To align postgraduate teaching apprentices with the school calendar, the government will reduce the duration of the apprenticeships to nine months from 12.
Newly trained teachers will be able to reach classrooms faster as part of Labour’s plan to hire an additional 6,500 teachers. This change will take place from August of this year.
Currently, most postgraduate teaching apprentice courses run from September through September. This means that trainees are unable to begin their jobs immediately. This makes it harder for schools to provide support to apprentices during their training.
Catherine McKinnell, the minister of education, stated that the route has become more popular over the years because schools are looking for ways to spend the money they pay into the apprenticeship levies and trainees want a way to earn while they learn.
The Department for Education said that more than 1,400 people have trained as teachers through this route in the past year. However, demand for teaching positions currently outstrips supply. Last year, about 2,800 qualified applicants were unable to get a position.
According to FE Week, the number of postgraduate apprentices starting between August 2024 – January 2025 has increased by 33%.
The Department for Education’s figures also reveal that in the past year, about 2,800 applicants who were eligible “were unable to secure a position on a desired course”.
The Ministers are hoping that more schools and providers of apprenticeships will be attracted to the program by changing its duration.
McKinnell stated that the decision was made following “early progress in teacher recruitment”. This year, about 2,000 additional people will be training to become secondary-school teachers.
She said: “Recruiting high-quality teachers and keeping them in our classrooms are the biggest drivers of high standards in school. That is why, in our Plan for Change, we have a commitment to hire an additional 6,500 experts teachers by the end this Parliament.
The government is determined to fill the gap and continue building on the green sprouts that we have already seen.
It is not only logical but it will also open up the door for more people to become excellent teachers and shape the lives of future generations.
The DfE is offering schools up to PS28,000 to cover the costs of training apprentices for mathematics, biology, computer science, chemistry, physics and modern foreign language – subjects with the greatest teacher shortages. The DfE will pay up to PS28,000 for the training of apprentices in mathematics, biology, chemistry physics and computing – subjects with the highest teacher shortages.
The ministers gave teachers in early careers who teach shortage subjects a 5.5% salary increase, as well as a retention incentive worth up to PS6,000 (after tax).
Reuben Moore, executive director of programs at the National Institute of Teaching, said that he was pleased with the removal of obstacles to training. The courses will offer the same content, but with a shorter duration. After completing the course, trainees will receive the status of qualified teachers and can build successful careers as teachers.
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