Fall in applications for education roles a concern for Labour’s recruitment plans

A steady decline in the number of teachers applying for jobs could put the new Government’s education recruitment plans at risk unless a clear strategy for skills attraction is developed. That’s according to the latest insights from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

The data, provided by Veritone Hire, revealed that the number of professionals applying for permanent education jobs has fallen throughout most of 2024 with June’s statistics showing a 29% year-on-year decline. Contract applications saw a similar fall, down 25% year-on-year last month.

In comparison, vacancies increased between June 2023 and 2024, up 3.5% for permanent and 4.5% for contract jobs.

According to Ann Swain, Global CEO at APSCo, falling application numbers will hinder Labour’s recruitment plans in the sector:

With a new Labour Government now in place, the fall in education applications presents a concern for the Prime Minister’s initial plans to recruit more teachers. We may have seen peaks and troughs in teachers applying for new roles, but there’s no ignoring the fact that demand still outstrips supply, which only puts greater pressure on temporary resources to fill gaps. We look forward to hearing just how the new Government intends to fill both existing and additional education positions in the immediate future.