Skills minister Anne Milton has announced a £5 million fund to train up to 150 leading industry professionals from sectors such as engineering and computing to teach in the FE sector.
According to the government, this expertise will be an important part of the rollout of the first T level qualifications from September 2020, as well as supporting the wider sector.
The fund will cover course costs of teacher training as well as supporting and mentoring 40 projects aiming to develop local partnerships and collaborations to enable an ongoing exchange between industry and further education. The programme will be delivered by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) on behalf of the Department for Education.
Ms Milton (pictured, above) said teaching in further education was “an incredibly rewarding career”. “It is an opportunity to pass on your knowledge and skills and give someone the chance of a rewarding career,” she added.
“I am thrilled to announce this excellent new programme. Attracting the best of industry into the further education sector will help students gain the knowledge and skills that industry really needs. We are improving education for everyone and crucially plugging the skills gap. This is central to the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which aims to make sure we are all equipped for the jobs of the future.
“Taking Teaching Further fulfils a manifesto commitment to bring industry expertise and practical experience into England’s further education sector, so students are gaining the skills and knowledge that will help them secure good jobs, while also providing businesses with the skilled workforce they need.”
‘Serious about FE’
Writing in Tes today, Ms Milton added: “We are serious about further education, and about growing and strengthening the link between FE and industry.”
Alison Birkinshaw, York College principal and president of the Association of Colleges, said: “It is absolutely crucial that our colleges recruit, retain and continually develop our lecturers and other staff so that they are up to date with their skills, particularly those working in shortage specialisms. This programme is a well-timed and exciting way to support individuals from industry who now want to teach the skills they have learned.
ETF chief executive David Russell said: “This timely programme will bring in rich new talent and expertise, improving learner outcomes and supporting the development of the existing workforce. We are delighted to be playing a key role in the development and implementation of Taking Teaching Further.
