Please note – this programme has now closed.

This page gives additional information about the programme and its legacy.

The Education and Training Foundation in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, Portsmouth University, University of Brighton and the Association of Colleges, delivered the Further Forces programme successfully from 2017-2021.

The programme was funded by the Department for Education and had the full support of the Ministry of Defence, enabling the Further Forces team to work closely with the Careers Transition Partnership who have an important role to play in the resettlement and transition of Armed Service personnel to new careers in civilian life.

The programme was designed to recruit and train Armed Forces Service Leavers – technical experts – to teach on diverse technical programmes and courses, including Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) and wider Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subject specialist areas, where there are recognised skill shortages in the Further Education and Training Sector.

Service Leavers were supported to secure employment, allocated a subject specialist mentor and experienced high-quality learning experiences. They were supported to update their pedagogy and professional practice while completing their fully funded initial teacher training qualification at Level 5 or above, which was delivered flexibly.

We celebrated the graduation of 129 Further Forces Programme initial teacher trainees who have transitioned successfully into teaching roles throughout England. Many graduates are now also holding management and leadership roles in the sector.

Further Forces: End of programme report


Further information, legacy and case studies

See a range of case studies of those who have entered the profession via the Further Forces programme.

The film below features testimonials about the positive impact of the programme.

If you have any queries regarding the programme, please contact Cerian Ayres.

To learn more about a career in teaching, the online Preparing for Teaching course on FutureLearn may be of interest.

For further information about a career in teaching in the Further Education Sector, please visit the Department for Education website.