Evaluation of the Golden Hello Initiative - York Consulting

1.18 The challenges for recruitment and retention therefore consist of acombination of factors (such as an ageing workforce, low morale, workload).These are often compounded by the difficulties colleges face in offering asufficiently attractive remuneration package and a high incidence of use ofcasual and part-time staff.Policy Context1.19 The Government is committed to excellence in education and skills and hasdeveloped a range of strategies to achieve this such as the 14-19 strategy,the Higher Education strategy, the Skills for Life strategy and the recentlypublished Skills strategy.1.20 The Government set out its strategy for reform in 'Success for All'(www.sucessforall.gov.uk).1.21 Success for All has four main themes:• theme one is concerned with meeting needs, improving choice;• theme two is putting teaching, training and learning at the heart ofwhat is done;• theme three is developing the leaders, teachers, lecturers, trainersand support staff of the future;• theme four is developing a framework for quality and success.1.22 The third of theme in Success for All: Developing the leaders, teachers,trainers and support staff of the future; outlines the need to increase theattractiveness of teaching in the FE sector.1.23 The Government has therefore, introduced recruitment and retentioninitiatives to attract new teachers into the FE sector. These are:• the FE Teacher Training Bursaries Pilot;• the Repayment of Teacher Loans scheme;• the Golden Hello initiative.1.24 Details about the three initiatives can be found on the teachernet website:www.teachernet.gov.uk/professionaldevelopment/opportunities/post16/