A ringing endorsement of our unique approach.
One part in particular of the King’s Speech on the 7th of November was music to our ears at Teach Now:
‘My Ministers will strengthen education for the long term. Steps will be taken to ensure young people have the knowledge and skills to succeed, through the introduction of the Advanced British Standard that will bring technical and academic routes into a single qualification.’
Charles III, King of England
We like to think this is a ringing endorsement of our unique approach to the business of education recruitment consultancy – and specifically of the Teach Now Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme. Since our scheme has been up and running for several months now, this is proof, if any were needed, that we’re ‘ahead of the curve’ as always.
This comes ahead of a consultation (followed by a White Paper) on the proposed Advanced British Standard (ABS) qualification – although this and associated measures are not without their critics. For a very clear and reasoned appraisal, see this excellent feweek.co.uk article (Monday 13th November): https://feweek.co.uk/kings-speech-2023-what-was-promised-for-fe-and-skills/
About the Teach Now Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme
Launched back in June 2023, the scheme not only embodied our own commitment to nurturing young people’s development but, even back then, was also in line with the UK government’s policy to prioritise the support of young people in their journey towards employment. We described it at the time as a ‘transformative opportunity’. And this news makes the possibilities even more exciting: even more chances for aspiring teachers to earn as they learn as valued members of a school’s staff – both ‘on the job’ and with a DFE-recognised education specialist training company. For more information, see our June blog article on the scheme’s launch: The Teach Now Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme.
Training provision using the Government Apprenticeship Levy
Since the concept of apprenticeship in education is a new one, education professionals may not be familiar with the apprenticeship levy. Here’s how the Government describes it:
‘The Apprenticeship Levy is a charge introduced by government to help fund their plans to deliver a step change in apprenticeship numbers and their quality. The levy is designed to put apprenticeship funding in the hands of employers and encourage them to invest in and create apprenticeships.’
Anne Milton, Department for Education
It’s only paid by the biggest employers – those with a wages bill of more than £3 million, at a rate of 0.5% of their total annual employee pay bill. The good news for school recruiters is that these funds are earmarked for smaller employers to finance apprenticeship training. That means we can use the Government Apprenticeship Levy money entitlement to fund the training of your apprentices. What’s more, your people get the benefit twice, because we’re also entitled to use levy funds to train our own external staff.
How does this help with your staffing challenges?
As we’re sure you’re all too keenly aware, there’s a chronic shortage of trained teachers and teaching assistants – especially SEN/SEND-qualified ones. So if you can’t find the qualified teaching talent you need, the beauty of this new scenario is that it enables you to ‘upskill’ selected current employees, without using a penny of your already-overstretched budget. It makes existing employees feel valued – and helps them to realise their potential while becoming an even more valuable team member. It could be a Teaching Assistant who wants to train as a SEN/D teacher… Or an office administrator, catering professional or facilities manager who wants to become a teacher… Whoever it is, you get a much-needed new member of your teaching staff, without the need for seeking, vetting, interviewing and then ‘bedding in’ candidates from outside.
The Teach Now Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme in Action
With the considerable advantage of having launched almost six months before this King’s Speech announcement, our scheme is already going from strength to strength. True to the Teach Now commitment to forge long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships, we’ve entered into partnerships with an impressive variety of organisations, from the NHS, Wembley Football Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, DWP and many Earn & Learn-related charities, all of whom are helping us spread the word about the benefits of apprenticeships in education and give the schools we work with access to fresh, untapped pools of potential teaching talent.
We have the following courses available:
- Higher Level TA
- EY L2 L3 TA / L3 TA / HLTA
- SEND Co & EY SEND Co / PGTA Free Training
- DFE Approved Education Specialist Apprenticeship Company Access to Degree Holder
Even though we’re six months ahead of the game, it’s still early days for the Teach Now Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme. After this shot in the arm from the King’s Speech, we’re working with renewed enthusiasm and vigour to help even more aspiring education professionals realise their potential – and to help schools solve their staffing problems. So watch this space for more innovation and more opportunities!
In the meantime, don’t hesitate to talk to the Teach Now team about how our Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme can help you right now.