Evaluation of the Golden Hello Initiative - York Consulting

The Evaluation of the Golden Hello InitiativeEffect on TeachersviiiThe key effects on teachers receiving a Golden Hello are:• feeling more valued – over one-half of survey respondents (54%) stated theyfeel more valued as a result of receiving a Golden Hello;• job motivation – just under one-third of recipients (30%) agreed that ‘my jobmotivation has increased as a result of receiving a Golden Hello’;• perceptions of FE – albeit limited, the Golden Hello initiative is having an effecton perceptions of FE among around one-tenth (14%) of recipients.ixxQualitative evidence shows that the issues influencing teachers’ decisions to work in thesector are complex, and often a Golden Hello is not the sole or determining factor. Insome colleges the Golden Hello initiative is considered divisive as some individualsreceive payment and others do not.The Golden Hello initiative is having a small positive influence on the speed with which,and type of qualification, staff undertake that is in line with the FE Teacher QualificationsRegulations England (2001).ImpactxiIt is not possible to definitively or quantifiably measure the impact on recruitment andretention because:• there is a lack of quantified, national and local data documenting the scale ofneed in the sector and by subject area;• it is too early to be able to evidence an effect on recruitment;• the definition of recruitment and retention in the policy is unclear.xiixiiixivxvThe majority of survey respondents (60%) agreed that ‘Golden Hellos are an effectiveincentive in improving recruitment and retention in FE.’ Nevertheless, the extent to whichGolden Hellos are having an impact on actions versus perceptions is less clear-cut.Recruitment: The majority of teachers consulted had already entered into FE prior tobeing aware of Golden Hellos. Nevertheless, 10% of survey respondents stated that theavailability of a Golden Hello had influenced them to work within FE. Qualitativeevidence also suggests the Golden Hello was a contributory factor for a small number ofrecipients.Mixed views were evidenced from colleges in terms of the pool of applicants applying forvacancies, with some evidencing an increase in the number of applications in shortagesubject areas and others a decline. Several colleges feel that the initiative is not aneffective tool for college use since it raises expectations amongst those who may beineligible.Retention: Golden Hellos are having an effect on retention with around one-third ofsurvey respondents (31%) indicating it had influenced them to stay working in FE. Only9 recipients responding to the survey had left FE since payment, typically within twelvemonths and for reasons of money and workload/hours.iv