Three new Technical Teaching Fellowships awarded

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 have awarded three new Technical Teaching Fellowships for the 2022/23 academic year to outstanding teachers from the Further Education and Training sector.

The Fellows are:

• Adam Hackney (Lecturer, Digital CPTE Lead, Advanced Apple , Programme Lead Business and IT at Exeter College). Adam has been the driving force behind the development and delivery of the Digital T Level at Exeter, helping the institution become the national lead on the digital pathway, and was one of the first ever certified trainers for the new Apple App coding courses.

• Alison Ackroyd (Science Lecturer, Mid Kent College). As well as playing a crucial part in the successful launch of the Science and Health T Levels at Mid Kent, Alison has made a significant contribution at a national level, including contributing content to a national post-16 science network and the STEM Learning platform.

• Simon Parker (T Level Development Lead and Tutor Onsite Construction, BSE and Engineering, South Essex College). Simon has played a fundamental part in the development of T Levels in Construction, as well as supporting others developing other T Levels. His work has a strong focus on links with industry, both in ensuring industry input into the curriculum for learners and in investing in staff by enabling their engagement in emerging technologies.

The three Fellows will be formally presented with their awards at a celebratory event at the Royal Society in London on Friday 4 March. They will be joined at that event by the Fellows for the current academic year – Ben Houlihan (Bridgwater and Taunton College and now Capita), Rosa Wells (Solihull College of Further and Higher Education), and Peter Jackson (Lincoln College) – who could not be presented with their Fellowships when they were announced in January 2021 because of restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fellowships are awarded to outstanding practitioners who are recognised for their high impact teaching practice and the delivery of effective outcomes for learners. Each is expected to share their expertise and learning across the sector as part of the award with an aim of supporting quality improvement in technical STEM teaching and learning.

Recipients receive an award of £5,000 – £15,000 to support knowledge transfer activity and to ensure remission time is guaranteed, are allocated a mentor to support them, and become Fellows of the Society for Education and Training (SET). They are expected to develop knowledge transfer activity plans to maximise the benefit of their Technical Teaching Fellowships, disseminate their work via national events and publications, and contribute to the delivery of a final report which is written to engage and motivate technical education in their area of practice.

Nigel Williams, Secretary of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, said:

“The 1851 Royal Commission is delighted to be funding this fourth cohort of Technical Teaching Fellows in partnership with the Education and Training Foundation. The impact of these awards in raising standards of teaching across the Further Education sector has been amply demonstrated by previous Fellows spanning three years. Winning one of these fellowships is an achievement in itself but it is what the awardees do subsequently, using their exceptional talent, that makes a difference and we look forward to seeing them make their mark. Congratulations to them all.”

David Russell, Chief Executive Officer at the Education and Training Foundation, said:

“It is widely recognised that technical education and training will play a fundamental role in the nation’s recovery from the Covid pandemic and a switch to a green economy. With these Fellowships the ETF is showcasing once again the brilliant talent and opportunities that exist in the FE teaching workforce. The future of this country lies with Further Education and its collaboration with industry. The ETF will be there at its heart, playing the support and challenge role that helps the sector deliver excellence time after time.”

Cerian Ayres, National Head of Technical Education at the Education and Training Foundation, added:

“Our congratulations go to each of the outstanding individuals who have been awarded Technical Teaching Fellowships. These individuals have been chosen because their applications demonstrated the high quality of the technical teaching and learning they facilitate, their commitment to equity and equality and supporting diverse groups of learners and colleagues, and the strong collaborative partnerships they have forged with employers and other key stakeholders. We look forward to working with them to maximise their reach, engagement and impact,”

Further information about the Technical Teaching Fellowships is available on the ETF website.