College of FE trainees qualify as teachers

Sunday 30 August 2020

Five trainees at the College of Further Education have qualified as teachers locally, after two years of study and placements.

The group of graduates have completed their City and Guilds Level 5 Diploma with the College of FE and have all been offered positions as lecturers there.

"Being in lockdown, though challenging and tough, has provided us with some great learning opportunities and we have developed some amazing resources using EdTech and other platforms we might not have previously explored," said Curriculum Lead, Vanessa Mee.

The graduates have all chosen to teach different subjects, including engineering, horticulture, photography, theatre and SEN.

"It's been one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I have done," said Lecturer in Performing Arts, Russell Kellaway.

Pictured: The College of FE offers a teacher training programme.

Lecturer in Engineering, Desmond Gorman, added: "This course has helped me immensely to become a better and more professional practitioner of teaching. As well as covering classical and new teaching theory, legislation, professional standards and research methods, the course has allowed me to become a more reflective person, continuously looking to be better in work and elsewhere.

"The delivery is broad and mentally invigorating as well as good fun and opens up many other avenues to explore in my journey ahead in teaching."

The part time teacher training course is open to the public, with a focus on lecturing and the further education sector.

"We attract a range of students to our course; practising teachers who want to specialise and vocational professionals looking for a career change into lecturing," continued Ms Mee. "We have a few places left on our next course starting in the autumn for those wishing to work in the post-compulsory education sector."

Pictured top: The group of trainees celebrating after completing their teacher training.