Teachers and trainers are essential to building Britain's recovery

The Institute for Learning (IfL) has welcomed the government’s white paper, Building Britain’s Recovery: Achieving Full Employment. IfL's members – more than 200,000 teachers and trainers in further education and skills – are essential for helping deliver the promise set out in the white paper that young people will be supported to move into training and employment quickly, and benefit from flexible services.

Toni Fazaeli, chief executive of IfL, said, "Our teachers and trainers are experts in transforming people’s lives through personalised education and training. They generate a long-lasting love of learning, as well as new skills and knowledge for young people and adults, to help them into employment or becoming self-employed.

"After school, young people deserve the best possible start in their training and employment. Teaching and learning is a two-way process, and most young people come to a further education college or training provider with talents and skills, as well as a live or latent ambition – and they usually are expert at using a range of new technologies. Young people can contribute by helping other learners use computer applications and social networking to support learning. They can share their expertise in new technologies with teachers and trainers too, helping make sure that they are bang up-to-date and can use technology in ways that work best for young people’s training and learning.

"Many teachers and trainers work in provision that is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions or the Learning and Skills Council. We think that young people and adult learners should expect and experience brilliant teaching and training, whatever the funding source. Learners want to know that their teacher or trainer is qualified and benefits from continuing professional development (CPD), supported by the college or provider, to keep them up to date in their subject or vocational area, and in their teaching methods. Ninety-eight per cent of teachers and trainers who declared their CPD to IfL for 2008–09 have exceeded the minimum requirement of 30 hours a year, and many carry out double this amount.

"Teachers and trainers often provide the best, or only, route away from unemployment, a worrying reality for so many young people and adults in the current economic climate. They are crucial for delivering the extra 100,000 opportunities for entering employment through training and work experience, announced in the white paper, and to making a difference to the prospects of those who are unemployed or whose jobs are at risk."

Notes to Editors

Building Britain’s Recovery: Achieving Full Employment was published on 15 December 2009.