Design and technology technician in schools

A design and technology (D&T) technician runs the practical side of a school’s D&T department. You prepare materials, set up and maintain workshop machinery, help pupils make their projects and keep the workshop safe. Depending on the school, the job may also cover food preparation and nutrition rooms or textiles. Posts are support staff jobs on the NJC pay spine and are usually term-time only.

The workshop and what you look after

Secondary D&T workshops have a mix of hand tools and powered machines: pillar drills, bandsaws, scroll saws, sanders, lathes in some schools, and increasingly laser cutters, 3D printers and vinyl cutters. The technician keeps them working, sets them up for lessons, changes blades and bits, and carries out the routine checks and maintenance records each machine needs.

Day to day you will also:

• cut and prepare materials so a class can start straight away
• order timber, plastics, metals and consumables within the department budget
• make up kits and prototypes for teachers
• help pupils in practical lessons, particularly with machines they are not allowed to use alone
• support GCSE and A level coursework, which can mean long hours on the laser cutter in spring

Exam coursework (the non-examined assessment) brings the busiest weeks. Students need the workshop at lunchtimes and after school, and the technician is often the person keeping it open.

Safety

Workshop machinery can cause serious injuries, and the technician is often the person who knows the machines best. Schools follow health and safety law and usually draw on CLEAPSS guidance (SSERC in Scotland) for model risk assessments, guarding, dust extraction and which machines pupils may use. Technicians help keep risk assessments current, check that guards and emergency stops work, and make sure dust extraction is running.

You also handle hazardous materials: adhesives, solvents, finishes and the fumes from laser cutting. Personal protective equipment, safe storage and clear rules for pupils are part of the routine. If you are asked to use or maintain equipment you have not been trained on, say so; health and safety rights explains what your employer has to provide.

Food rooms bring their own rules on hygiene and allergens, and a technician who covers food will usually need a food hygiene certificate.

Skills and background

D&T technicians come from joinery, engineering, model-making, product design, manufacturing, theatre set building and plenty of other trades. Employers look for practical skill with tools and materials, a safety-first approach and the patience to work with young people who are learning. Confidence with CAD files and digital fabrication equipment is increasingly expected.

Formal qualifications differ between schools. Many adverts ask for GCSEs in English and maths and a relevant Level 3 qualification or trade experience. Schools often pay for machine-specific and safety training after you start. You will need an enhanced DBS check with the children’s barred list and references, as for any school job.

Pay

Maintained schools and most academies pay D&T technicians on the NJC pay spine. For 2026/27 the spine runs from £25,614 at SCP 3 to £56,293 at SCP 43 for a full-time, all-year post. The point depends on the job evaluation and whether the post includes supervising other staff or covering several subject areas. The NJC pay spine guide lists every point.

Most technician posts are term-time only, so the actual salary is lower than the full-time figure on the spine. The term-time-only pay guide explains the NJC calculation, and the take-home pay calculator shows the monthly figure after tax, National Insurance and pension.

Support staff normally join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Contributions are based on your actual pay. In 2026/27 the main section charges 5.8 per cent on pay from £18,401 to £29,000 and 6.5 per cent from £29,001 to £47,300. There is also a 50/50 section, where you pay half the contribution and build up half the pension, which some part-time staff use for a while when money is tight.

Check the hours carefully. Many D&T technician posts are part-time, for example mornings only or four days a week, which reduces the salary again. Some schools add paid days before the start of term to set up workshops and check machines. If you are asked to stay late for coursework sessions, check whether the time is paid as extra hours or given back.

A typical week through the year

The autumn term is mostly Key Stage 3 projects, with lots of repetitive preparation: cutting the same parts for several classes, setting up batches on the laser cutter and making sure there is enough stock. In spring the focus moves to GCSE and A level coursework, with students needing individual help to make one-off pieces, often in materials that need more preparation. The summer term brings exam moderation, end-of-year displays and the clear-out and maintenance work that cannot be done while classes are running.

Moving on

Experienced technicians can become senior technicians or faculty technicians covering D&T, art and science. Some train as teachers. Design and technology is one of the subjects with a training bursary in England: £20,000 for trainees starting in 2026/27. Teacher training bursaries sets out who qualifies. If you prefer the lab to the workshop, the science technician role uses a similar set of skills around preparation, stock and safety.