Awarded by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 following a rigorous selection process, the Fellowships are open to exceptional technical teachers in the FE and Training/post-16 sector.
Following a review of the impact of the Technical Teaching Fellowships programme since its inception in 2018, the Fellowships are now included in the Royal Commission’s portfolio of permanent awards, alongside other prestigious awards. The decision means that an increased number of ETF-Royal Commission Fellowships – up to six – will be awarded for 2024-/25. It also means an extension of the geographical reach of the Fellowships, with applications welcome from practitioners demonstrating excellence working in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. With the support of the Welsh Government, the programme is also being made accessible to Welsh speakers.
Fellows are recognised as outstanding practitioners, with high-impact teaching practice, who deliver effective outcomes for their learners and apprentices of all ages and levels, and in diverse subject specialist areas and industry sectors. They play an important role in driving quality improvement in FE technical teaching and training, facilitating CPD for sector colleagues and sharing effective practice, thought leadership, resources and ideas. Through these knowledge exchange and transfer activities they enable others to develop their pedagogy and professional practice so that they can meet current needs, and plan to meet the future needs, of individuals, businesses and communities.
Successful applications are characterised by:
- The demonstration of highly effective approaches to improving teaching and learning in technical education, with the potential to help other teachers to teach better.
- The promotion of the professional standards of the FE sector and workplace.
- Demonstrating how an applicant will use the Fellowship to become a positive national role model and inspire others to emulate their practice.
- Evidence of the planning and delivery of professional development opportunities which will share effective practice in technical teaching and impact positively upon the pedagogy of other teachers.
- Plans to maximise reach, engagement, and impact, by raising the profile of the Technical Teaching Fellowship programme and involving employers, professional associations, learned societies, skills groups or other partners to support and extend activity and practice.
The deadline for applications for the 2024/25 Fellowships is 5pm on 24 November 2023.
On being awarded a Fellowship, successful applicants will:
- Receive an award of £5,000 – £15,000 to support knowledge transfer activity and to ensure remission time is guaranteed by their employing organisation.
- Develop ‘Pathways to Impact’ activity action plans, to maximise the benefit of their Technical Teaching Fellowships.
- Attend two one-day developmental workshops over the academic cycle 2024/2025.
- Be allocated a programme mentor to support them for the duration of the programme.
- Be expected to disseminate their work at national conferences and via regional networks.
- Contribute to the delivery of a final report, written to engage and motivate technical education in their area of practice.
The awardees become alumni of the Royal Commission and will also be made Fellows of the Society for Education and Training (SET).
Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM FRS FREng, Commissioner and chair of the Industry and Engineering Committee of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, said:
“An effective and highly regarded FE sector is vital to developing and maintaining the skilled workforce so needed by businesses across the UK. I have been particularly impressed by the way previous recipients have used their Technical Teaching Fellowships to extend the visibility and reach of their work. Through working with employers, driving curriculum developments, sharing best practice and inspiring others, they are supporting widespread improvements in technical teaching to the benefit of many learners.”
Cerian Ayres, National Head of Technical Education at the ETF, said:
“Technical STEM teaching and training has a fundamental role to play and the Technical Teaching Fellows are helping to drive the quality of that provision. The addition of the Technical Teaching Fellowships to the Commission’s select portfolio of permanent awards is testament to their effectiveness and impact and we look forward to receiving Fellowship proposals for 2024/25 from outstanding practitioners across the UK.”
Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Education and Welsh Language said:
“I’m so pleased that Welsh institutions will have a chance to apply for Technical Teaching Fellowship for the first time. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our talented PCET sector, and to learn from leaders in the technical sector across the UK. I encourage our outstanding PCET practitioners to send in their applications.”
The Technical Teaching Fellowship programme, which was launched in June 2018, exists to celebrate, develop and disseminate exceptional practice in technical teaching. The scheme is designed to support and empower the industrial and technical expertise of individuals who support the progression of learners to higher levels of technical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) study and employment. The 2023/24 Fellows received their awards at the Royal Society in March 2023.
Further details and the application form are available on the Technical Teaching Fellowships programme page of the ETF website. Potential applicants can contact ETF National Head of Technical Education Cerian to find out more.
