24/02/2009

One In Ten Workers 'Considering Career In Teaching'

Teaching is experiencing its biggest recruitment boom for years with one in ten workers considering a career in teaching, according to statistics from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).

The TDA has seen an increase of 45% in online enquiries from potential teachers since the start of the recruitment year, compared to the same period year on year.

Applications to teacher training between 1 September 2008 and 3 February 2009 are up by 10.7% on the same period in the previous year. Also, more people are considering teaching subjects like maths and science, to which it is traditionally difficult to recruit. Applications for science are up 23% this recruitment year to date, compared to last year.

The number of registrations to the Teaching Information Line for maths is up 40% so far this recruitment year with 4,402 people interested in teaching the subject compared to 3,145 in 2007/2008. The number of actual applicants who are interested in teaching maths is also looking very promising; with a 25% rise compared to this time last year.

The TDA is hosting three Train to Teach recruitment events across the country starting in the capital on Friday 27 February. The events encourage jobseekers to speak to teachers and training providers about life in the classroom and the application process. So far this year, 8,977 people have registered to attend an event, significantly up on 2008. To register for one of the Train to Teach events in London, Manchester or Birmingham go to www.teach.gov.uk/traintoteach.

Graham Holley, Chief Executive of the TDA, said: "We're seeing an unprecedented and sustained rise in enquiries about teaching. Over 1,000 people have visited our "city seminars" for those in the financial sector considering teaching, and our new TDA Facebook pages - where people who are interested in teaching can chat to existing teachers - are receiving up to 2,700 unique views per day.

"Our Train to Teach events provide excellent face-to-face advice to help jobseekers understand how they can convert that interest in teaching into an application."

The Train to Teach nationwide events kick off in the capital this month, followed by two-day events in Birmingham and Manchester.

(JM/BMcc)

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