The Government has announced a new package to support aspiring teachers in high-demand subjects – which will be available to those looking to carry out their teaching qualifications at Selby College starting this September.

The Department for Education’s (DfE) Further Education Initial Teacher Education (ITE) bursaries will support those who are carrying out their teaching qualifications in shortage subject areas such as English, computing, engineering, manufacturing, maths and science. Available for the 2021-2022 academic year, the grants will also apply to those training to teach learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

This comes as recent figures from UCAS revealed that the number of teacher training applications rose by 17 percent in 2020. Data shows that there were more than 52,000 applicants over the past year, compared to 44,965 in 2019 – a rise of 7,520[1].

Government figures also showed that the number of people starting initial teacher training courses in England rose by 23 percent in 2020 – reaching the recruitment target for secondary school teachers for the first time in eight years[i]. However, there are still significant teacher shortages in the Further Education sector.

“The new scheme has been designed to attract high-quality individuals into the world of teaching in high-demand subjects in the Further Education sector, where there are currently substantial teaching shortages,” said Stacy Vipas, Teaching and Learning Manager and PGCE Programme Leader at Selby College. “Due to the pandemic, many people have been left unemployed or are considering a career change. So, if you are an aspiring teacher or are currently working in these priority sectors and would like a change of profession, there has never been a better time than now to do so – with successful applicants receiving a tax-free bursary of up to £26,000 to train to teach in these areas.”

The DfE will choose who to award the grants too based on the trainee’s relevant qualifications or professional experience and their desire to teach one of the priority subjects in the sector.

Selby College is able to offer one grant per subject area for its Certificate in Education/Professional and Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme, which is carried out part-time over two years. Successful applicants are still required to pay for their course fees, which are £3660 per year.

The programme is designed to provide trainees with the knowledge and understanding needed to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, from the teaching itself to the administrative and curriculum development activities required, as well as subject specialisation.

With a focus on practical teaching, the course allows students to gain experience of learning and teaching alongside other professionals with support from tutors - enabling students to put theory into practice.

Current PGCE student at Selby College Suzie, said: “Starting the PGCE programme last year was one of the best personal and professional decisions I’ve ever made. The evening delivery of the course means I have been able to continue working full-time whilst gaining the qualification. The College helped me to secure a placement with 16-18 students which has been so fulfilling and helped me to gain invaluable skills. This, combined with the learnings from the evening sessions, has enabled me to build up a successful teaching toolkit, providing me with the best possible opportunities for the future.”

The qualifications, which are awards of the University of Huddersfield, a leading institution in teacher education, are delivered during evening sessions once per week alongside a full or part-time teaching placement.

To find out more, please visit: https://www.selby.ac.uk/courses/education-lifelong-learning-certificateprofessional-certificatepostgraduate-certificate-level-5-6-7

[1] https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/ucas-teacher-training-releases/ucas-teacher-training-end-cycle-2020-data-resources

[i] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census