“It also gave me the opportunity to compare teaching techniques and decision-making with my peers. It has also ensured I use better and more effective approaches when managing behaviour and low-level distractions, common in FE. “I look forward to becoming a


well-rounded professional in education, delivering excellent teaching and learning in several engineering subjects and providing great mentoring to learners and lecturers new to teaching.”


ROB LONG is a lecturer in engineering at Southport College. He has worked in engineering for over 40 years.


“I left school at 16 and as a mechanical


engineering apprentice I studied an ONC and HND in mechanical engineering with the aspiration of becoming a design engineer. “In my early thirties I was made


redundant during an engineering recession and I decided to study for a part-time degree. I paid the fees myself and worked as a labourer on a building site. “Having gained a first class degree, I studied for a PhD at Imperial College London. After I completed the PhD I conducted research at Imperial for over 12 years into using ultrasound to inspect structures. “Following redundancy I moved to the North West and began tutoring disadvantaged school children as a volunteer and this kindled the idea that I would like to be a teacher. “I chose to work in further education, rather than schools, as this gives me an opportunity to share my life and engineering experience with those about to enter the workplace. “The SET Programme support for early career lecturers in engineering has proved invaluable to me. I now plan to commit to being a college lecturer.”


For more information on SET for Teaching Success and more case studies visit the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) website or, if reading your digital version of this publication, then simply click the following link goo.gl/38xn3q


inTUITIONTECHNICAL TEACHING • AUTUMN 2018 13


A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH FOR HARD-TO-FILL ROLES


The Further Forces scheme is a high-priority programme to recruit former armed forces technical experts into hard-to-fill science, engineering and technology (SET) teaching roles in further education. The scheme, which is supported by the Education and


Training Foundation (ETF), the DfE, MOD and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, aims to retrain 210 Armed Forces Service Leavers as FE teachers and trainers. Service leavers are supported to find employment, are allocated a subject specialist mentor and experience high quality learning experiences while on a fully-funded teacher training programme which is delivered flexibly. As well as offering service leavers the chance of a


Further Forces


graduate Nick Harper (pictured below) works at Weymouth College as a lecturer and employer engagement consultant in business and IT. Nick served as an officer in the Royal Navy for over 27 years before retraining through Further Forces. During his time in the Royal Navy, Nick specialised in telecommunications and information systems, including cyber security.


rewarding career, the scheme also supports providers in recruiting highly skilled teachers and trainers in SET subjects where there is a recognised skills shortage. The University of Portsmouth recruits service leavers and links them with suitable employment in further education. The newly employed service leavers will then undergo an in-service training programme. Alongside this, the University of Brighton provides subject specialist mentoring support to ensure the new teachers are successful in their role. The scheme is currently recruiting, and is also looking for practitioners to act as paid subject specialist mentors. For more information visit the University of


Portsmouth website and search for Further Forces or, if you are reading your digital issue of the teaching supplement, click this link goo.gl/WiYuPo Alternatively, if you wish to talk about the scheme or find out more about the specialist mentor role, then contact cerian.ayres@etfoundation.co.uk


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