Recruitment and Retention in the Post-16 Learning and Skills Sector

Vocational Reasons3.21 This is the major motivating factor mentioned by all types of staff (exceptassessors where vocational and personal reasons were at a similarlevel). Approximately one quarter of respondents reported that theyjoined the sector to help other people develop (26%). Other majorreasons included; working with more diverse people/learners, givingsomething back to community/society and always wanting to be ateacher/trainer.3.22 Learning support workers were more likely to cite vocational reasons(52%) than any other group.3.23 Staff often describe the sense of achievement they get from conveyinginformation to students and then seeing their students develop:• “I enjoy the success we have with people who have not done wellat school. I think of FE as a second chance and the number ofpeople I’ve had who have failed or just scraped through GCSEswho have then come out with good A’ levels, that’s what gets meout of bed in the morning”. [Further Education];• “I had a lot of pleasure and success from teaching….and I felt thatadults would be more motivated” [Adult and Community Learning].3.24 Those working in adult and community learning were more likely to bemotivated by working with challenging learners or those with badexperiences of education.Personal Reasons3.25 The two major personal reasons mentioned by respondents include; mypersonal development/challenging myself and wanting to change mycareer path.3.26 Respondents who work in work based learning were more likely to reportpersonal reasons (38%) for joining the learning and skills sector thanthose in further education (29%) and adult and community learning(31%).3.27 Qualitative evidence indicates that some enter the sector as a result ofchance. They had originally seen it as an opportunity for careerprogression within industry (to move “off the shopfloor”) or as a steppingstone into academic research:28