College awarded funds to train digital and engineering experts for teaching roles
Weston College has been awarded funds to train five industry professionals to work as post-16 teachers.
It is one of 45 further education (FE) providers selected by the government to receive funding as part of the Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme. The initiative was unveiled last year to recruit and retrain industry specialists to work in the FE workforce.
The College will use the funding to recruit specialists from the engineering and digital industries.
Successful candidates, who must have at least three years’ experience in either the engineering or digital sector, will benefit from a specialised teacher training programme over the first two years of employment.
This includes:
• A fully recognised teacher training qualification
• An eight-week induction programme
• A reduced teaching timetable to provide more opportunities for professional development, planning and reflection.
If you’re interested in applying, or would like more information, contact Edd Brown on 01934 411693 or email your CV to Edward.brown@weston.ac.uk or attend our Engineering to education event on the 25th July. 16:00 - 18:30 at our South West Skills Campus.
TTF is part of a wider drive to prepare for the introduction of T Levels from 2020. T Levels, which will be available at Weston College, are vocational equivalents to A Levels and will cover 15 industry-related subjects. They have been introduced to help produce skilled workers for sectors that have found it difficult to recruit in recent years.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, said: “This is a unique opportunity for engineering or digital specialists to embark on a rewarding career in further education.
“It not only gives them a head-start in the industry, but enables them to work at one of the country’s top Colleges and benefit from all the support, resources and progression opportunities they’ll need to achieve success.”
In announcing the winning TTF bids, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Anne Milton 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 to date, and I am looking forward to more teachers joining the profession to inspire, energise and bring on the next generation of highly-skilled young people.”
TTF was designed in partnership with the Association of Colleges and the Education and Training Foundation.
The foundation’s chief executive David Russell said there was a “vital need” to bring industry talent into the sector to pass expertise and experience on to learners, teachers and trainers.
