A new scheme to raise standards of maths among young people and adults in the further education sector in England was launched today.

Colleges and other FE providers can apply for grants of £20,000 to train maths graduates to teach the subject at GCSE level and above.

The scheme will work alongside existing programmes, including the previously announced £10,000 ‘golden hello’ initiative for new graduate maths teachers, and will support the move for GCSEs to become the standard qualification in post-16 education from 2015. 

Trainees must be employed and commence their initial teacher training between September 1 2014 and July 31, 2015.

Skills minister Nick Boles said: “Maths is essential for any job, that’s why we are committed to getting the basics right and ensuring that all learners are able to develop these vital skills.  

“Over the next two years we are investing more than £30million to raise the quality and quantity of teaching in further education. 

“This scheme will give the sector the knowledge and confidence to deliver excellent maths teaching and has been designed to give colleges and providers the freedom to train their new teachers in the most effective way possible.”

Helen Pettifor, director of professional standards and workforce development at the Education and Training Foundation, said: “People join this sector from many different industries and training on the job is an important route for colleges and training organisations looking to qualify new teaching staff.  

“This scheme will really complement the work we are doing at the Education and Training Foundation - our FE Advice helpline receives many calls from people interested in teaching who want to learn on the job.”

Joy Mercer, director of policy at the Association of Colleges, said: “One of the best ways of increasing the number of maths teachers who can teach students who haven’t got GCSE grade A* to C, is to provide training on the job.

“We are very pleased that colleges will have a resource they can use to ensure that potential maths teachers have the best possible programme of training while they are also developing their skills in the classroom.”

It follows a similar programme designed to help colleges and providers recruit specialist graduate maths teachers.

The maths teacher recruitment incentive, which ran until March this year, allowed providers to apply for £20,000 to recruit a maths graduate specifically for their organisation to use towards training, salary, recruitment and support.

Those working with other providers to pool resources could apply for £30,000.

In July the government outlined its commitment to improving the quantity, quality and professionalism of specialist teachers and trainers, especially in maths, as part of the Further Education Workforce Strategy. 

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Cash boost to tempt ‘brightest and the best’ to teach maths in FE colleges - February 2014

Government urges FE sector to ‘excel’ by tackling poor teaching and governance - July 2014