Leadership in further education (FE) is one of the biggest potential entry routes to the FE sector for those who’ve been working in other industries. Whether you’re a banker, engineer, bricklayer or electrician, there are roles that apply directly to your skillset.
FE has much to gain from leaders and managers joining from outside sector, however, it's not the most well-known career pivot. Yet, changing careers from the private to the public sector can both radically transform a leader’s life and help develop the FE sector.
There’s never been a better time to explore a career change and dip a toe into further education. With the potential candidate pool at the very top level of FE depleting rapidly in recent years as the sector attempts to cope with unprecedented change, colleges are increasingly looking outside the education sector for a new generation of leaders.
Bernie Cullen, recruitment manager at the AoC, has spoken about the FE sector considering “which backgrounds might have the best synergy to successfully transfer into FE and looking at a holistic way of supporting and developing individuals into the sector. At the same time, you should also contemplate whether or not your skills can be transferred to a highly rewarding career in FE.
The biggest misconception about working in FE is that you have to be an educator. And that simply isn’t true. Without leaders in important FE leadership roles, departments wouldn’t run smoothly, colleges wouldn’t flourish and the sector would collapse.
Senior or middle management in a company, whatever the industry, can bring invaluable insights to the FE sector. And you’ll be rewarded for it. There are numerous, well paid, jobs within FE leadership for driven, experienced individuals who can bring real-world experience to the role.
Although there are numerous industries that would benefit from leadership outside FE, we’ve highlighted three here.
Many FE qualifications are vocational and skills are assessed constantly throughout the course, as students learn on the job. Much of industry works in this way, and students are constantly having their practical skills tested by assessors. This could be one role that appeals to you as you look to transition from industry to education.
Another role where the switch may be feasible is from industry to technician. While technicians are not official teachers, they are responsible for the teaching environment and can offer advice to both teachers and students when it comes to working in the industry.
The CEO of EngineeringUK, Dr Hilary Leevers, has put inspiring and engaging with the engineers of tomorrow at the heart of her organisation’s mission. “People can deviate from traditional pathways and come back in,” she states. “Or they can just join the engineering pathway at a much later stage, while the people who have come along the pathways and have moved into different areas will take all the benefit of that engineering insight into those areas such as teaching or policy.”
Such a pathway is the emergence of partnerships between industry and the FE sector. Nowhere is it more apparent than at Kirklees College in Yorkshire. A £7.5m state-of-the-art specialist engineering centre at the college underlines a commitment to excellence that sees collaborations with internationally renowned companies, such as Hovis, Fox’s Biscuits and Coca Cola. As well as the highly skilled students that graduate from the institution, the link-ups mean that leaders can develop their skills in industry and inspire the next generation of engineers within FE.
In September 2021, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) urged the UK government to add bricklayers to its Shortage Occupation List, underlining the extent of the dearth of skilled workers in this sector. Some 38% of CBI members reported bricklayer shortages in the final quarter of 2021, compared to the corresponding period a year previous.
The situation presents a raft of opportunities for those either wishing to embark on a career in bricklaying or those already with a foothold in the industry. With these specialist skills highly sought after, a career in FE teaching the art may well be the best decision you ever make.
Go Construct states that “work experience is essential to gaining employment within the construction industry and going on to become an FE tutor”. Matthew Willars, bricklaying course manager with Bedford College, is one individual who followed this route. He worked for a number of years in the construction industry after starting out as an apprentice bricklayer, before opting for a career in the FE sector to pass on his experience and knowledge to the next generation. “I am passionate about the craft of bricklaying so to be able to train students to industry standards is a real privilege,” he explains.
It is clear that passing on his specialist skills both in a ‘hands on’ and managerial sense is something that he prizes. “I also like being in a position where I’m setting an example to the students who are the future of the construction industry,” Willars says. “The teaching aspect of my role is straightforward but you always have to be on your toes to deal effectively with students’ problems.”
Leaders in the hairdressing industry fear a future staffing crisis due to a decreasing number of apprentices, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The National Hair and Beauty Federation has expressed its concerns that the number of people starting hairdressing apprenticeships may drop by between 30% and 50% in 2021/22. The number had previously halved between 2016 and 2020.
Trevor Luker, co-founder and Director of the London Hairdressing Apprenticeship Academy, explains: “The number of salons and barbershops is at risk of declining if the talent pool isn’t replenished. The hairdressing industry employs over 1% of the total UK workforce and is respected internationally as the world’s best but to maintain this status, it needs new recruits.”
The pandemic and consequent lockdowns highlighted the importance of hairdressers as countless people settled for DIY haircuts and many realised in no uncertain terms that hairdressing is a valuable skill that should be recognised as such.
Those who have been in the hairdressing sector for years will more than likely have trained more junior colleagues at their place of work already so transferrable skills should not be a problem. As Elizabeth Burton, an experienced hairdresser and educator with 25 years experience within the hairdressing industry, explains: “The knowledge and training I gained while working in industry, has been paramount to the tools I use daily in roles I undertake on campus.”
Karen Kaya, a full-time tutor in hairdressing, makeup and barbering at Stockport College in the northwest of England, runs her own hairdressing business alongside her teaching role. Of the transition to FE, she states: “You’ll need excellent time management skills! The job is vast and you’ll develop flexibility. To succeed you’ll have to share, to work as part of a team. Be part of the community.”
She adds: “Visit local colleges – I walked into Stockport College 15 years ago and never looked back.”
https://www.aoc-services.co.uk/mind-the-gap-the-future-demand-for-leadership-in-fe/
https://www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/centres-facilities/engineering-centre/
https://www.aocjobs.com/career-advice/what-engineering-jobs-are-available-in-fe
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/government/bricklayer-shortage-could-last-years-06-09-2021/
https://www.lhaa.co.uk/blog/london-academy-launches-drive-to-head-off-hairdressing-skills-shortage
https://www.inverness.uhi.ac.uk/subject-areas/creative-cultural/hairdressing/meet-our-team/
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