World Health Day: Staffordshire health and social care expert turned FE teacher on how she unlocks healthcare talent in West Midlands
World Health Day (7 April) is dedicated to honouring healthcare professionals, Chloe Davis, a Health and Social Care FE teacher at Stoke on Trent College, shares her story to highlight the benefits of combining clinical experience with teaching.
In the West-Midlands alone there are 13,500 vacant roles in the adult care sector. Chloe Snape is calling on other professionals to help build the talent pipeline by sharing their knowledge with the next generation.
Chloe Snape, aged 26, from Stoke on Trent, started volunteering at her local hospice at just 16, where she discovered a passion for health and social care. Chloe now teaches FE courses in health and social care fulltime at Stoke on Trent College, passing her passion on to the next generation of local industry talent. She can discuss her journey into FE teaching, the benefits of the role and why she would encourage other industry professionals to consider applying.
Chloe shares “Becoming an FE teacher has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Working with young people and passing on my skills and experience from my time in the sector has been incredibly fulfilling. Existing health & social care professionals can play an important role in preparing learners to join the workforce. I would encourage anyone considering sharing their skills in FE to absolutely go for it. Industry experience is highly valued in FE. By bringing real life examples and scenarios into my teaching, I can deliver lessons that are informative, engaging and support my students as they make important career choices.”
The Department for Education’s Teach in Further Education campaign is calling on those with industry experience to teach in FE by sharing their skills and training the next generation of workers in their field.
FE teachers are needed across many subject areas but there is particular demand for workers from the following sectors: Health and Social Care, Construction, Engineering and Manufacturing, Legal, Finance, Accounting and Digital and IT.
Practical experience gained from industry is highly sought after, and teaching and other academic qualifications are not always a pre-requisite for employment as FE teachers can start earning straight away and do funded training on-the-job. There are full-time, part-time and flexible contracts available, allowing FE teachers to balance their hours alongside other professional or personal responsibilities.
