Chimeara recruitment want to make further education sexy

If we want to attract new blood to Further Education, then we need to make Further Education sexy, says Gavin OíMeara, Managing Director of Chimeara Recruitment in response to the recent statistic regarding 60% of Scottish teaching training places being left unfilled. These statistics were taken from a study in the interest of Teacher Training places in Scotland, but Chimeara, who are a leading Further Education (FE) Recruitment company, are not surprised by the statistic.



Gavin commented: We need to make Further Education sexy. We work in an industry where we really make a difference to society. FE affects the lives of 16 year olds to 90 year olds. We need to work hard to attract people to the industry. If the average person understood the difference an Entry to Employment (e2e) Tutor or an Assessor on a NVQ or Apprenticeship programme could make to a young person who was potentially let down by the traditional education system, then they would want to get involved. If you ask the average person about FE, they think of colleges or pottery classes, people who were not clever enough to make it to University or retired people who want to meet new friends. Our industry has so much more to offer. We make a real difference. FE is the unsung hero of the education sector and itís about time that we let everyone know about it.

Continuing to comment on the perception of the Further Education sector, Gavin said: ìIf no one understands what FE is, then how can we attract new blood into the sector, let alone the cream of the educational crop? We need to shape up our image. People who are pioneers within the FE sector think the word FE is solely for colleges and if you ask a training provider to describe themselves they will say they are either a charity or an adult learning provider. If we canít explain our services to each other, how can we explain them to someone new to the sector? We have to think how we can raise our profile and tell the world about the wonders of Further Education. We need a consensus and a joint voice for our sector.... we need to show the average Joe that FE is sexy!