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Now is the best time ever to teach maths or physics

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:09 +0100

Maths and physics are enjoying something of a renaissance in terms of popularity among A-level students.

UTCs aim to give teenagers the technical expertise they need for apprenticeships

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

Bill Williams is nothing if not honest. "I wasn't a very good engineer," he admits. Now, as a result of the plans he has drawn up for a new University Technical College in east London, he is hopeful that the next generation of youngsters will at least be given the opportunity to train to overcome that hurdle.

Why teaching is attracting the UK’s top graduates

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:52 +0100

“I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds,” says Alistair Dixon, 27, who teaches Spanish, German and French at Coombe School in Surrey. “In the classroom, those differences don’t matter.

Training and support for world-class educators

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:47:24 +0100

“The great thing about teaching is that your career path doesn’t have to go in one direction,” says Georgina Garnsey, who teaches Spanish at Backwell School in Bristol.

Why high-flyers are choosing to teach

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:54 +0100

You can’t prepare for every classroom scenario, but teacher training has a good go, says Kate Green, programme director of secondary PGCEs at the University of Southampton. “We concentrate on all the important areas, including behaviour management. Trainees are very well prepared.”

You have an excellent chance of finding a job

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:11:57 +0100

“I’ve never been out of work,” says Aaron Saxton, head of ICT at Ashton on Mersey School in Cheshire. He qualified four years ago and was taken on immediately by the school where he’d trained. Within four years he’d progressed to management level. “You definitely get a good grounding from your training. And you do feel more secure in your job.”

Case study: Hilda Sarfo Frimpong, maths teacher

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:46:04 +0100

I’ve always enjoyed maths. When I graduated I worked as a programmer for six months but found it monotonous – just sat in an office with a computer and not much human contact. At university, I’d tutored students and really enjoyed that. I realised I wanted to work with people so I gave teaching a try.

How teaching became top choice for graduates

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:00:39 +0100

No one pretends educating today’s children and young people is easy – that’s why it’s a job for the top performing graduates of today. It’s a profession that will test you to the limit, draw on all your resources and challenge you to the hilt – but you are supported every step of the way.

Why internships and placements are a popular route to employment

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:30:24 +0000

Previously, students looking for part-time work or summer jobs were advised to take any type of role because, at that time, all work experience was considered valuable, and it was viewed as an indication that the student had drive, enthusiasm and a willingness to get on and work.

The only three interview questions you'll ever need?

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

According to George Bradt, a management executive who blogs about business leadership for Forbes magazine, there are only three "true" job-interview questions: "Can you do the job? Will you love the job? And can we tolerate working with you?"

The employment lottery: two recent Cambridge grads' two very different experiences

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:29:09 +0000

In the third and final article about life after university, we trace the divergent paths of two recent Cambridge graduates: one is flourishing in her position at a world-renowned charity, while the other has moved back home and, after a futile job search, is now working as a coffee shop barista.

Internships can be a chance to test the water

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:28:34 +0000

“I was working three jobs and living in a bedsit. I was really poor and lonely and knew I needed to get out.” University of York graduate Charlie Elliot, 23, experienced the difficulties many students face after their degrees – the city they’ve called home for several years feels suddenly remote, while they remain unsure about how to begin a career or what to do with their new qualifications.

A tale of two graduates

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:58:38 +0000

Despite the statistics, even graduates from Britain's top universities face a battle to land any job, let alone the one they want. They often find themselves trapped in volunteer work, burdened with the weight of their student loan.

Where are they now? How last year's graduates are doing in the job market

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:47:17 +0000

University College London is ranked 7th in the country for graduate employability by the Good University Guide – it’s about as good as any a university for landing a job after graduation. And still, today’s crop of young graduates are struggling with a shoddy job market, an overabundance of unpaid internships and increasing levels of debt.