If variety is the spice of life, then FE has a whole rackful.

This unremarkable English specialist gets to teach soon-to-be welders, nursery assistants, rugby players, officers of the law, plumbers, games designers and a whole host of other professionals. And that’s just the learners. Many of my colleagues are often experts in their chosen field who, having been extremely successful, now choose to pass on that knowledge. I’ve shared offices with electricians of 25 years, musicians who have played with Meatloaf, published authors, professional athletes and social workers.

Unlike me, whose CV is a few odd jobs and then teaching, these people have been there and done it. They’ve built buildings and coded apps, put together furniture and created art, run radio stations and cared for the terminally ill. The wealth of practical experience in the sector is astounding.

This also means that I’ve been lucky enough to do a bit of on-the-job training myself. My role has seen me flit from department to department, work in different teams, overview schemes of work to see where I can effectively embed English and liaise with all manner of people from all manner of backgrounds. From hair and beauty to radio media to sports studies. If you keep your eyes and ears open, you can pick up a fair few things.

Working in an FE college is like accessing the human version of Google search, only it’s better because you can nick a biscuit out of their tin

Linux coding, grouting preparation, effective voice projection, self-defence techniques, the best point to release the ball for a jump shot, the best-value cuts of beef that are often overlooked - these are the things I’ve learned about both in sessions and in casual conversations. Working in an FE college is like accessing the human version of Google search, only it’s better because you can nick a biscuit out of their tin. There’s ample opportunity to learn something new if you’re open to it.

Practical experience is an invaluable tool when teaching any subject, but even more so when that subject is a vocational one. It means that there is an authenticity that learners respond to, an ability to instinctively and reflexively answer questions or demonstrate solutions, to call on lived wisdom to deal with the issues of the present. FE has it in droves - we should make sure that there continues to be an appreciation of it in the sector. Firstly, it would always be of benefit to our learners and, secondly, it means that I would continue to have help in upgrading computers, scoring a couple more baskets and making a delicious, homemade casserole with beef shin (cheap and melts in the mouth, according to Gary in catering).

Tom Starkey teaches English at a college in the North of England @tstarkey1212