£10m Funding Boost for Taking Teaching Further Programme

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced a £10 million boost to expand the Taking Teaching Further programme.

The programme is a national initiative to attract experienced industry professionals with expert technical knowledge and skills to work in Further Education (FE). It is divided into two strands:

Strand 1: Financial support for up to 150 industry experts to become FE teachers, covering the course costs of teacher training as well as support and mentoring

Strand 2: Support for up to 40 innovative and scalable projects that help develop local partnerships and collaborations.

The scheme has already supported over 100 people to work in FE across England so far. The additional £10 million funding will support up to 550 more people to train to teach a range of technical subjects in 2020.

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

“The Education and Training Foundation is delighted to continue the important work of attracting the very best industry talent into Further Education (FE) teaching roles through Taking Teaching Further. This announcement continues the Government’s vital investment and support for FE workforce development.

“Taking Teaching Further is setting the standard for recruiting world-class teachers and trainers, who combine teaching excellence with hands-on industry experience, and is helping develop and build the country’s future. I encourage all Colleges and FE providers to register and apply to take part in this important programme that will make a real difference to their organisations and learners.”

This additional funding comes as part of £24 million package to boost the FE workforce. The package also includes:

£11 million to provide bursaries and grants worth up to £26,000 to attract talented people to train to teach in FE, in priority subject areas such as STEM, English and SEND teaching.

£3 million for high-quality mentor training programmes, designed and delivered by the ETF to support FE teachers – including those in the important early years of their careers – to develop and progress.

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.