A TEACHER at Craven College in Skipton has spoken of his route into teaching as part of a national campaign to encourage more into the profession.

Peter Face, who lectures in painting and decorating, first became involved in the college when as a professional in the construction business, he took on apprentices for their further education courses.

For several years, he turned down teaching opportunities, partly because he has dyslexia, and thought it would hold him back. He has now been a teacher for nearly three years after training for a teacher training degree at Huddersfield University alongside his FE teaching job.

He said: "I spent most of my life avoiding challenging situations, which is why I was self-employed for so long. However, the stress of running a business and chasing clients’ payments made me realise I needed a new direction. I discovered that with my experience from the construction industry, I could transition into teaching construction related courses at my local FE college. This was the perfect career pivot for me at this moment in my life and it’s boosted my wellbeing."

Sharing his own experiences of the profession is invaluable to his students, he said; and more personal than learning from a text book.

"I could write a book about my experiences—some funny, some not so much. The students enjoy hearing about my work because it makes my teaching more relatable to them and helps them to understand how they will use the skills we’re learning on the course in the real working world.

"Teaching in FE has allowed me to give back to my field. It’s incredibly rewarding to see students with no prior experience progress from to their final assignment and then move into the workplace. Knowing I helped them build up the confidence to pursue their trade is such an incredible feeling.”

The Department for Education’s Teach in Further Education campaign is calling on those with industry experience to teach in FE by sharing their skills and training the next generation of workers in their field. FE teachers are needed across many subject areas but there is particular demand for workers from the following sectors: Health and Social Care, Construction, Engineering and Manufacturing and Digital and IT.

There are full-time, part-time and flexible contracts available, allowing FE teachers to balance their hours alongside other professional or personal responsibilities. Find out more at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teach-in-further-education