Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of further education staff in rural areas.

The department has announced an additional £190 million for 16 to 19 education in 2025/26 to help colleges, schools, and other providers recruit and retain expert teachers. This is in addition to over £400 million already planned for 16 to 19 education, and £155 million to support increased National Insurance costs. It is separate from my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s £600 million investment to address construction sector skills shortages. This funding will be delivered nationally and support colleges across the country, including land-based colleges that play a vital role in rural areas.

To support early-career further education (FE) teachers in technical subjects, the department is offering retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax in 2024/25 and 2025/26, including in rural and coastal areas.

Our national 'Teach in FE' campaign raises awareness and directs prospective teachers, including industry professionals to job listings and support services.

We also run ‘Taking Teaching Further’, a two-year programme helping industry experts retrain as FE teachers.

Together, these initiatives support our pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers across FE, secondary, and specialist schools during this Parliament, as part of our Plan for Change.