According to the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) young executives are now frequently eyeing up a second career in the classroom with teaching identified as the most popular choice of occupation for those planning a change.

New research for the TTA released today reveals that 69% of working graduates aged between 21 and 36 envisage starting a second career, with one in five (20%) considering becoming a teacher.  This puts teaching way out in front of its nearest rivals, with the media (14%), IT (11%) and banking (10%) all attracting far less interest.

Younger graduates (aged 21-26) have particularly itchy feet.  Forty per cent anticipate leaving their first career after spending just 5 years within it while 71% expect to call it a day by the time they have devoted a decade’s service. Overall, those in sales, marketing and administration felt most inclined to trade in their jobs for pastures new.**

Graham Holley, Executive Director at the TTA said: “A change of career in your 30s or 40s is now common and teaching is one of the great beneficiaries of the trend.  Today almost a third of newly qualified teachers are over 30 years old. This means our classrooms can draw on a far broader range of talent and experience.”

A craving for fresh challenges and the desire to use new skills are the main reasons executives want to switch professions.  Others are on the hunt for a better-paid role or simply want a job that is more rewarding.  Of those who identified teaching as a preferred option, 72 per cent said they wanted to make a difference to people’s lives and 44 per cent were drawn to working with children.

“We’re delighted that teaching is so appealing to potential career changers.  A recent study found that teaching was the number one choice for final year students and now we have found that it’s also number one for career changers,” said Graham Holley.***

There are still some remaining places on teacher training courses to start this September, particularly for graduates who want to teach modern languages, design and technology, maths and science.  For more information about how to become a teacher, see www.teach.gov.uk.

What they want to do next:

NB: Respondents were invited to choose more than one profession

This news release is issued on behalf of the Teacher Training Agency. 

Research was conducted online between 15 and 26 July 2005 by YouGov Plc, who interviewed a sample of 1,778 working graduates. Results are unweighted.

Media enquiries

Andi Neophytou or Michael Sheen at Band & Brown Communications. Tel: 020 7419 6949 / 8616; email: andi@bbpr.com / michael.sheen@bbpr.com.

General TTA enquiries

0870 496 0123

Teacher Training Agency

This news release applies to England only.

* Seventy three per cent of graduates who are in their first career and who graduated up to two years ago anticipate spending 10 years or less in their first career. Seventy two per cent expect to have embarked upon their second career at 35 or younger.

** Graduates who are in their first career who are not teachers.

*** The UK Graduate Careers Survey, High Fliers Research Ltd and conducted among 16,113 final year students at 30 universities in the UK and Ireland, showed teaching, media and marketing as the top three career destinations of choice.

For more information about how to become a teacher, see http://www.teach.gov.uk/. Personal advice is available from the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 – 992 for Welsh speakers (minicom 01245 45 43 43).

Applications for most postgraduate Initial Teacher Training courses are processed through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and can be submitted online at www.gttr.ac.uk. Applications for undergraduate teacher training courses can be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (www.ucas.ac.uk).

A Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) can expect to start on a salary of at least £19,161 (£23,001 in inner London) in September 2005. The pay scale for good, experienced classroom teachers who have 'crossed the threshold' rises to at least £30,339 outside London and £35,985 in inner London in September. Additional allowances may be paid to teachers considered to be excellent, and to those who take on management and other responsibilities. The pay scale for head teachers can rise to over £90,000 depending on size of school.

Bursaried courses designed for people to gain an additional language before entering teacher training are available.  Call the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 for further information.

Pre-Initial Teacher Training modern languages extension courses in French were introduced in May 2004. These courses are running again in 2005 and are available at the University of Hull, primarily serving Yorkshire and Humberside, and at Liverpool John Moores University, primarily serving the North West region.

Similar extension courses in German are running in May 2005, also at Liverpool John Moores University, and at the University of Portsmouth, primarily serving the South East region.

Courses are specifically designed to help graduates with one foreign language develop a second language up to Key Stage 3 (up to the level for pupils aged 14). The modern language extension course lasts for 14 weeks. On completion, you will be expected to immediately undertake initial teacher training on a secondary modern languages course leading to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Eligible trainees on postgraduate initial teacher training courses in England are entitled to a tax-free training bursary worth £6-9,000.

From September 2006, Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) with a PGCE in maths and science may also be eligible for a ‘golden hello’ payment worth £5,000 (taxed) after successfully completing their induction period. Those with a PGCE in modern languages, English or drama, design and technology, Information and Communications Technology, music and RE may receive £2,500.

Details are available on the TTA website at www.tta.gov.uk/funding

The Graduate Teacher Programme enables people to train to become a teacher while employed in a school. Details of employment based routes can be viewed at www.tta.gov.uk/ebr

Regional Statistics

* Working graduates aged 21-36 in their first career who are not teachers

** Working graduates in their first career who are not teachers