Annual Review Highlights of 2016-17


SET IS GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH


By Tim Weiss, director of the Society for Education and Training


We have had a very busy year indeed during 2016-17 at the Society for Education and Training (SET).


In our second year since


launching in May 2015, we saw our membership grow to new heights, and introduced a host of new ways to achieve our mission – to build and promote the professionalism, effectiveness and status of our members, and help them progress in their careers through the development and recognition of their expertise. Although there are promising signs of increased investment into the further education and skills sector, our environment nonetheless remains unstable and unpredictable. We are facing the implementation of changes and reforms from the Area Reviews process, changing government departments and policies, plans for new technical qualifications (again!) and, not least, the post-Brexit skills challenges that lie ahead. This means that SET has an ongoing responsibility and opportunity to support our members’ teaching and employability so they can succeed and progress through this uncertain climate. During 2016-17 we further established ourselves as the largest


professional membership organisation for teachers and trainers in the UK. We are enjoying increasing popularity and satisfaction ratings among members, and a stronger reputation among leaders and stakeholders as an effective way to support recruitment and retention challenges, and to support the government’s FE and Skills workforce strategy. We also launched a new, reformed and enriched version of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) in September 2016, which is already demonstrating an impressive impact on candidates’ teaching practice, the outcomes of their learners,


SET has an ongoing responsibility and opportunity to support our members’ teaching and employability


The SET team (l-r): Andrea Veci, Lara Wilks-Sloan, Sarah Morgan, Julie Gibbings, Tim Weiss, Victoria Ibbitson, Lewis Dan, Amber Grant


and the performance of their employer organisations. By the end of March 2017 membership had risen to 15,200. We’re delighted to have grown by almost 10 per cent in the past year, and I’d like to thank every new SET member who has joined our impressive network of dedicated, leading teachers, trainers, managers and assessors, and all the various different types of educators we include from across colleges, training providers, adult and community learning, schools, employers, offender learning and the armed services.


The only cloud in this silver lining


is that this growth was not as fast as the very ambitious targets we initially set ourselves. However, after another year working closely with our members, we appreciate more than ever our responsibility to provide a membership body that can continue to add value to your practice and your career – and it is only through that ongoing goal and determination that SET will continue to grow, thrive and prosper. We’re confident that the new features and support we


introduced in 2016-17 (and will continue to do during 2017-18) will do just that.


A particular highlight for us was the re-launch of inTuition. The


new inTuition emerged in December 2016 after consultation with members, and is demonstrating a sharper, more topical focus, as well as a richer, even more relevant selection of articles to help you improve your practice. Similarly, the new SET Online Research Library (powered by EBSCO), our Introduction to Mentoring e-learning course, and our new Careers Focus hub for articles and training, have all been important new additions to increase the depth of our support for your career and professional development. We’re looking forward to going from strength to strength during 2017-18, and would like to thank all our members for their continued support.


SUMMER 2017 1

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