A new national cinema advert starring London based technician, Toluwani Alade, is live, aiming to inspire the next generation of technicians. The advert – live in cinemas across the country for the rest of the year – features seven real technicians, and highlights how exciting and varied their roles can be. From those helping to save lives to creating special effects for film and TV, the advert spotlights the difference technicians are making in various industries.
The new film, created as part of the Technicians: We Make the Difference campaign, showcases the endless possibilities that a role as a technician offers in helping young people turn their natural passions and interests into a career.
Toluwani works as a Healthcare Laboratory Technician which involves him being at the forefront of advancing cell and gene therapy in the UK. After spending time in hospital as a child with sickle cell anaemia, Toluwani was inspired by the doctors around him growing up and developed a passion for helping people through science. Every day, Toluwani develops potentially life-changing new treatments for problems like heart defects in children and is proud to showcase this work through the cinema advert.
Commenting on his involvement in the advert, Toluwani, a Healthcare Laboratory Technician at the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, in Guy’s Hospital London, said: “There is no other job out there quite like being a technician, and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of this new cinema advert to showcase that. The best part about my role is the hands-on aspect of the work. Every day brings a new challenge and I love learning on the job, which is one of my favourite parts of my apprenticeship. I’d encourage anyone who sees themselves as someone who loves a challenge to consider a role as a technician. There are so many technician roles out there, so you’re bound to find one perfectly suited to you.”
The advert will appear in cinemas nationally, opening for popular films such as Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4 and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Helen Esposito, Campaign Manager at Gatsby Charitable Foundation, said: “Our hope is that the advert resonates with young people who are searching for a career they will find interesting, exciting and they’ll genuinely enjoy. Many people’s first thought of a technician is someone working in a lab, so we started with a Healthcare Laboratory Technician who researches cures for diseases, and then followed on with a variety of exciting technician roles young people may not know exist, from a Special Effects Technician making smoke and fire effects to a Water Process Technician recycling water for people to use every day, to show there really is something for everyone. The technicians we featured are all real technicians like Toluwani, doing real tasks they do in their job every day, giving young people a chance to see the many exciting technician roles out there, and the bonus is that they don’t need a degree to get into them.”
Find out more about a wide variety of interesting, fulfilling, technician roles at www.technicians.org.uk. You can hear more about real life technician stories, what they do every day and why they love it – as well as trying the role finder quiz to see which role you are best suited to.
