Teacher trainees across Uni partnership network gather at Specialist Conference
Around 400 teacher trainees from across a network of 30 colleges which partner with the University of Huddersfield gathered on campus to attend its Specialist Conference 2025.
The annual event is for teacher trainees following the University’s Lifelong Learning teacher training programmes at their respective centres which are part of its Education and Training Consortium.
Founded by the University in 2002, the Consortium is a partnership of Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges across the North and South East of England.
Each year members of the Consortium provide thousands of staff and students in the education and training sector with teacher training qualifications from the University of Huddersfield.
The event is an opportunity for trainees to discuss issues related to the teaching of their specialisms, disseminate their own practitioner-based research and share good practice.
It is also a chance to network and think of innovative and effective ways of teaching their own specialism.
Among the specialist areas included this time were: Social Sciences and Humanities; Early Years; Hospitality, Catering and Food Manufacturing; STEM; and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities.
Celebrated author, broadcaster and educator Dr Jeffrey Boakye attended the conference and gave a keynote lecture titled Exploring Identity in the Further Education and Skills Sector.
Dr Nena Skrbic, Head of Initial Teacher Education and Strategic Lead for the Education and Training Consortium, commented: “At the Conference, we were delighted to welcome over 400 trainees from across the country to the University. This was a great opportunity for trainees to meet with peers who share the same discipline and engage in productive discussion regarding the most effective and current approaches to teaching their specialist subject.
“We also welcomed our subject specialist tutors who helped our trainees to make the most of the experience and facilitated the presentations. This was a hugely positive and productive day that was the culmination of many months of planning. We look forward to next year’s event!”
The University of Huddersfield’s part-time Lifelong Learning teacher training courses offer a flexible and rewarding route into education for professionals with real-world experience.
Designed for those already working across a wide range of industries — from construction and engineering to veterinary science, beauty therapy, and IT — as well as for those interested in subjects such as English, maths or social sciences, these programmes equip trainees to teach learners aged 16 and over in settings such as further education colleges, adult community learning, and workplace training.
Upon completion of a Lifelong Learning course, trainees will have a recognised teaching qualification and the opportunity to apply for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, helping individuals make a real impact in the education and skills sector.
Bursaries of up to £31,000 are available for eligible trainees in subjects such as maths, science, engineering, computing, SEND and English, with funding provided by the Department for Education on a first-come, first-served basis.
The annual Conference has been running for more than 20 years and was held on campus in the Charles Sikes building on Saturday 26 April.
