As industries – and the skills needed to support them – evolve more and more rapidly, it has never been more important for educators and lecturers to stay up to date with the latest industry developments in their field, says Sarah Bowden, Programme Delivery Manager at the Education Training Foundation. The Further Education (FE) and Skills sector is at the forefront of developing a talent pipeline for the future workforce, drawing on local and national industry partnerships and expertise to strengthen our national skills framework and address significant skills gaps. In this context, learners continue to place their trust in FE and Skills providers to secure their career paths.
The 2013 Commission on Adult Vocational Technical Teaching and Learning (CAVTL) report outlined that “the best vocational teaching and learning is a sophisticated process; it demands ‘dual professionals’ – teachers and trainers with occupational expertise and experience, who can combine this with excellent teaching and learning practice.” With industries evolving rapidly as they adopt new technologies and increase their focus on sustainability, FE and Skills providers are exploring innovative ways to enhance the industry knowledge and skills within their teams, ensuring practitioners can maintain and develop their dual professionalism. Research supports the importance of maintaining current industry knowledge. The development of dual professionalism leads to improved learner outcomes, heightened employer engagement, and a more relevant and engaging curriculum.
In essence, the continuous pursuit of dual professionalism underpins high-quality teaching and learning, ensuring the best experiences and outcomes for learners. One approach to enable practitioners to refresh their industry knowledge and skills is through industry placements. Majd Khador, a Construction Teacher at Derby College who took part in an Industry Insights placement as part of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) programme delivered by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), shared how it had improved his practice: “This experience has had a very positive impact on me personally as it allowed me to network with some of the most successful professionals in the [construction engineering] industry and exchange practical knowledge and experience with them. We use problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy in our department at Derby College Group, and this knowledge could be utilised in preparing more realistic scenarios for our PBL lessons and assessments.”
In another example that supported the development of practitioners’ green skills, a collaborative initiative between the City of Liverpool College and ETF’s Industry Insights team enabled a department of construction educators to gain direct industry experience while updating their skills in solar-powered energy and sustainable building practices. Exposing learners to the latest technologies, skills and workplace scenarios can help address the widening skills gaps facing employers. The Department of Education’s most recent Employer Skills Survey notes that skills shortage vacancies have more than doubled since 2011. Rapid shifts in technology mean that certain skills can quickly become obsolete without further training. Meanwhile, robust interpersonal abilities such as clear communication and effective management remain critical across industries. For Ian Wallace at Exeter College, a TLPD Industry Insights placement helped highlight the importance of soft skills for Digital T Level learners:
Ian Wallace, Deputy Head of Faculty, Exeter College“I now have increased awareness of the behaviours and people skills that our learners need to develop to be successful in the IT industry. I have increased confidence in being able to develop these employability skills and behaviours in partnership with students.”
As the Government focuses on its mission-led agenda, up-to-date industry skills are vital to support the green transition, provide the NHS with skilled talent, and drive economic growth. The dual professionalism of FE and Skills practitioners enables the nurturing of these skills, bridging the gap between industry needs and the reality of the learning environment. When educators embody dual professionalism, they are not only experts in their subject areas but also inspirational leaders who nurture essential employability skills in their students. This equips learners for the complexities of future work environments, ultimately fostering innovation, trust, and better experiences and outcomes for learners.
Written by
Sarah Bowden, Programme Delivery Manager, Education Training Foundation