Changes in teaching staff composition over the years: An overview
Increase in Hiring Trend: More New Hires and Lateral Transfers Joining Faculty Ranks - Proportion of Educators with Cross-disciplinary Backgrounds on the Rise in Recent Statistics
Here's what's happening with lateral and new entrants in the teaching field, as per recent stats:
Talking numbers, the 2023 academic year saw a slight uptick in teaching graduates—around 29,000 students passed their final exam, compared to the previous year’s 28,700. However, this figure represents a 12.6% decrease compared to a decade ago. Interestingly, the number of new teacher trainees also saw a slight increase, with 46,400 individuals enrolling in courses in 2023—a 2.4% up from the previous year, but 2.1% lower than a decade back.
[Peer Insight] Some sources suggest a shift in the global workforce towards lateral career moves across various sectors, including education [4][5]. This move offers existing teachers the chance to explore various roles within education, from classroom teaching to administrative or curriculum development positions, thereby improving employee engagement, talent retention, and leadership development from within.
Changes in government policies and funding have introduced fluctuations in the number of new teacher entrants. For instance, cuts to programs like the Teacher Quality Partnerships might potentially impact the recruitment of new teachers [2]. Over the past decade, various factors, such as recruitment challenges due to low pay and high stress levels, policy changes, and career development opportunities, have influenced the number of lateral and new entrants in the teaching field [2][3][4].
Historically, the teaching profession has faced less lateral mobility compared to other sectors due to the nature of the role and traditional career paths. However, there's been a growing appreciation for promoting career development opportunities for teachers [3][4]. Despite a lack of specific historical data on lateral and new entrants over the past decade, it's probable that the recruitment trends have been influenced by economic conditions, policy changes, and shifting educational priorities [2].
- Education-and-self-development opportunities, such as career progression within teaching, might have contributed to the increased share of new entrants to the teaching workforce in 2023.
- Statistics show an increased share of new entrants to the teaching workforce in 2023, suggesting that learning from varied roles within the education sector could be attracting more individuals to the profession.
