Teacher Encounters

What are Teacher Encounters?

The teacher encounters initiative has been developed nationally to enable all education staff, beyond those leading on careers, to relate the curriculum to the real-life context of the world of work, the skills employers value and the variety of pathways and opportunities available.  

By participating in the teacher encounters initiative, you will:

• Give back to your local community and effectively prepare the future supported workforce
• Raise awareness of your business’s industry and all the pathways into work
• Strengthen your relationship with local schools/colleges even further and open new dialogue
• Influence local talent pipeline and support teachers to better understand and prepare students for the workplace and expectations.
• Broaden your knowledge of curriculum delivery and influence teacher’s workplace guidance in the classroom

The programme will focus on:

• Information about the key employer and their work that links to sustainability
• Increase the knowledge of different pathways routes, careers and jobs within the host employers sector
• An overview of Post 16 & Post 18 qualifications/pathways that link with sustainability in general
• Enable schools to successfully prepare students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to the world of work.

Who will attend the encounter?

The encounters will be offered to teachers from our Somerset secondary mainstream, Special Schools and PRUs. We have found small groups of staff (5-10) attending together works well.

What should the encounter include?

We can support you to shape the encounter to suit your business, the encounter must include two-way interaction and the opportunity to ask questions. We suggest the following elements are included:

• Introduction to your business
• Tour of the business (shadowing employees/completing tasks would be ideal if possible)
• Introduction to your early careers offer, support available and skills and attitudes required
• Meeting and hearing from current/graduate/trainee employees (success stories and case studies)
• We also ask employers for a post encounter commitment (examples): a case study, sharing your experience with other employers/teachers, maintaining relationships with the school