The CHEAD Technical Leadership Programme 2025-26

The CHEAD Technical Leadership Programme is designed to help you grow your leadership skills, connect with others in similar roles, and build your confidence to influence change across your institution. 

 Who it is for

 The programme is for technical colleagues in art, design, creative media and related disciplines in higher education who may be seeking to further develop their knowledge and skills to progress to senior technical roles, as well as recently appointed Technical Managers.  

What you will learn

You’ll take part in practical workshops, group discussions, and mentoring to help you: 

• Build your confidence – understand your own leadership style and how to present your ideas. 

• Understand what makes a leader – what leadership means and which skills and qualities are needed for leadership in technical settings. 

• Build strong relationships – how to manage different stakeholders and influence upwards 

• Overcome institutional barriers – how to navigate institutional systems and overcome structural challenges to make change happen. 

Programme details

The programme is delivered in three, in-person sessions over the course of a year and includes a mix of speaker presentations, discussions and small group activities. It is a safe space where you can bring issues and challenges for discussion within the group and you will identify a challenge to work on throughout the programme. 

What you’ll gain 

• Real insights from across the sector 
  Hear directly from leaders in art, design, creative media and related disciplines in higher education who share their experiences and lessons learned. 

• A peer support network 
  Connect with others on the programme and build a lasting network you can turn to for advice and encouragement. 

• Personal mentoring 
  Receive one-to-one support throughout the programme to help you grow your confidence and tackle your own leadership challenges. 
• A leadership toolkit 
  A set of tools, insights and connections to support your growth as a leader – at whatever stage you are in your career. 

Programme dates 

Session 1 (2 days) October 2025, London (University of Westminster)

Session 2 (1 day) February 2026, Midlands (University TBC)

Session 3 (1 day) June 2026 South West (University TBC) 

Programme costs 

The 2025-26 programme will cost £350

CHEAD’s commitment to inclusion

CHEAD is committed to building an inclusive and representative cohort for this leadership course and welcome participants from all backgrounds and career stages, and we particularly encourage applications from individuals who are underrepresented in leadership roles across higher education — including people of the Global Majority (Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds), disabled people, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

We are committed to creating an inclusive, accessible learning environment. If you have any access needs or require adjustments to take part, we’ll work with you to make sure the course fully supports your participation. 

If you have any questions or would like to have a conversation about your access requirements or anything about the programme please contact us at info@chead.ac.uk