- Further education staff to benefit from funding to boost more
high-quality professional development
- Investment will support teachers to continue delivering top
class education and training to young people and adults
- Funding forms part of work to transform the post-16 landscape
so everyone can gain the skills they need to secure great jobs
Further education teaching staff will soon benefit from more
high-quality professional development opportunities, so they can
continue to deliver top class education and training to young
people and adults.
Excellent teaching will be vital to ensuring the government’s
landmark reforms to post-16 education can progress, so more
people can gain the skills they need to secure good jobs and
support the country to build back better from the pandemic.
Evidence also shows
that the quality of teaching is the single biggest driver of
student outcomes.
The new £9.5 million FE Professional Development Grants pilot
launched today (18 June) will support the commitment made in the
government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper to strengthen the
professional development on offer to the workforce and boost
teaching practices.
The funding will also provide increased opportunities for
providers to collaborate and share the excellent skills and
practice that already exists within the sector in three priority
areas:
- Training and supporting staff to strengthen skills and
confidence to use technology effectively to deliver education.
- Subject specific professional development to improve the
quality of curriculum design and teaching, learning and
assessment.
- Tailored support for new or inexperienced teachers in the
sector to help career progression and keep talent in the
profession.
Apprenticeships and Skills Minister said:
“We are transforming further and technical education so everyone
has the opportunity to gain the skills they need to succeed, but
that can only be achieved if we have outstanding teachers with
the knowledge and skills to inspire future talent.
“I’ve seen first-hand the brilliant work that is already going on
up and down the country, with the FE workforce going above and
beyond during the pandemic to support their learners.
“This investment will help build on that by making sure the
sector can develop and grow and unlock even more potential”
Kirsti Lord, Deputy Chief Executive – Member Services
from the Association of Colleges said:
‘The £9.5 million investment into CPD for further education is
very welcome. The core focuses around technology, subject
specific development and the retention of new teachers are
timely, as teaching practice evolves through the pandemic and
online delivery of CPD can be leveraged in a way which would not
have been considered even just two years ago. Colleges are well
used to working together on quality improvement and CPD; this
fund will enable those collaborating to provide high quality CPD
in a variety of areas and specialisms which it would be
challenging to deliver individually.’
Jane Hickie Chief Executive of the Association of
Employment and Learning Providers said:
‘“The pandemic has accelerated changes in the world of work and
the way that further education providers respond to them. This
pilot programme demonstrates the Government’s commitment in the
White Paper to support the advancement of high quality
professional development in the sector and I am confident that a
collaborative approach for bids will bring forward some really
innovative ideas that will have a positive impact.”
Eligible further education providers are being invited to partner
up and submit bids for funding to develop approaches to
professional development and training that improve teaching
practices and enable career progression.
The fund forms part of £65 million investment in 2021-22 designed
to support a number of measures announced in the Skills for Jobs
White Paper that will help boost FE teacher recruitment,
retention and development. This includes the launch of a new
digital platform and national recruitment campaign to get more
talented individuals to teach in further education, strengthened
initial teacher training and a new Workforce Industry Exchange
Programme so that industry experts can bring their skills to FE
teaching.
Notes to Editors
- The pilot scheme will run in 21/22. The application window is
now open for four weeks until Friday 16 July and providers will
be notified of the outcome of their application after 1 September
2021. More information about the FE Professional Development
Grants pilot, including the application form and guidance, can be
found here.
- The pilot will focus on ensuring professional development is
evidence-based, with outcomes that are sustainable over a period
of time, and allowing peer-to-peer support.
