From construction site to class leader – why sharing your skills could be the natural next step in your career. Former Bricklayer Dean Carpenter offers the benefits of his experience.
I have been passionate about the construction industry all my life – I started as a bricklayer and I’m now sharing my skills by teaching in Further Education (FE).
I have always enjoyed being on site. Throughout my 26 years in the Army, I worked and trained across trades from bricklaying through to painting and glass installation. I love working within a team and experiencing the practical joy of building something with your own hands. It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about protecting our industry and preparing the workforce of the future.
Recently, the Construction Skills Network reported there will be an extra 215,800 construction jobs to fill in the UK by 2025. It’s never been more important to secure a strong pipeline of talent into our industry. The good news is it’s within our power to help support this.
Three and a half years ago I started working as a FE teacher as I wanted to share my skills with the next generation of workers. Now, I get the same kick out of teaching as I did in the early days of working on site. I’m currently working full time but there are part time and flexible opportunities available in FE teaching too if you want to teach alongside your current job in industry. The flexibility the role provides means I can also pursue my other passions outside of teaching and feed this experience back into the classroom, for example, I coach football, teach karate and work in youth clubs alongside my teaching role.
There’s a number of reasons why industry professionals make great FE teachers. Our real-life experience from industry allows us to better share our experiences and knowledge with the next generation. When I teach the Level 1 Construction Skills course to students, it contains much more than just bricklaying – we cover plastering, tiling, wallpapering and more. I want my students to be prepared for the real world of work, so I take them outside to understand how the weather, topography and foundations can effect building. I’ve also introduced students to site managers who I have worked in the industry with, so they can discover what employers look for in a good employee and how to practically build on their skills outside the course. Having these experiences and connections with industry really helps bring the course to life for the students and it’s invaluable in prepping them for work.
If you’re interested in exploring full time, part time or flexible FE teaching roles, why not reach out to your local college? Most FE teaching roles don’t require a degree or any previous teaching experience because you can undertake teacher training on the job whilst you start earning straight away. In fact, your real-world industry experience is highly valued by colleges delivering course relating to construction. Teaching in FE was an amazing way to marry my love of the construction sector with my passion for sharing my skills. I believe there is a real role for current construction professionals to play in preparing a pipeline of talent for our sector. Any teaching role has its challenges, but if you can be patient and adaptable with your students, it’s a really rewarding job that enables you to change lives without changing your career.
If you’re interested in sharing your skills through FE teaching, visit https://www.teach-in-further-education.campaign.gov.uk/
