Staff Development Opportunities

To aid academic colleagues who do not have extensive HE teaching experience, we invest in colleagues to achieve either a Level 7 Apprenticeship in Academic Practice or an experiential route to Fellowship of AdvanceHE, within the first two years of employment. Maintaining a high-quality learning and teaching environment is key to our student offering, and so we make provision for the completion of the Apprenticeship alongside teaching which enables accelerated transfer of learning from the apprenticeship for our students.

The role of Early Career Academic (ECA) was created to attract outstanding, research-active individuals with the ambition to develop a career in academia. Therefore this role is for those at the start of their research career who show the potential to be rising stars in their field of research. Our ECAs join the university on a one-year contract during which they are provided with an intensive development programme and research mentoring from one of our senior Professors. The programme allows them to develop as independent researchers and to build their teaching capabilities, providing them with a robust set of skills and placing them in a strong position to secure a permanent role as a rounded academic member of staff. Post-programme, successful ECAs have continued to enjoy supported development. More information about Careers in Research can be found on our dedicated webpage.

Academic staff at the University who join us as Lecturers would normally aspire to, and be expected to, progress to Senior Lecturers. By engaging in the range of development opportunities open to academic staff, which includes the Fellowship route of AdavancedHE, and experience that builds a broader and more rounded academic profile, lecturers who then reach the 'career gateway' threshold are then in a positive place to progress into the Senior Lecturer grade.

Additionally, Lecturers can also progress to Senior Lecturers at any time provided they apply for and are successful in being appointed to an available and advertised Senior Lecturer position. 

To ensure individuals receive recognition for their contributions and the milestones they achieve in their careers, our colleagues have the opportunity to apply for Associate Professor, Professor and Professorial Progression promotions. We recognise the significance of offering academic progression through the three pathways of learning & teaching, research, and professional practice. This process also ensures the University continues to improve in teaching and learning while building on our growth across research, knowledge exchange and regional engagement in an environment that is entrepreneurial and future focussed.

We support our staff in developing their skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and contribute to the University’s success. The University invests time and resources in staff pursuing research that aligns with our future goals, which includes 80% funding for PhD accreditation where a clear business case is made.

We recognise early talent and offer Apprenticeships from Level 2 through to level 7 professional awards. We believe in supporting people to reach their aspirations at whatever point they are in their career and having a range of levels helps people grow and reach their potential.

We recruit recent graduates into entry-level specialist roles in areas such as our Digital Services and Solutions, Finance, External Relations and People Experience and Culture teams every year, as many of our degrees are geared towards providing graduates with real-world skills that employers want. We have well-established development pathways to ensure those who join us early on in their career have options for progression. We have a Graduate Programme geared towards future leaders in professional functions, with a 2-year rotational programme to run alongside direct entry routes. We know our own graduates are among the best to be found anywhere, and as you'd expect from a University, our focus is on developing our own talent from within.

Each academic year the University provides a programme of learning opportunities for staff members to access. Offered as a blend of on-line, face-to-face and virtual learning, we offer topics aligned to key skill sets that enable individual, team and organisational success. This is complemented by the LinkedIn Learning library of courses, which means individuals can continue to development different skills and knowledge each year.

Leadership and management skills and approaches are key to us delivering success. We therefore have leadership and management competencies which guide leaders on expectations, and this is complemented by a Central Programme of Development, programmes of learning such as our flagship 'Derby Leader Programme' for all those in leadership graded roles, and bite-size cappuccino sessions, to ensure all leaders and managers are continually engaging in CPD.

For those aspiring to Leadership, we recognise that routes to leadership vary depending on the individual, so we offer a range of leadership development programmes.

To increase diversity and success we participate in the Aurora leadership development initiative for women delivered by AdvanceHE. Women looking to move into leadership can apply for a place which allows them to mix with colleagues from other Universities in the region by engaging in workshops, action learning sets and mentoring, resulting in them building networks and learning from one another. We also have a vibrant alumni that offers a range of continuous development activities to complement and sustain their growth.

Aspire is designed to meet the needs of colleagues aspiring to leadership from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. It consists of blended workshops, invited speakers, mentoring and self-directed learning within the context of addressing additional barriers individuals may have encountered. We run this programme alongside Diversifying Leadership, as this programme is focused on those in the early stages of their careers who will benefit from support for career growth and mobility into team leadership.

We participate in the Diversifying leadership programme, designed for staff from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds who are about to take their first steps into a leadership role. Delegates will benefit from a range of online modules and face-to-face workshops featuring Leadership Insight speakers from the HE sector. They will be in a cohort with people from other Universities in the region, bringing opportunity to network and learn from one another. We offer alumni a range of continuous development activities to complement and sustain their growth.

Building coaching and mentoring skills allow colleagues, whether in a leadership, management or core roles, to support others to achieve success. As such we offer coaching and mentoring skills for staff groups so that they have the skill set, understanding, confidence and networks to offer support. We are also building our community of coaches and mentors institutionally so that staff can benefit from one-to-one support to realise their goals. We also offer internal mentorship for academics new to the role and wishing to progress their academic career.

We are proud to have a comprehensive Apprenticeship offering at Levels 2 - 7 for all staff ranging from skills and professional apprenticeships such as Cyber Security, Accountancy and Tax through to Leadership Apprenticeships such as Team Leading and Senior Leader Apprenticeships which offer an option to top-up to an MBA. We believe in 'growing our own' and supporting the development needs of all staff to ensure they are fully equipped with relevant skills, knowledge and behaviours for current and future roles within the institution.

All staff members working for the University have free access to LinkedIn Learning, an online learning platform offering in excess of 21,000 expert-let courses.

'MyLearning', our internal e-learning platform, provides all staff members with quick and easy access to a variety of bespoke online e-learning courses covering mandatory learning, management topics and optional courses.