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The Corporation

Posted: 01/04/15

‘Teacher champion’ Alison stars in national recruitment film

A ‘teacher champion’ from West Nottinghamshire College is appearing in a new recruitment film to encourage graduates to train for a teaching career in the further education (FE) and skills sector.

Alison Tate appears in the Teach Skills, Touch Lives video

Alison Tate, a teacher training tutor, appears in the video discussing why she went into teaching and the personal rewards she gets from the job. 

The film, called Teach Skills, Touch Lives, has been produced by industry body the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), which sets professional standards and provides support to ensure students and employers benefit from high-quality, relevant education and training.

It sees a number of ‘teacher champions’ from several colleges and training providers across the country give their own personal testimonies about working in the sector – passionately explaining how their previous careers or life experiences gave them the inspiration to want to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

The ETF invited Alison to take part after feeling her route into a teaching – which followed a career in industry – would help inspire others.

Alison, from Mansfield, first joined the college in the early-nineties, teaching ICT, secretarial, administration and key skills courses after working as an administration manager at a legal stationery company. She left in 2005 to pursue various teaching and management roles in other colleges, before returning in January this year to teach students on the college’s teacher training courses.

In the film, Alison explains her motivation for becoming a college tutor, saying: “Every day is different; every student that you meet is different and you learn so much – but you’re also giving so much back as well.”

Alison says it was a “privilege” to be part of the video and have the opportunity to “attract new talent into this amazing sector.”

She said: “While many aspiring teachers take the traditional routes of going into primary or secondary education, I hope this video encourages more people, particularly those with vocational expertise, to consider a career in further education. 

“It provides so many life-enhancing opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds that teaching in a college is one of the most varied, inspiring and fulfilling professions there is.”

Olivia Dorricott, director of leadership, management and governance at the ETF, said: “I am delighted with our new film. It reflects the enthusiasm and commitment of teachers like Alison, who really want to help their students in a positive way and demonstrate how rewarding teaching in the further education sector can be.

“We hope lots of people will be inspired by these testimonies and choose to teach in FE.”

The film can be viewed on the Education and Training Foundation’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/EducationTFoundation

Anyone interested in studying a teacher training course at West Nottinghamshire College should call 0808 1003626.