Taking Teaching Further Programme Opens Third Round

The Taking Teaching Further programme is a national initiative to attract experienced industry professionals with expert technical knowledge and skills to work in Further Education (FE).

The programme’s long-term aims are to:

Raise the profile and prestige of skilled FE teaching, particularly among industry professionals; and

Increase the overall number of skilled technical teaching roles by helping providers to support experienced industry professionals with the training that they require to become FE teachers

In February 2020, government announced that a further £10 million will be allocated to the Taking Teaching Further programme as part of a £24 million package for FE.

Round 3 of the programme will run from April 2020 to July 2022. The focus will be on supporting FE providers to recruit people with industry experience to retrain as FE teachers in teaching positions across any of the 15 technical teaching routes.

There are two routes of application:

Route 1 of the programme is open to all FE Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges in England

Route 2 of the programme is open to all independent training providers, employer led providers, third sector training providers, local authority providers, and adult and community learning providers.

Financial support is available for FE providers to address the cost of undertaking ITE and help create capacity for new recruits to learn and receive training and support on the job.

Funding of £18,200 per recruit will be made available to cover:

The full cost of undertaking a teaching qualification (a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) or an equivalent/ higher level qualification) funded up to a maximum of £4,000 per trainee.

Costs of additional teacher time providing intensive support to new teachers (for example through team teaching/work shadowing arrangements) for up to 144 hours.

Costs to cover new teachers having a reduced teaching workload until the end of March 2021, up to 140 hours (following the period of intensive support).

There is an option to cover the costs of a new recruits taking a Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET) qualification before the Level 5 DET if a provider deems that to be more suitable for their new recruit(s).

The deadline for Route 1 applications is 7 April 2020.

Route 2 will take applications from 1 April 2020.

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.