The latest round of funding from the £5 million Taking
Teaching Further programme will support 45 further
education providers to recruit experienced industry
professionals from sectors such as digital, engineering
and construction, to work in the classroom.
The Government is also providing more than £900,000 to
support 22 innovative projects to look at ways to
improve the link between further education providers
and industry so students are learning the skills and
knowledge that employers require.
Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, said:
Teaching in further education is an incredibly
rewarding career. We are reforming technical
education in this country with the introduction of
new T Levels and we want more staff with industry
skills to pass on their expertise and inspire the
next generation.
I’m thrilled to announce the second round of
providers who will be offered funding to help over
160 industry professionals to become FE teachers.
We’ve already seen fantastic stories of success. The
fund has supported 47 new teachers and 19 innovative
projects to date. I am looking forward to more
teachers joining the profession to inspire, energise
and bring on the next generation of highly-skilled
young people.
The programme has already seen 47 new FE teachers
recruited across the country. This includes East Kent
College who have recruited 5 teachers from sectors as
construction, digital and education & childcare.
The scheme forms part of the Government’s wider
commitment to support the further education sector as
it prepares to introduce new T Level qualifications
from 2020. T Levels will offer young people the
opportunity to gain the required experience to secure a
good job or progress into further training.
Chief Executive of the Education and Training
Foundation, David Russell said:
There is a vital need to bring the very best industry
talent into the sector, so they can pass on their
expertise and experience to both learners and fellow
teachers and trainers. This is alongside the urgency
to deepen the links between employers and further
education. This programme is proving popular because
it brings both needs together and we are confident it
will make a real long-term difference.
The number of applications to be part of the Taking
Teaching Further programme increased over the two
rounds. This shows a clear enthusiasm and commitment
to this initiative from across the Further Education
and Training sector.
Head of Teaching Academy, East Kent College, Simon
Bigrigg said:
Strand 1 has provided EKC Group with a range of
fantastic opportunities to develop our recruitment
and training of teachers in ‘hard to fill’ areas. The
project has enabled us to recruit 5 lecturers who are
brand new to teaching into lecturing posts across our
Group of Colleges, from Plumbing to Electrical,
Carpentry, Digital and Early Years. So far, the
recruited staff have greatly benefitted the support
provided by the project in embarking on their roles
and initial teacher education, making full use of the
DET level 5 Programme and the shadowing and reduced
timetables elements.
Looking ahead, we are confident that Round 1 of the
TTF will provide the 5 recruits with the best
possible foundation to develop their careers, and the
project will continue to create development
opportunities for staff making the transition from
industry that is second to none”.
Curriculum Manager, Calderdale College, Robin Smith
said:
Taking Teaching Further has enabled us to create
innovative, hybrid roles which has led to us
attracting our first highly skilled industry
professional to join our curriculum team. Digital
skills are a key area for economic growth in the
Leeds City Region. The TTF programme means we will be
able to deliver cutting-edge digital skills to fulfil
the needs of our current and future students,
providing a talent pipeline for employers in the
region. The resultant comprehensive skills offer will
include key areas required by employers, including
cyber security, software development, systems and
networks”.
Executive Director of Human Resources and
Organisational Development, Wakefield College, Karen
Sykes said:
It is widely accepted that, to equip students with
the skills they need for a career in construction,
teaching staff must be recruited from industry.
Historically, we have faced many challenges
attracting and retaining the talented people we need.
The support of the scheme has enabled us to transform
our approach to supporting those making the
transition into teaching. We are delighted that the
approach we have taken has proved an attractive
proposition in the jobs market for those who would
like a change in direction. Our trainees are amazing
and made an impact from day one!
Programme Manager, Greater Manchester Learning Provider
Network, Matt Leigh said:
Through the Taking Teaching Further programme, the
Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network (GMLPN)
and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC)
have developed The Greater Manchester Further
Education and Industry Exchange project which has
brought together Further Education Institutions
(FEIs) and employers from across Greater Manchester
in four sector-focussed Industry Boards. We’re
particularly pleased that these partnerships aren’t
just one to ones they are many to many and we’re
confident that this positive, holistic, strategic and
sustainable approach will not only generate the
exchange activity and achieve the aims of programme
but will also lead to long term partnerships that
benefit everyone”.
The £5 million programme was launched in June
2018 to further boost the quality of the
post-16 teaching workforce. It was designed in
partnership with the Association of Colleges and the
Education and Training Foundation, to create further
links between the education sector and industry.
For further information about Taking Teaching Further,
please visit the ETF website.
