DAVE LOVE, 40, from Bolton, moved from a career as a self-employed electrician to become a further education teacher at Warrington & Vale Royal College eight years ago.
Further education is any formal post-16 study that isn’t part of degree-level higher education, and covers a wide range of industries from engineering to accounting.
Having started out teaching construction part-time alongside his existing job as an electrician, Dave is now assistant director of apprenticeships and STEM – and is committed to ensuring his students are the bright sparks of the electrical trade in the future.
Dave says: “I want to encourage tradespeople into teaching in further education [FE] as hearing about our real-life industry experiences is what most inspires students.
You don’t need prior teaching experience to share your skills in further education – you can study for your qualifications while on the job.
You just need real world experience and a desire to pass on that knowledge to the next generation of workers in your field – you can teach in subjects such as health and social care, digital and IT, engineering, manufacturing or law. You can even teach part-time or on an ad hoc basis while continuing in your existing career.
“Students love hearing about their teachers’ real-life experiences”
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FEELING THE BUZZ
How this electrician is inspiring the bright sparks of the future
“My wife Lisa, a maths teacher, was encouraging. ‘We’d have the same holidays,’ she said.
“And with three boys – Thomas, five, Harry, three, and newborn Ollie – I could see the benefits of a part-time role with steady hours, sick pay and a pension that I could do alongside my current job.
“My first day at college was quite frightening – suddenly I was in front of a class with 15 faces staring at me.
“I introduced myself and told them about my experiences as an electrician, including the time a drill flew up and knocked me out cold – thankfully just for a few minutes – in someone’s loft.
“They were fascinated and that’s when I realised that students love hearing about their teachers’ real-life experiences in industry.
“I started out teaching in further education part time, Mondays and Wednesdays, alongside my other jobs as an electrician.
“Many of my colleagues do this now and it’s great as they bring current real-world working knowledge to the classroom.
“When I was offered a full-time job, I jumped at the chance.
“Apart from the rapport with the students, I have a good laugh with my fellow teachers in construction.
“We electricians think we’re the royalty of the trades and I used to wind up my boss, a bricklayer, saying: ‘It’s only laying one brick on top of another.’
Take charge ... students benefit from hands-on learning in the workshop
“But after sitting in on a few of his classes, I appreciate there’s
a lot more to it than that.
“I’ve been to plumbing lectures too – and now if our dishwasher broke, I’d be able to fix it. Well, I’d have a good go at least.
“I didn’t have an academic degree or teaching qualifications when I started, but that was fine as the main thing the college was after was my professional industry experience.
“I studied for my Certificate in Education, which my college helped to pay for, alongside teaching. I’ve now risen through the ranks to become assistant director of apprenticeships and STEM at Warrington & Vale.
“I still teach though – it’s important to me as I want to know what’s happening with students on the ground.
“One of my favourite classes is around communication with customers, preparing students for the sorts of questions people might ask them in the real world.
Cable guys … practical experience is essential for building confidence
“And I love that penny-drop moment of being in a class teaching when a student suddenly grasps a concept they’ve been struggling with.
“I always tell new teachers who come from trade that teaching the practical stuff in our workshop is easy. It’s our bread and butter, and you can do it on your first day in the job.
“What’s great about teaching is that at college we have access to the latest tech.
“Our electrics studio is state of the art, and we’re now looking at virtual reality so students will be able to put on a headset and work on simulated building sites. It’s amazing.
“I do get frustrated when I hear older electricians moaning about the standards of the younger generation’s work. ‘The quality’s not what it was in my day,’ they grumble.
“‘Do something about it then,’ I tell them. ‘Come and teach.’
“The way I see it, by teaching the next generation of learners, we’re safeguarding our trade for the future. That’s our legacy.
“Teaching in further education has been amazing. I’ve continued to work in the industry I love while being able to pass on my skills to the next generation of learners.
“At Warrington & Vale Royal College we’re turning out some smashing electricians and the future is bright.”
Wired for success … the electrics studio is the perfect place to practise new skills
“I love that penny-drop moment when a student grasps a concept they’ve been struggling with”
Photography: JUDE EDGINTON
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“I started in FE eight years ago, having trained as an electrician in my early twenties and set up my own business.
“I was a one-man band doing domestic electricals and pub renovations, taking on occasional subcontractors as the job demanded. I enjoyed it.
“Then, eight years ago, I rang Warrington & Vale Royal College to book a place on a short course covering new wiring legislation.
“The lecturer who picked up the phone was someone I vaguely knew from previous courses. He said: ‘Would you consider doing some part-time teaching with us, Dave?’
“He was short of teachers in construction and probably asked every electrician who called – but he struck lucky with me.
Lessons learned … Dave shows students how it's done
