As the demand for teachers in the Further Education (FE) sector rises, Selby College is supporting aspiring teachers to achieve their teaching qualifications with a new package of bursaries.

For the academic year 2022-23, a range of grants will be available for those who are training to teach in high-demand subjects such as Computing, English, Mathematics, Science and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), at Selby College.

The Department for Education’s (DfE) Initial Teacher Education (ITE) bursaries aim to help FE providers attract high-quality individuals into the teaching profession and to support pre-service training of teachers in priority areas.

The College is able to offer grants for the Certificate in Education/Professional and Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme in Lifelong Learning, which is carried out part-time over two years.

I was looking to take my next step by completing my teacher training qualification and I had heard great things about the College’s PGCE programme. The tutors, access to resources and personal development plan opportunities available are second to none. I was also able to take advantage of the ITE bursary which meant that I had the financial stability to explore avenues for additional training, whilst gaining valuable classroom experience as a College IT tutor.

Higher Education at Selby College really appealed to me because I could continue with my full-time job, whilst gaining a qualification alongside it, as the part-time course is only one evening per week. I knew the College had a great reputation for delivering Higher Education and the small class sizes, combined with the tutor expertise, meant I knew I'd be getting a fantastic experience. The teaching placement side of my course is so rewarding, and the support I've received throughout the course to keep improving in this area has been invaluable.

I was working as a Learning Support Practitioner when I enquired about studying for my Certificate in Education. This made me realise how much I enjoyed being a part of the students learning and I wanted to explore how I could progress in this area. I was initially concerned about whether I would be able to train as a teacher, but I received excellent advice and support from the tutors at Selby College, who reassured me that my 14 years of industry experience in Health and Social Care would be a great benefit for students who wanted to work in this sector.

This comes as the need for teachers in the FE sector continues to rise, with the Department for Education (DfE) seeking to bring in as many as 4000 teachers into the sector by 2025.

We are seeing a real need for more highly-skilled teachers in particular subject areas across the Further Education sector, which has resulted in a national drive to meet these skills demands. The FE ITE bursaries are a great way to give aspiring teachers or those who are looking for a career change the financial support they need to make this life-changing step. The part-time nature of our teacher training programmes means that students are able to teach around their current occupation or alongside other commitments. Being able to place trainees in vibrant and successful subject areas across the College and see them get support from passionate mentors, is a real bonus for us.

This also comes following our recent merger with Wakefield College to form the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, which will create additional opportunities for our PGCE students to gain hands-on experience in a wide variety of subjects across our three campuses.

The bursaries are awarded to trainees based on their relevant qualifications or professional experience, as well as their intention to teach a designated priority subject in the FE sector. The bursary amount varies according to the subject in which they train to teach.

To find out more about the College’s teacher training programmes, visit here.