Being made redundant isn’t the end of the road

8th February 2019, 12:05am
The Skills You Develop As An Fe Teacher Stand You In Good Stead If Redundancy Strikes, Says Tom Starkey

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Being made redundant isn’t the end of the road

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archived/being-made-redundant-isnt-end-road

I have, unfortunately, found myself on the cusp of being made redundant.

It’s a bummer, no doubt. However, there is an upside. Having taught a fair few employability courses (bit ironic), I know that FE is fantastic training for all manner of skills. It’s a sector that, due to its variety, means that those lucky enough to teach in it can fit into a broad range of roles.

Like so many other professionals who ply our trade in the sector, I’m safe in the knowledge that FE prepares you in such a way that it isn’t too much of a wrench to move on - even if it might pain you to do so.

We meet people at different points in their lives, and it takes a special kind of skill to negotiate that. This is a skill that has served many of my colleagues well when they have moved on.

Former FE staff whom I have known have gone on to social work, physical therapy, counselling, project management, recruitment, social media management and a wealth of other roles, taking with them many of the desirable attributes they have developed during their time in FE.

My main focus is to apply to colleges and other academic institutions, but I know that if I decide to branch out further, I can - without feeling like I am shooting for the moon. I’m not sure there are many other jobs in education that set you up like that.

Tom Starkey teaches English at a college in the North of England

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