as lab manager so I suppose this is a small step in the right directions.

Thanks for that Mandy, I couldn't have put it better!

In SA, school laboratory personnel are called Laboratory Managers.
We have a Laboratory Managers Association of SA (LMASA) with approximately 100 members, similar to this website , where people can email any queries, news, information etc.
I think this website(chemtalk) is a good idea for communicating on a national level.

I'm all for the title of laboratory manager. Don't we supervise the teachers sometimes??
I believe there are laboratory managers in South Australia so how did they get round the problem?

In SA, school laboratory personnel are called Laboratory Managers. We have a Laboratory Managers Association of SA (LMASA) with approximately 100 members with an email system for any queries, news, etc.
I think this website is a good idea for communicating on a National level!

A National site is a great idea, especially now just before the national science conference.
I'm a Laboratory Manager (SSO3 level) myself, but only this year, last year I was a Laboratory Officer because I was a SSO2 at a different school, so there's yet another name. I wonder what they're called in other similar countries, like USA or Canada?

This is a great idea!. I'v e been a lab assistant since 1970 and still loving it. I'm looking forward to logging on regularly. [/img]

i agree we should be called laboratory technicians or managers. I was in NZ recently and their title is 'Science Technician'. something to think about

Hi

I've been through the University and Commonwealth research organisation over 20 plus years, then into private industry then back to a school situtation for the last 3 years, and been known by all these names. But the difference in the title was first if you were formally trained or not then the years of service and work done (complexity) which was acknowledge. A Lab Attendant -looked after animals, an assistant was in training, a technician was trained or was so good that they were given it on promotion, then senior technical officer and a manager had a team under them or supervised in some way. I got to the top level in the commonwealth of a Senior Technical Officer (STO) 4, which was the highest then. After that was Experimental Officer.

Having said that, I believe that the Title Technician or Manager are both acceptable in the school environment.

I like the NZ title, "Science Technician". It is more of an encompassing title than "lab technician". The problem with the word 'lab' is that computer rooms, at least at this school, are called 'labs'...and "lab bookings" by the staff are for computer rooms, not for science labs.... I think it would be unlikely to get called a "Science Manager", as it sounds like a head of department! (you may feel that you are this from the amount of running around you do!).

I also like the Commonwealth system mentioned in another posting, Attendant, Assistants, Technicians, Senior Technicians (or Senior Technical Officers), Managers - which does include supervising staff, in terms of a graded recognition of progress in training and experience.
Regards,
Miriam

Hadn't given it much thought, until I read this post. My work colleagues have always referred to me as the Lab Manager, even though I do not have extensive training in the area, and I am relatively new in the field.(two years) I,too, refer to myself as the Lab Manager, because that's what I do. Manage the Labs!!!
Nice to see a few new South Aussies, and others, have joined the site. Welcome to all, and I hope you get as much out of this site as I do.
Cheers,
Lisa

I'm a Lab Technician in my school, but if the teachers need anything in a hurry, then they have to call me "Excellent Kristin".

Cheers, K

Hi Guys
Thought you may be interested to know.. I came back to work this year and was issued with a new badge... I am no longer Lab Assistant, I am now Support Services.
No mention of lab or science or anything.
I had been calling myself either Lab Tech or Lab Manager( never did like the tag of Lab Asst)

So there we go!

Hello,

my title just changed from lab tech to science tech, although I still call myself the lab manager

Has the rate of pay changed?????????????

Yes it did , but so did my work load, I now have to do some extra curricular teaching and stuff...

Just for that I gave you extra Karma. Can you feel it???