REC Education - Promoting the Role of Recruitment Agencies

With teacher shortages intensifying, there has never been a more important time to champion the contribution of recruitment agencies. The REC’s Education Sector Group brings together over 360 specialist agencies and is generating the data and case studies needed to challenge misconceptions and showcase this positive role.

The role of recruitment agencies

Recent data shows that schools are currently filling only half their vacancies with teachers with the expertise and experience required. In many cases, schools are not filling the vacancies at all. Within this context, the provision of fully qualified and properly vetted teachers through specialist recruitment agencies is s a huge benefit.

Our latest poll shows that 98 per cent of agencies typically receive less than two hours’ notice from schools in need of a supply teacher. This responsiveness ultimately ensures that pupils are being taught and are not losing ground.

Challenging pre-conceptions

We all understand the budgetary challenges facing schools and the need to control costs, which is why the REC is engaging positively with the government’s Crown Commercial Services (CCS) in the rolling out of a new framework for supply agencies. At the same, time we will continue to raise awareness of how agency fees are made up (for example, the fact that these include employers’ NI, holiday pay and pensions contributions) and of all the work that agencies do to source, check and place teachers, often at very short notice. We will also continue to challenge misconceptions about transfer fees by highlighting regulations already in place to determine how and when these can be charged.

Helping to address the teacher shortage

Our latest poll of members showed that 76 per cent of agencies persuaded a teacher to remain in the education profession over the last year. We also know that supply teaching is a great channel for individuals looking to return to education after a period away from the sector. In the longer term, we want to use initiatives like the REC’s future of jobs ambassadors network to actively promote carers in education to future generations of workers.

What’s next?

Our latest factsheet  will be used to promote our industry’s contribution and to challenge misconceptions. The compliance credentials that REC members can demonstrate through the compliance test and REC Audited Education will play on ongoing role in changing perceptions.

Longer term, we will be using the next phase of our Future of jobs commission to pre-empt specific workforce challenges across the public sector – particularly in education – and to articulate the role that specialist recruiters can play in meeting these future challenges.