Teach Too
Professional community practice
The importance of collaboration
The Association of Colleges (AoC ) has worked with the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) on the Teach Too programme since January 2017. Our focus has been on collaborative approaches to the design and delivery of technical programmes, which support the implementation of T Levels.
In our view, the Teach Too initiative is completely aligned to T Level delivery. To date, the programme has enabled colleges to develop relationships with employers, to address some of the challenges of technical reform implementation, and meet the skills needs of individuals, communities and businesses.
Two-way street
Through genuine two-way street collaboration, many partnerships aligned the technical skills offer to local employment needs, developed more industry relevant curriculum, and improved progression outcomes for learners.
Employers have been extremely active in the programme. For example, a large employer in the North East has worked with Bishop Auckland College to train teaching staff on their premises, using new equipment. College staff utilised the experience to develop curricula and enhance delivery with learners while the employer benefited from the staff’s ability to deliver all future in-house training to new employees.
Current and future local workforces benefitted greatly from the programme. In the South East, Plumpton College worked with a group of employers to identify post-Brexit skills requirements. Collectively they discussed suitable progression pathways with current employees and learners in the area before collaborating on appropriate training to ensure a supply of skilled staff.
Industry experience works
Providing meaningful industry experiences for learners had a positive impact in several areas. At Lincoln College, learners were given the opportunity to work onsite with a local housing association, working closely with skilled employers on a range of refurbishment techniques. The experience of a supported, meaningful real work experience where employers were co-delivering curriculum resulted in improved engagement and motivation in learners.
Colleges have always been at the centre of local economies, working with businesses to provide better opportunities and outcomes for learners. The Teach Too initiative has boosted this activity and taken collaboration to new levels of engagement. Each of the projects involved made great strides in understanding effective ways for improving collaborative arrangements for implementing T Levels.
Contact us
There are a number of practical resources available to support sector development of Teach Too activity. To access the resources or to find out more about the current programme, visit the AoC website or contact Morag Gallagher.
Email: morag.gallagher@aoc.co.uk
Website: https://www.aoc.co.uk/teach-too-programme
Phone: 020 7034 9900