A Liverpool teacher is encouraging people with the passion and potential to teach to attend the Train to Teach roadshow when it visits Liverpool on Thursday, 3 November.

Neil Spencer, Head of Religious Studies at St. Hilda’s CE High School, Sefton Park, Liverpool, will be at the event, talking to potential recruits about the rewards and opportunities a career in teaching offers.

Neil, who was once a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, said:

“I came into teaching after serving for 12 years in the Armed Forces because teaching is a worthwhile career choice where you can make a positive difference to the lives of young people, through inspiring them to reach their full potential and realise their ambitions.

“Teaching is a career where people matter most and where every day brings new challenges. I would not want to do anything else. Yes, we work hard but we go home knowing that we’ve made a real difference.

“If the idea of a teaching career sparks your interest, then come to the Train to Teach roadshow in Liverpool and we’ll tell you more. The roadshow is a brilliant place to get all of your questions answered if you are thinking of starting teacher training.”

Visitors to the event, organised by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), will be able to meet representatives from schools and universities that provide teacher training, gain insights into how to make a strong application, and receive one-to-one advice from current teachers and teaching experts.

The event will also showcase the financial support available and provide information on the competitive starting salaries, as well as the rewards that teaching has to offer.

To help attract the best and brightest people with the potential to be exceptional teachers, tax-free bursaries and scholarships are now available in a range of subjects. For example, trainees in physics can receive a bursary or scholarship of up to £30,000 tax-free while they train. Scholarships worth £27,500 are also on offer for chemistry, computing, geography, maths and modern foreign languages.

Roger Pope, Chair of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, an executive agency of the Department for Education that provides a comprehensive programme of support for aspiring teachers, said:

“Good teachers are in demand and there are excellent employment prospects. The generous bursaries and scholarships available this year mean more talented graduates will be able to teach the subject they love.

“This event in Liverpool isn’t only for new graduates – every year, we see people from other sectors switching to teaching, bringing a wealth of experience to help inspire the next generation.”

Applications for teaching training are now open and popular courses fill up fast.

The free Train to Teach event is being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Liverpool Hotel & Spa, 6 Sir Thomas Street, Liverpool, L1 6BR, from 4:30pm to 8pm. Registration in advance is advised by going to https://traintoteach.education.gov.uk/sign-up  Participants can also register on the day.

To find out more about what life as a teacher is like, visit: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk or call the Get Into Teaching Line on 0800 389 2500.

The event is also open to qualified teachers who are interested in returning to teaching. Anyone considering returning to teaching, can access support on 0800 085 0971.