Teachers jobs fair attracts 40% more visitors as recession bites
“I would like a good, long term career in a secondary school and am looking at doing a PGCE in Design and Technology, hopefully later this year.”
Paul Powell, in his early 50s and from Sutton Coldfield, worked for more than 30 years as an automotive production engineer for companies such as Lucas.
He took redundancy last November and is half way through an NVQ Level Three in Child Care, with a view to training as a teaching assistant.
Mr Powell said: “I see teaching as a stable career and something that I have always had a connection with.
“Everybody thinks I’m barmy because of the low pay and I’m competing with people coming out of university, but I enjoy it.
“I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it because I want to do as much as I can in the classroom.”
A newly qualified teacher can earn a minimum of £20,627, depending on previous experience.
Other benefits include top up payments for taking on additional responsibilities, the opportunity to join the second largest public sector pension scheme in the country and longer holidays.
Organisers of the job fair said 1,700 people had attended the two-day event by 3pm yesterday – an increase of 36 per cent on last year.
