Lauren Mura and Michelle Pearson (Edge Hill University) Jenifer Burden and Dr Rory McDonald (Gatsby Charitable Foundation)
Ben Ramm (DFE)
Transforming lives through the Industry Associates Pilot.
The FE sector faces significant challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled teachers in key industrial areas, with over 40% of colleges reporting they had to cancel courses last year, due to a lack of staff to teach them. The government has attempted several measures, such as cash incentives and new marketing techniques, but retaining teachers in FE has proved problematic – almost half of FE teachers leave within three years.
Some of the most challenging positions to fill have been in ‘priority’ industrial areas, such as electrical, mechanical and welding trades. To find a solution, some colleges have worked with local industry experts to attempt to fill the gaps in these courses, with mixed success.
In 2022 Gatsby carried out research on how these industrial experts can work in partnership with FE colleges, to close these skill gaps. This found that while industry professionals possess deep technical expertise, many lack the confidence or skills to transition seamlessly into contributing to teaching. The result of this is a collaboration between Edge Hill University, Gatsby and the Department of Education to develop a pilot scheme to provide industry associates, wanting to engage in education, with the skillset needed to work with students.
The curriculum for the pilot course has been designed to engage the participants in enquiry-based education, including assessment, planning, and adaptive teaching but also provided industry associates with a theoretical grounding, underpinned in evidence, enabling them to feel competent in the classroom, but also shaping future inquisitive professionals.
After the initial pilot the plan is to roll the Industry Associates programme nationally, with some form of accreditation that could lead them onto a level 5 teaching course or apprenticeship.
Lauren Mura’s Edge Hill University staff page
Michelle Pearson’s Edge Hill University staff page
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation ‘Industry Associates’ news
Department for Education Further Education