A rising role for apprenticeships in the workforce has been indicated by recent research from the Office for National Statistics, with 5.3 per cent of people (2.4 million) in England reporting an apprenticeship as their highest level of qualification.

Traditionally considered as being for those entering “trades”, apprenticeships are increasingly a respected way into the so-called professions, too - a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship was introduced in September 2018.

Yet while apprenticeships may have taken off in other professions, this route was only chosen by 3 per cent of the 28,991 teacher trainees who participated in the latest Department for Education initial teacher training (ITT) census. This is a trend the government is keen to shift, having recently issued new guidance calling on ITT providers to “cease marketing” any school direct fee-funded routes from September 2024.

So how is the DfE going to realise its ambition to “consolidate the school direct salaried route and postgraduate teacher apprenticeship into a single employment-based route under the apprenticeships banner” from this dismal base?

The teaching apprenticeship: know your market

It sounds obvious, but government and ITT providers need to work harder to understand the market. A typical apprentice may not have the luxury of a traditional linear, year-long course.

They may have responsibilities - mortgages, families or other caring responsibilities - that mean they need to earn while training. And if they are already in employment, the traditional September start simply might not suit them. 

At the National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE), which is part of the Coventry University Group, our experience of apprenticeships is vastly different from the national trend. Indeed, our apprenticeship course is one of our most popular, and accounts for a third of our trainees (35 per cent of enrolments in September 2021, rising to 38 per cent in September 2022).

Are there elements of NITE’s offer that could be replicated elsewhere to help boost the appeal of apprenticeships in teaching?

Study at NITE is online, which our apprentice trainees say is really important to them. They appreciate being able to fit study around work and other commitments.

Critically, they can also avoid spending time and money travelling to the university, a luxury many simply cannot afford. This is something that we hear is a real barrier to trainee recruitment.

Flexibility is crucial

We build a lot of flexibility into our apprenticeship to make it work. I know that, as teachers, for us the year starts in September, but we’re atypical of the working population here (ask your average accountant and they would possibly say 1 April).

And for most people, once they’ve been working for a while, they lose the rhythm of the academic calendar. So expecting them to wait until September is unnecessarily rigid.

At NITE we offer six start dates per year, three for our apprenticeship route, and while September is still our biggest intake, we see significant numbers joining our alternative enrolment dates, too.

Indeed, last September 67 joined our apprenticeship courses - and  86 enrolled last month.

Because feedback has shown us that the courses can be quite intense, we give trainees the option of a “pause button”, allowing them the opportunity to elongate their courses over two years, if needed, to suit their situation.

The need to innovate

I’d far rather we found a way to support a committed trainee to complete the course - if, for a period, they need to concentrate on other areas of their life - instead of losing them to the profession entirely. 

As a result, we attract a significant number of older students. More than two-thirds of NITE’s trainees are over 25 and a high proportion have already had another career.

NITE’s experience shows there is a market for the postgraduate teaching apprenticeship. But providers need to think outside of the box with their offer and come up with something that works for trainees. 

Technology is key, but so, too, is mindset. That was something we invested a lot of time in when we were launching NITE - and I am always open to sharing these experiences with others where helpful. 

Otherwise, I fear the DfE will fail to achieve its ambition for the postgraduate teaching apprenticeship. And that would be a real shame, because it’s a fantastic way to attract and train talented aspiring teachers that the profession urgently needs.

Professor Geraint Jones is the executive director and associate pro vice-chancellor of the National Institute of Teaching and Education (NITE) at Coventry University

Join Professor Geraint Jones and other experts on our upcoming webinar: ITT 2023: how can the sector tackle trainee shortages following the market review? Thursday 9 February. Register for free.