Telford College director chosen for national education recruitment campaign

A Telford College director has taken part in a national campaign to promote the benefits of using your workplace expertise to take on a teaching role in further education.

Sarah Davies, director of health and science, was one of three women invited to discuss the ‘midlife career shift’ in an interview with lifestyle publication Red Magazine.

Sarah, who has worked in further education now for 13 years, told how it had given her a completely new chance to ‘make a difference’.

She said:

“It was having my own babies that made me want to be a midwife. Now, I want to pass those skills on to the next generation.

“Students love a real-life story – it makes you more credible. There’s a given respect when you’ve been in industry yourself.

‘Over the years I’ve progressed my career in further education and am now the director of health and social care at Telford College, where I studied myself.

“I regularly recruit new teachers without prior qualifications as the college offers teacher training to those who’ve come straight from healthcare so they can train on the job. That real-life experience is so valuable.’

She added:

“I’m full-time now but the flexibility over the years has been really useful. I’d become a single mum as a midwife and doing 12-hour shifts was challenging.

“Teaching in further education, I knew I had holidays and flexibility so I could be there for my children. Plus, it meant I could continue to work one day a week in midwifery, which helped the maternity wards and my students.

“I’ve always wanted to make a difference – for me that’s what it’s always been about. Moving into further education was huge as these students are relying on you, but if you can change one person’s life then it’s worth it.

“Plus, it makes you feel really proud that you can help future-proof the industry – it’s a privilege to share your skills with young people.”

Julia Martin, who wrote the feature, said:

“In our ‘have it all’ world where we’re encouraged to raise a family, create a beautiful home, lead a buzzy social life and hold down a thriving career, it can be easy to think that professional fulfilment is one goal too far.

“However, considering a side-step into further education teaching could give you that sense of purpose you’re looking for. Within this kind of teaching, your industry experience and all the skills you’ve built up over your working life are highly prized.

“And because your expertise is one of your most valuable assets in further education (which covers any formal post-16 education that isn’t a degree), you don’t always need a teaching qualification to get started. Even better, it offers flexible working options, too.”

Would you like to use your career experience to help train the next generation? Telford College will be showcasing a range of exciting job opportunities at a recruitment event on April 25.

It will be held at the college’s Wellington campus from 5pm to 7.30pm, with refreshments and free car parking provided.

With a new base set to open in Telford town centre’s Station Quarter this autumn and extra learning pathways being added to the curriculum all the time, the college has a wide range of roles available.

They include lecturing positions in areas such as sociology, accounting, business, computing, English, engineering, maths, politics, health, social care and early years, plus a chance to teach on the college’s new games design programme.

There are also opportunities to join the construction and health department as assessors – and a range of other roles including specific positions at the college’s new Maths & Digital Skills Hub opening at Station Quarter.

To registeror find out more information, email [email protected]. For more details about current vacancies, see www.telfordcollege.ac.uk/about/job-vacancies/