Teachers of tomorrow develop interview skills at employability day

The University of Wolverhampton’s School of Education hosted its first Employability Day for future teachers at its Walsall Campus.

The Employability Day, provided networking opportunities for students currently studying for their PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education).

The students interacted with representatives from local schools, teaching agencies and teaching unions including Invictus Education Trust, Three Spires Trust, National Education Union, ABC Teachers, Zest Education, Phoenix Collegiate Academy, Sandwell Academy, to discuss career prospects and prepare for their next steps after graduation.

To further strengthen the skills and employability prospects of the trainee teachers, Naresh Patel, careers consultant at the University, led an interview techniques workshop before mock interviews were held by headteachers and senior leaders from local secondary schools.

Throughout the day, students had taken part in a number of tasks which will contribute towards them achieving ‘Gold’ in the Wolverhampton Enterprise and Employability Award (WEEA).

Bhawandip Aujla, PGCE Chemistry student, said: “I think it’s great that the University run an Employability Day for us, I’ve learnt lots of new information and the day has put me in really good stead for when the interviews start to come along. We now know what to expect when it comes to looking for jobs, and after meeting a range of teaching unions, we know that we will be supported along the way.”

Kay Lane, Senior Lecturer in Secondary Humanities Education said: “Teaching vacancies are often advertised very early in the year for a September start, so it is important that we provide trainees with the knowledge and skills that they need to secure the perfect job for them.

“The employability day is part of the on-going work that we do throughout the year to support our trainees into their first job as an Early Career Teacher. This is the first time that we have run a formal employability day and it was a huge success, so we will look to put it on annually.”

Find out more about studying at the School of Education at the University of Wolverhampton.