Are These The Jobs of The Future?

Some careers advisers have a distinct penchant for digging out obscure pieces of careers information and labour market trends.  However, I doubt if many will have perused the full 260 odd pages of the "Skill Shortage Sensible" report produced by the Migration Advisory Committee of the Home Office.  It does however contain a handy (if still considerable) list of the occupations the Committee recommend for retention in the shortage occupation list for the UK and Scotland.

In other words, it is a good guide to job areas in which UK citizens as well as immigrants to the country may themselves find opportunities in the future and may repay some further study.  Of course some of the
jobs are very high level occupations that would not be immediately within the grasp of the average graduate - but we would hope that least some of those who have sought careers advice at the University of Cumbria will harbour longer-term ambitions.

It might come as little surprise that many of the items on the list contain the word engineering at some point and some of the key disciplines that get several mentions are:

• nuclear decommissioning and waste management (so good news here for the sons and daughters of West Cumbria)
• electricity distribution and transmission
• tunnelling and landfill
• 'all chemical engineers'
• aerospace manufacture
• oil and gas

The continuing need for oil and gas extraction also accounts for a further sub-family of anticipated shortage applications incuding geologists, hydrogeologists, geochemists, geophysicists and pipe welders as well as a wide number of engineering technical specialisms.

If you've spotted that you can't study many of these areas at the University of Cumbria, there is better news coming.  The shortage recommendation list includes a number of occupations relating to 2D/3D computer animation for film, televison and video games, including artists, modellers and production specialists as well as dancers and musicians.  

Health occupations are also well represented, notably:

• hospital doctors in haeomotology, emergency medicine, paediatrics, old age psychiatry, anaesthetics, intensive care, internal medicine and accident and emergency
• diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers
• operating theatre nurses
• social workers in children's and family services (interestingly in the light of current vacancy shortages locally)
• nuclear medicine and radiotherapy phycisists

Lastly, secondary teachers of biology, chemistry and physics as well as chefs also receive a mention.

Currently the shortage occupation list is reviewed every two years - the so-called sunset clause.

Teacher Training - Latest Lessons

Here are the latest grains of wisdom from the quickly shifting sands of teacher training provision, as provided by University careers colleagues who are members of the Teaching and Related Professions Task Group.

Teach First

Recruitment to the programme has been brisk for 2013 entry and over 1000 applicants have already been accepted.  There are still 250 vacancies, but these are mainly for Maths and English.

The scheme now has its own dedicated website www.teachfirst.org.uk including vacancy details and a central application process.

To anticipate a couple of likely faqs:

• About 17.5 % of the 2012 intake ( a total of 997) are teaching in primary schools.
• 36% of 2012 entrants are male - well above the 25% in the profession overall.
• Teach First will accept Psychology graduates to teach Science - but only if they achieve a B.Sc. and have grade B in a science at A Level.

School Direct

News has also reached us that it will be possible to apply for School Direct vacancies through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry when the latest wave of applications for 2014 entry opens on 1st November this year. Application deadlines will for the first time be scrapped. 

Note: School Direct is already making its mark in Cumbria and North Lancashire, and we can expect Teach First to follow suit.

October Teaching Careers Workshops

Now is the time to start thinking about Teacher Training applications especially for Primary PGCE courses - and Secondary as well if you are thinking of applying for in-demand subjects like PE.  The deadline for Primary applications is 1st December.

With this in mind, Careers Adviser Joanne Watson will be delivering two sessions at Brampton Road campus this month for those who are or may be interested in teacher training.

You can find more details, dates and times on the University website

The TDA is dead - Long Live the TA!

The Teaching Agency (TA) opened on 1st April, replacing the abolished Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).  Information on becoming a teacher previously available on the TDA website is now available at www.teach.gov.uk including the flagship School Direct programme.

Teacher Training Bursaries for FE Teachers

We have been informed that a system of bursaries of £1,000 has been introduced from 2012 for trainees to take accredited Diploma courses in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS), or a level 6 PGCE qualification.

Bursaries of £1,500 will also be introduced for trainees who are taking accredited initial courses in teacher training and who are intending to teach basic Maths and English in the FE and Skills sector.

Hibernia College UK - More Information

Further to the previous post on alternative teacher training routes, here is some more information from the above organisation from the Training and Development Agency (TDA):

Hibernia College UK Limited (HCUK) was accredited by the Training and Development Agency (TDA) as a new initial teacher training (ITT) provider in September 2011 and has been allocated maths, chemistry and physics initial teacher training (ITT) and subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) places for both 2011/12 and 2012/13 academic years.

Its first cohorts of maths chemistry and physics ITT and SKE trainees started their training on 23 January 2012. HCUK has further cohorts starting on 16 April 2012 and is planning additional cohorts for July and September 2012 starts.

HCUK offers:

• “freestanding” maths, chemistry and physics SKE courses that are open to trainees accepted onto other accredited ITT providers’ maths, chemistry and physics ITT courses (conditional on them undertaking an appropriate SKE course); and
• “SKE integrated” maths, chemistry and physics ITT courses: postgraduate ITT courses that deliver SKE, integrated with ITT, within a two year in length course.

Although HCUK is based in London, it is a national ITT provider for the simple reason that its courses have been developed as interactive, online courses and are accessible to potential trainees wherever they might be located throughout England.

Want to Teach? New Developments in Teacher Training

School Direct

Schools are able to bid to the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for 500 training places on this new programme for 2012/13. The school (or group of schools) will recruit trainees directly and then purchase the training from an ITT provider.  Once the trainee has completed training and gained qualified teacher status, the school will be expected to employ the trainee for at least their Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) year.
 
Trainees will be eligible for funding on the same basis as those completing university-based PGCEs (with the offer an additional payment, worth 25% of their bursary, to trainees based in schools where more than a quarter of pupils are eligible for free school meals).

In allocating School Direct places, the TDA will give priority to schools and subjects in greatest need.

TDA Premier Plus Service and School Experience Programme

The TDA is offering the Premier Plus Service to support prospective teacher of maths, physics, chemistry or Modern Foreign Languages (MFL).  Premier Plus includes one-to-one advice and guidance, special events, access to subject knowledge enhancement courses, reimbursement of the GTTR application fee and access to the School Experience Programme (SEP).

SEP itself offers classroom experience for one to ten days in a secondary school to applicants considering teaching maths, physics, chemistry, D&T, ICT or MFL.  The programme is available to final year University students and some others.

Distance Learning PGCE

The TDA have accredited Hibernia College to provide an e-learning based programme leading to a PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in secondary maths, physics or chemistry. The two-year flexible programme is delivered through a combination of online lectures and tutorials, locally delivered workshops and school placements organised through the programme’s national network of hub schools.  Subject knowledge enhancement is included as appropriate.

Studio Schools

Studio schools are a new option at age 14.  They teach both academic and vocational qualifications in a practical and project-based way, often in conjunction with employers.  Study is combined with work placements in the schools’ partner organisations.  Some schools will be located alongside existing maintained schools and academies and others will be separate academies. 


Source: AGCAS Teaching Task Group

Teacher Training News

Here are some latest highlights on developments in teacher training:

FE Teachers Able to Teach in Schools?

Subject to approval by parliament, schools will from April 2012 be able to employ teachers who hold qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS - the professional status for teachers in further education). Head teachers will have the freedom to employ the qualified teacher that best meets the requirements of the job, regardless of whether their background is in schools or further education. Currently, QTLS holders cannot take up posts in Secondary schools.

Plans for Primary Teacher Training

From 2012/13 the Training and Development Agency (TDA) will prioritise primary courses that offer a specialism, particularly in the sciences, mathematics or modern languages. For 2013/14 they expect to adjust financial incentives for trainees to favour trainees on specialist primary courses with a good A-level in mathematics, a science, or a language, over those on generalist courses. They will also require most trainees to hold a 2.1 or first to be eligible for a bursary.

PGCE Bursaries for 2012-13

In line with a new TDA strategy to prioritise trainees with the best qualifications, bursaries for 2012-13 will vary considerably according to the level of degree attained by the applicant as well as teaching shortage areas.

So a Secondary Maths, Physics or Modern Languages student will receive £20,000 if they achieve a first class degree but only £12,000 if they only get a 2.2. The comparative figures for Primary trainees with the same qualifications will be £9,000 and £0.

Information Source: AGCAS

Col's Comment:

Along with the proposal to allow former HM Forces employees to enter teaching if they can pass relevant skills tests, the new bursary structure may be the most controversial part of the new teacher training strategy. It has been well-researched that students from prosperous backgrounds are more likely to achieve high grades, thus entitling them to the de-luxe level bursaries. Some may therefore query the lack of an 'inclusiveness' element in the new strategy and feel it reflects the political preferences of current policy makers.

A Career as a Teacher in Further Education

Previously, information available on this developing career has been rather sparse but the situation has changed thanks to improvements on two key websites.

Lifelong Learning UK

Careers information can now be clearly accessed from the home page www.lluk.org - click on Information and Advice Service to find detailed handouts on topics such qualifications and bursaries. Within the careers section there is also information on Skills for Life, careers guidance, youth work, and teaching in Higher Education.

FE Teacher Training Courses

As of January 1st it will be possible to search for a full or regional list of courses via www.talent.ac.uk which previously only offered incomplete information. It is still possible to get a full list by emailing Lifelong Learning UK or ringing their advice line.

Incidentally, bursaries for FE teacher training full-time pre service diplomas (DTLLs) for 2011/12 are expected to be announced in March 2011.

Source: AGCAS