The Further Education (FE) sector has documented difficulties with recruitment and retention of teaching staff, as many FE colleges report having 'hard-to-fill' vacancies and high levels of churn amongst new starters. Taking Teaching Further (TTF) is a programme designed to address these issues by providing support for FE providers to recruit and…

Purpose: The Further Education and Training (FET) sector is being positioned as a centrepiece of the government's post-pandemic recovery. However, issues of capacity and staff churn are threatening the potential success of this strategy. Unfortunately, there has been almost no strategic analysis of teacher churn in the English FET system or of the…

Improving mathematical skills is a priority in England, and a series of policy levers and government change projects have focused on improving mathematical outcomes in further education (FE) in recent years. Yet little is known about the mathematics teacher workforce that supports these students on vocational and technical programmes. This paper…

Through 15-plus years of direct experience and research coupled with the concerns and truths of many adult education colleagues, Daquanna Harrison gives a call to action for adult education. This call asks adult educators throughout the U.S. to better and more quickly transform the field of adult education into a viable career choice for minority…

This paper draws upon questionnaire data from 126 mature, female alumni students and interviews with a subset of 20 participants who completed education foundation degrees in three English universities in the South West. Three illustrative cases from interviews are chosen representing three models of progression: 'success', 'version of success',…

Background: A raft of initiatives and reforms have been introduced in many countries to attract and recruit school teachers, many of which do not have a clear evidence base, so their effectiveness remains unclear. Prior research has been largely correlational in design. This paper describes a rigorous and comprehensive review of international…

Between June 2018 and November 2020, the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) conducted an evaluation of the Tailored Support Programme (TSP) on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). The aim of the evaluation was to explore perceptions of the TSP and, in particular, gather data on: reasons for engagement; what was delivered;…

Further education (FE) plays a key part in the post-16 educational landscape in England in delivering technical and academic education that is vital to the country's supply of skilled workers. Yet, despite this importance, the sector has been facing significant challenges in recent years, including critical staff shortages in some subject areas.…

Over the last year and a half, British Columbians (BC) have worked together to decrease the spread and reduce exposure to COVID-19. BC teachers have risen to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as it has taken its toll. Teachers are on the front-line of witnessing what is needed to move BC from a crisis response to a longer-term--and…

There is a lack of distinction and definition around how the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia might effectively recruit and retain suitably qualified teachers, trainers and assessors. The logic is clear: in order to enable and develop an immediate pool of competent and qualified workers for new and developing industries,…

British Columbia teachers are pleased to have an early opportunity to present their views on priorities for the 2020 provincial budget to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) represents 43,000 teachers and associated professionals in public schools across British…

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) of the State Board of Education are working on a new teacher licensure pathways proposal, Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals (Model). This proposal, if enacted, would restructure the state's system…

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life for students, teachers and everyone connected to public schools. The crisis has also exposed the fragilities of the economy in meeting the basic needs of all and highlighted the importance of the public sector, of community, and of care work. Schools are key public spaces of community and care. They must be…

For over a decade, debate has raged about the nature and purpose of the PhD, including its role as preparation for working in academia. Academic work has changed a great deal in the last 60 years, yet our doctoral curriculum has remained relatively static. While there is increasing interest in matching PhD programmes to "real world"…

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) and the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) submitted this 6th biennial joint report to the Governor, Legislative Education Committees, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The report outlines the collaborative work of the Boards, highlights accomplishments, and provides goals and…