What is your name, job title and place of work?

Stacey Salt, business tutor and advanced practitioner at Oldham College. 

How long have you held your current role, and what other jobs did you have before?

I have been a tutor for five years and an advanced practitioner (AP) for 18 months. I have held various job roles within the private sector and worked for British Gas for many years in training and development and management roles. In 2008, I was made redundant and never felt fulfilled in other jobs. I decided to study for a business and management degree at 28. Yes, this was a difficult decision with two young children, but I always said if I was going to study at this age I was not leaving without a first-class degree, and this I did.

How - and why - did you first start working in further education?

I was proactive after my degree and approached Oldham College to see if I could gain some work experience. I observed lessons and teachers, made endless notes on what was happening. I knew I wanted to support others, what really interested me about FE is that I could see opportunities for developing students to move on to employment, higher education and/or apprenticeships. I then enrolled on the PGCE, I completed my placement and finished everything on time despite having a newborn in between. A few months after I was offered a full-time position at Oldham College.

FE Hero: ‘Let’s hope for a real turnaround for FE’

More from the FE Heroes: Find the full series of articles here

More from Stacey Salt: After lockdown, will your students still know each other?

Briefly describe what a day at work looks like for you... 

I wake up at 5.30am. With three children, it’s important that I am organised and get my “mum” jobs done before the tribe awakes. The kiddies have set off to school by 7.30am and my working day begins. I listen to the radio, have a scan of Twitter and check my emails. Due to having Google Classroom, I pre-set my lessons to automatically upload. I head into the office for 8am. On a teaching day I will be printing and setting my classroom up - and at 8.50am I greet students on their arrival.

On a non-teaching day, I am preparing for meetings, learning walks and support/coaching sessions. I invest time into creating teach meets with the faculties I support. I am an advocate for providing sessions to meet the needs of everyone, providing choice, so this can take some planning.

What motivates you in your workplace?

Seeing staff and students succeed and develop. The past year has been a perfect example of the determination and endurance of all. I remember the first lockdown and the anxiety surrounding technology. Now, when I speak with staff, this has been flipped - they are confident and want to try new things. The way staff and students have adapted is humbling. 

Share an anecdote about a student or learner who has inspired you...

I have a lovely student who - by her own admission - struggled in year one with organisation, timekeeping and exam preparation. This led to a grade that she was not happy with. Through support and encouragement, this student started year two with a new perspective. Recently, she has reflected upon her progress and has achieved a distinction in everything, including exams. She spoke to me recently on the Let’s Get Digital podcast and said the use of technology has helped her development: she has access to resources all the time, any time. Communication has been more effective through the use of G-Suite. She has spoken of the support provided giving her more self-belief and about how the opportunities that are available to young people spurred her on to flip her approach.

Do you enjoy working in FE? And if so, why?

I love working in FE - #whyIworkinFE. It is a mutual learning ground whether you are a student or member of staff. One of the great things I have learned in the past year is the wider communities and sharing of ideas. The more time invested into self-development and reflection allows for this to be imparted on to students - a passion for learning so to speak. FE, in my view, is important for students for their progression, and we, as teachers, play a huge part in that. It is exciting to see students and staff flourish, to find their calling. The past year has been a true representation of working in the sector, coming together via the multitude of platforms that allow for this to happen.

What do you see as the big challenges for the FE sector in the next few years?

The ongoing issue of digital poverty. This has been a challenge, the challenge of technology and broadband being available to everyone despite background - the idea of every student in every household having this access is paramount to everything else and it is a challenge that should be overcome.

What do you think our FE sector will look like in 30 years’ time?

Well, this may be far out but for me I see a holistic FE landscape, the connecting of people, technology and specialisms working together as one across the sector, anti-competitive practices and the benefits of collective approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, CPD and lifelong learning. This quote from Beatrix E Groves (2015) sums up my thinking: “The rallying point for change here, however, is in building active communities of practice that involve contact and sharing not simply because this removes fear, but because it is an effective and efficient way of raising standards and encouraging innovation.” 

If you were made apprenticeships and skills minister, what is the first thing you’d introduce or change?

Opportunities for trainee teachers being more accessible and achievable and an investment in the development of “triple” professionalism for teachers - industry, pedagogy and digital. Being given the time, trust and ownership for everyone to choose what they would like and need to do and the funding being available to let this happen.