Record number of Technical Teaching Fellowships awarded for 2025/26

Seven Technical Teaching Fellowships have been awarded to nine Fellows for 2025/26, representing the largest cohort of Fellows to date for the prestigious Technical Teaching Fellowship programme, which seeks to elevate and develop technical teaching and learning across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The awards, made jointly by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, were presented at a celebratory event held at the Royal Society in London on Friday 28 March. 

The seven Fellowships were presented to: 

• Jay Alexander, Curriculum Manager, and Dan Balls, Games Development Course Leader, at South Essex College, whose joint Fellowship will seek to positively impact retention of staff and the quality of technical teaching nationally through the production of technical learning resources similar to academic provision 

• Tiberiu Dancovici, Digital Learning and Innovation Manager at Coleg y Cymoedd, whose Fellowship will examine how generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) can enhance and extend teaching and learning strategies for vocational learning, aligning AI capabilities with educational methodologies 

• Rana ElFarra, Project Lead – Institute of Technology at North Hertfordshire College, whose Fellowship will focus on creating interactive and immersive virtual reality experiences, including the use of avatars, to enhance Science T Level teaching and learning 

• Vanessa Mee, CPD and Scholarly Activity Manager at The Guernsey Institute, whose Fellowship will look at how small community colleges can emulate world-leading apprenticeship models to raise aspirations, outcomes and broaden horizons for all learners 

• Gerard Morgan, Lecturer, and Steve Williams, Curriculum Leader, in Electronic Engineering at Gower College Swansea, whose joint Fellowship will look to embed pressure testing into the curriculum to help learners improve their technical and soft skills in preparation for the workplace 

• Jessica Stevenson, Principal at UTC Sheffield, whose Fellowship will focus on creating a direct pathway for students into the healthcare industry through the provision of hands-on experience with emerging technologies 

• Claire Wood, Lecturer at Chelmsford College, whose Fellowship will seek to enhance employability skills in T Level learners using digital technology to make them more competitive in the job market. 

The event saw Fellows from previous years presenting on their Fellowship activity, inspiring the new 2025/26 cohort with ideas to maximise the impact of their upcoming Fellowship. All Fellows now become alumni of the Royal Commission, providing them with further support to drive quality improvement in technical STEM teaching and training. 

In addition to being the largest cohort to date, the 2025/26 Fellows cohort also includes the first Fellow from the Channel Islands as well as recipients from across England and Wales. 

Applications for Technical Teaching Fellowships are assessed against criteria including demonstrating highly effective approaches to improving teaching and learning in technical education, how the Fellowship will be used to inspire others, and the planning of professional development opportunities to impact on the pedagogy and professional practice of other teachers and trainers.  

Fellows will develop knowledge transfer and exchange activities, sharing effective practice at national and regional conferences and via networks, facilitating CPD and contributing to thought leadership through an established technical community of practice. They will also contribute to a final report to engage and motivate technical education practitioners in their specialist subject areas.  

Dr Katerina Kolyva, ETF’s CEO, said:

“We extend our warmest congratulations to the 2025/26 Technical Teaching Fellows awarded at Friday’s event at the Royal Society. These prestigious awards recognise true leaders in technical education, supporting them to extend the reach of their practice and increase the standards and quality of technical teaching across the UK. During Friday’s awarding event, it was a privilege to hear about the fascinating projects this year’s Fellows will be working on, and how their work will benefit educators, learners and our broader society and economy by driving innovations and improvements in technical teaching. We look forward to supporting them on their Fellowship journey.” 

John Lavery MVO MBA, Secretary to the 1851 Royal Commission, said:

“The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 is delighted to welcome the 2025 cohort of its Technical Teaching Fellowship programme to the 1851 community. With two double awards to South Essex College and Gower College Swansea, this is the largest group of Fellows so far and we consider the work they will undertake within the Further Education environment to be of huge importance. The awards recognise the incredibly high teaching standards and example that they demand, and deliver, of themselves.”