The Troops to Teachers programme, started by Brighton University, is to be replaced by a scheme offering £40,000 bursaries to persuade ex-service personnel to train for classroom duties.
The university said: “The bursaries will provide veterans of all three services – British Army, Royal Navy and the RAF – with greater flexibility.
“Once they leave the service they will be able to train as teachers while still receiving financial support.
“The Troops to Teachers (TtT) Programme has enabled the University of Brighton to train 106 veterans – with a further 96 trainees currently studying to gain qualified teacher status.
“The university is exceptionally well-placed to continue to offer a route into teaching for these skilful and accomplished career changers.”
Brighton University deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Chris Pole, said: “We are delighted that non-graduate, ex-service personnel will continue to be offered the opportunity to train to teach.
“They offer unique expertise and skills that are especially valued by the pupils they teach as well as the profession more broadly.”
Lorraine Harrison, the university’s TtT contract manager, said: “We were involved with TtT from the outset and have led the design, development and delivery of the programme ever since.
“Five successive cohorts have been recruited. Cohort four will complete the programme in July 2018. Cohort five (the final intake) will complete their studies in July 2019.
“Outcomes are consistently strong and TtT graduates have proved themselves to be highly effective practitioners who are quickly able to assume leadership roles during their early careers.
“We are delighted to have played such a prominent role in the TtT Programme. It has enabled us to develop an innovative national ITT programme, in collaboration with a wide range of partners.
“The bursary means that trainees will receive similar levels of support to previous TtT trainees.”
One of those who joined the two-year TtT programme, Brighton University trainee Colin Grimes, welcomed the News.
Mr Grimes was an aerospace systems manager in the Royal Air Force and is now a year 4 teacher in Northumberland.
He said: “Studying for a degree in education while being supported financially opened up exciting new career choices for me.
“Without this kind of support, many candidates would not have access to career opportunities of this kind.
“So it’s great news that ex-military personnel will now be offered even more opportunities to train for a valuable and stimulating second career while still being able to support their families.”
From 2019 the Troops to Teachers programme will end and Brighton University will bring in a new undergraduate initial teacher training programme that will be open to service-leavers.
It will offer the new bursary to veterans who have left full-time employment in the services in the past five years or anyone leaving the armed forces before training begins.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “Our ex-servicemen and women – who have already contributed so much to our country – have a wealth of experience and expertise that can be shared in the classroom, teaching pupils the knowledge they need to succeed alongside vital skills such as leadership and self-discipline.”
For more information on Brighton University’s TtT programme, go to http://www.brighton.ac.uk/troops.
I currently deliver FE Vocational Training in a local provider. I strongly believe that my students and their peers would benefit fit and respond well to ex-service men and women assisting in the delivery of their post 16 education. I wish all those contributing well in their career shift, and I look forward to witnessing the effectiveness of this incentive.