South West and Wales Hub Focus On... workshops - building sustainability (SWW)

• What issues do staff who support researchers need information on?
• What are hot topics right now?
• What skills would they like to develop?
• Why not ask them?

This has been the approach taken by the SWW Hub and the result has been a series of ‘Focus On..' workshops which have been running since 2008. These targeted workshops

deliver information and training to meet regional needs and provide vital support to our network.

Through these events, participants are able to:

• access high quality training
• take away information which can improve or enhance their researcher development programme
• cascade this information with their colleagues
• share approaches and practice
• use the new skills gained to make a difference at their own HEI.

Topics are identified by staff from the region's 18 HEIs, approved by the Steering Group, and the Hub Manager identifies trainers and facilitators and manages the events. Topics covered to date include:

• Evaluation
• Enterprise
• Influencing skills
• Action Learning
• Marketing tips and techniques
• Collaboration
• Internationalisation

The ‘Focus On..' events regularly attract between 20-30 participants and feedback has been positive:

"This course is essential for anyone marketing their programmes of training and events. Excellent advice and tools that can be put into practice straight away"

"Valuable lessons learnt, and a great opportunity to discuss such matters with staff from other HEIs"

Other examples of Hub activities for the professional development of researcher developers

Vitae South West and Wales Hub