Once upon a time, obtaining a new teaching position was a reliable linear procedure. A school would post a vacancy in a sector journal such as the TES, and the successful applicant would apply with the appropriate local authority, get permanent, full-time employment, and most likely advance to a middle leadership role at the same school.
The teaching job market is constantly evolving, driven by technological advancements, changing educational needs, and societal shifts. As we navigate the 21st century, several key trends are reshaping the landscape of teaching careers. In this article, we will explore the top four trends that are changing the teaching job market. These trends highlight the new opportunities and challenges faced by educators in today’s fast-paced world.
For many years, recruitment in education followed a rather consistent pipeline. In 2022, though, it seems almost primitively basic. The environment for recruiting teachers has grown far more fragmented, with more locations to seek a wider variety of posts and much less engagement from local governments.
In the wake of the coronavirus epidemic and its especially severe repercussions on schooling, the employment market is destined to shift once again. This may occur gradually but will culminate in something spectacular. We have outlined the major variables that will drive change in the teaching job market over the next several years – and how you can use them to your advantage – to assist instructors in navigating the most significant developments. So, let’s delve into the key trends changing the teaching job market and explore how they are influencing the future of education.
Here are The Top 4 Trends Changing the Teaching Job Market:
1. A scarcity of educators
The teaching profession has had a personnel shortage for a long time, but you may not realize how severe it has grown. This is mostly an experienced-based crisis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of recruits to Initial Teacher Training programs has been quite high, with a temporary increase during the early phases of the epidemic. The challenge arises many years later when it comes to retaining those instructors, who have already endured several partial terms.
According to a recent study about changing the teaching job market, forty percent of teachers quit the profession within the first five years. This climbs to almost fifty percent of all instructors in essential topics such as mathematics, science, and languages. To combat this, the government has committed to increase pay and provide retention incentives. Still, for the foreseeable future, it will be more difficult for schools to fill some of their most critical positions.
This mismatch in the labor market is favorable for changing the teaching job market. Schools are aware that experienced instructors are rare and highly valued. This gives candidates more leverage when negotiating compensation packages and job circumstances.
If you need additional assistance understanding and maximizing your worth on the job market, please contact our educational recruiting specialists for assistance.
2. Teachers desire greater flexibility
In the first half of 2020, many middle managers had their preconceived notions about employee productivity outside of the office dispelled. Nevertheless, despite the severity of the pandemic’s effect on schools, education has lagged behind other industries in permitting less restrictive working habits.
This is something that must change about changing the teaching job market, not least because instructors have such a high need for it. 90% of instructors agree that flexible work choices may be enhanced in schools. In schools where flexible work hours have been implemented, 85 percent of employees have reported an improvement in their health.
We believe that the pressure on top leadership teams to implement more flexible work schedules will intensify as teachers see their counterparts in other occupations benefiting from hybrid work arrangements. This pressure also originates to a lesser degree from above. The government has previously provided guidance for schools on implementing flexible working practices. In addition, although teachers do not have an inherent right to flexible working, they do have the legal right to seek it after 26 weeks of continuous employment in a school.
We believe that the school administrators that adapt to teachers’ shifting expectations and fulfill such requests will be the most successful in attracting the best personnel. Teaching Personnel is now available to provide instructors with more power to negotiate optimal working circumstances. Whether you’re trying to switch positions or negotiate a more flexible schedule in your existing one, we can provide you with practical counsel and direction.
3. Teachers demand additional opportunities for advancement
No one likes to feel thwarted at work, least of all a young educator seeking to make a difference in the lives of children. However, limited possibilities prevent many instructors from achieving their aspirations of advancing to leadership roles.
Over fifty percent of education professionals in 2020 did not believe they had the opportunity to advance their careers at their present institution. The fact that instructors may be frequently demoted once they reach mid-level jobs owing to the usage of temporary contracts aggravates this stagnation. In 2019, big quantitative research on changing the teaching job market revealed that middle leaders are almost four times more likely to return to classroom teaching than to climb up the ranks.
Teachers may now have to struggle harder to advance inside incentive systems that are becoming more slow. The need for simple access to sufficient Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training for portfolio development increases accordingly. At Teaching Personnel, we provide this training to our registered educators via our CPD Academy, which offers a vast selection of online courses at steep discounts to assist instructors acquire new skills.
In addition to changing the teaching job market, the Department of Education is financing a new suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) designed to foster leadership skills. These will be provided at no cost to the personnel of publicly financed schools in England. Through our partners at Best Practice Network, teachers may register their interest for the following fall semester of 2022.
4. Academicisation accelerates advancement.
Recent statistics indicate that 44% of instructors are now employed by multi-academy trusts. The impact of this significant growth on the recruiting environment since 2010 cannot be understated. The EPI, the Ambition Institute, and Cambridge Assessment found in 2019 research that middle leaders at big trusts are promoted to senior positions at younger ages and a far greater rate than their counterparts at maintained schools. The same holds for senior executives elevated to principals.
High turnover rates counteract this impact, resulting in no discernible difference between maintained schools and academies in the total percentage of personnel in leadership posts. However, the data reveals that individuals who remain in their positions in MATs advance at a quicker pace.
MATs have also developed their recruiting ecosystems, allowing teachers to switch positions with more ease. The National Foundation for Educational Research showed in 2017 research that employee turnover within the same MAT is disproportionately high. This has resulted in what the authors of the research refer to as “internal markets,” where workers may be more easily redeployed for the benefit of disadvantaged schools with recruiting difficulties.
MATs have also used novel employment strategies. Individual MATs often put up booths at employment fairs and use savvy internet marketing strategies to attract prospects. With the Education Secretary proposing further academisation, MATs’ area of influence in the education industry will only expand.
Educational staffing services, such as Teaching Personnel, have built excellent working relationships with MATs around the nation for decades. We offer them, educators, counsel them on their recruiting difficulties, and regularly include their strategic ideas in our webinars. We are positioned to assist instructors in obtaining leadership roles with the most successful MATs in their respective regions.
Why educators need powerful advocates
The direction of the educated labor market is evident. Teachers, realizing their worth in a world of scarcity, will increasingly define their job conditions, opting for positions that provide flexibility and substantial advancement chances. A growing proportion of these positions will be inside multi-academy trusts. It may be argued that experienced educators are in a favorable position to capitalize on these developments. However, this position might be enhanced by collaborating with a specialized agency.
Teaching Personnel does much more than put teachers in temporary, daily supply positions. Our advisors assist a rising number of full-time educators in recognizing their marketable qualities and securing roles commensurate with their aspirations. Every educator has access to our wealth of knowledge and perspective on education. Whether you are interested in leaving your present position or advancing within your institution, our seasoned sector professionals are prepared to advise you on the most effective course of action. All you need to do is make contact.
Conclusion:
Every job has to keep up with the changing trends in the market to provide updated goods and services to their customers. These trends have their advantages and disadvantages but nobody can choose them. After reading about these 4 trends changing the teaching job market, you will stay updated with them. We hope our blog ‘Top 4 Trends Changing the Teaching Job Market’ helped you understand what changes drive the job market.
Also Read: eTutorWorld – Teaching In The Digital Age
