The Association of Colleges has been successful in securing funding from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) to promote Further education (FE) as a career option and encourage final year undergraduates to consider a career in the sector. This project is open to FE providers in the South East region.
The More Pathways to Further Education project, funded by the Education and training Foundation, ran in academic year 2017/18 and during this time we worked with seven providers across Sussex, Surrey and Thames Valley. Twenty final year undergraduates were placed within the provider with the intention of raising the profile of FE and encouraging the undergraduates to consider a career in the sector.
This project was a huge success, with one undergraduate being offered employment by a Kent college. Following the project’s success, we are delighted to announce we have secured additional funding from the Education and Training Foundation to offer a second cohort of undergraduates the opportunity to take part in this project.
Our approach
We are looking to work with FE providers across the South East that are interested in providing a work placement for a final year undergraduate student.
Providers will be paid £300 per student placed.
You will need to offer 40 hours of work experience. This should involve a variety of activities such as an induction to the organisation, assisting with teaching, attending meetings and planning lessons in order to give a realistic and supported introduction to FE.
We will recruit the students and match their skills and experience with the most appropriate placement.You will provide a named member of staff who will act as the link for the placement (ideally each provider will take two students).
We will manage and support the placements.
Our aims
- Raise the profile of FE
- Establish new pipelines for entrants to the FE sector
- Encourage HE careers and employability teams to promote opportunities in FE
- Support providers with the recruitment of new staff
- Provide undergraduates with the skills and Knowledge they need to pursue a career in FE as well as increase their employability skills
- Develop stronger links and partnership working between FE and HE
If you are interested in being involved in this project or have any questions, please contact Gemma Baker, Area Director South East gemma.baker@aoc.co.uk
Applications to students are open now and will close in February 2019.
The project webpage can be found here https://www.aoc.co.uk/teaching-and-learning/more-pathways-further-education