The Department for Education is calling on industry professionals to help train the next generation of workers - and Peter Face, who teaches at Skipton's Craven College, is already doing so.

With its Teach in Further Education (FE) campaign, the Department for Education aims to address skills shortages in sectors including health and social care and Mr Face's own former industry, construction.

According to a report by the CITB, the industry training board for the construction sector, an extra 225,000 construction workers may be needed by 2027.

Mr Face, who now teaches painting and decorating at Craven College, took on apprentices from the college's FE courses when he worked in the industry.

He believes industry professionals can play a crucial role in closing the skills gap by sharing their knowledge through teaching.

While he turned down teaching opportunities for several years, partly due to his dyslexia, he has now been a teacher for almost three years and wishes he had started earlier.

He studied for a teacher training degree at Huddersfield University alongside his FE teaching job, and has said that receiving his degree was one of his proudest moments.

Mr Face said: "I spent most of my life avoiding challenging situations, which is why I was self-employed for so long.

"However, the stress of running a business and chasing clients’ payments made me realise I needed a new direction.

"I discovered that with my experience from the construction industry, I could transition into teaching construction-related courses at my local FE college.

"This was the perfect career pivot for me at this moment in my life and it’s boosted my wellbeing.

"Teaching from a textbook can be impersonal, but sharing personal experiences is invaluable.

"I could write a book about my experiences—some funny, some not so much.

"The students enjoy hearing about my work because it makes my teaching more relatable to them and helps them to understand how they will use the skills we’re learning on the course in the real working world.

"Teaching in FE has allowed me to give back to my field.

"It’s incredibly rewarding to see students with no prior experience progress to their final assignment and then move into the workplace.

"Knowing I helped them build up the confidence to pursue their trade is such an incredible feeling."

More information about the Teach in Further Education campaign is available at https://www.teach-in-further-education.campaign.gov.uk/