Pathways to FE relaunched as Talent to Teach in FE

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) programme that helps final-year undergraduate and graduate students launch teaching careers in the Further Education and Training sector has been relaunched with a new name and improved support for participants.

The Talent to Teach in FE programme – formerly known as Pathways to FE – is being delivered on behalf of the ETF by Cognition Education. The programme – which operates across England – arranges 40-hour placements for participants at a range of providers across the sector including colleges, independent training providers and local authorities.

Under the new Talent to Teach label, two new components have been added:

1. A central induction session for student participants – delivered either online as a webinar or in some cases as a face-to-face session – will ensure that candidates have a better understanding of the sector and issues such as safeguarding, with which they may be unfamiliar, before they commence placements. This should also help ensure that student participants are better prepared and committed to undertaking the placement.
2. A vacancy-matching service that ensures programme alumni are notified of vacancies at provider organisations in locations across the country, a development that acknowledges that some students choose to relocate at the end of their studies.

Applications, both from providers who would like to take students on placement and from students who wish to be placed, are welcome at any time during the year – it is a misconception among some providers that placements are less valuable at times of year when less teaching is taking place. Visit the ETF website to access the application forms.

Julia Richards of Cognition Education said:

“Many students with an interest in teaching as a career know little about FE and tend to think first about school environments of which they have direct experience. This programme demonstrates that, once they have experienced it, FE is a place they really enjoy working and in which they are highly valued by providers. There is a huge bank of talent interested in finding out more about careers in FE and we encourage providers to get in touch and get involved.”

The programme – in its guise as Pathways to FE – has enjoyed significant success with student participants reporting very positive experiences of their involvement and providers praising the support they received. Numerous participants who wouldn’t have otherwise considered careers in FE have entered the sector, many of them being offered jobs at the institutions where they undertook their placement.