A new recruitment platform has been launched to help schools navigate a recruitment gap six times bigger than it was in 2011.
The new platform, UK Teach, has been set up as schools report they are facing increasing pressure to continue delivering high-quality education to pupils, despite reduced resources and staffing concerns. This pressure has led many educators to leave the profession already, with the number of teachers working in English state schools shrinking by nearly 2,000 since last year.
UK Teach supports the recruitment process from posting the initial advert to the first day in the classroom, as part of Commercial Services Group wider offering.
Gill Nye, Managing Director of HR Connect, a Commercial Services Group brand said: “Designed by a team with innate knowledge of the teacher recruitment process, our platform presents a unique and cost-effective way to recruit teachers, managing all aspects of the process, including DBS and employment checks. It will harness the latest technologies, including end-to-end recruitment tools in the form of a robust applicant tracking system, that will help reduce administrative burdens and costs.
“As the government tightens budgets across both recruitment and resources, we will bring together an overall lowered spend with effective services that reduce pressures on current and future staff.”
In the group’s recent research, which surveyed 500 school leaders and teachers in England, 87 per cent said their schools have faced reduced spending over the past year – rising to 95 per cent for secondary schools.
As a result, almost a third of school leaders (29 per cent) say they lack confidence in their ability to recruit and retain staff.
This is a challenge that has been steadily pushing the education sector to breaking point. Despite growing vacancy levels, 71 per cent of secondary school leaders still report that recruiting teachers is difficult. UK Teach is designed to help address this challenge by simplifying and supporting the recruitment process.
Rob Boyles, Group CEO of Commercial Services Group said: “Our latest study into the wellbeing of public sector employees also revealed the significant impact that understaffing has had on the mental and physical health of education professionals. Nearly a fifth say they are already burnt out, or close to it, and 23 per cent highlight that staff shortages are causing them stress.”
Although two thirds of school leaders (67 per cent) say they are confident about the future of the education system, 43 per cent of teachers are also unconvinced about government plans to recruit 6,500 more teachers in England.
“Despite government promises, current trajectories are set to get worse around recruitment and its impact on wellbeing as 1 in 5 also told us that they are considering leaving education because of stress. As we celebrate the launch of our new platform, we must also acknowledge the significant gap we need to fill, for the sake of both teachers and students across the country.”
The report, Delivering Change: Transformation, readiness and the pressures facing schools, can be viewed at: https://share.google/EyUYhs3xsWSp9G5G9
Work under pressure, The UK public sector wellbeing barometer, can be viewed at: Work Under Pressure: The UK Public Sector Wellbeing Barometer – Commercial Services Group
