Teacher Labour Market in Wales Annual Report 2022
22 June 2022
NFER’s Teacher Labour Market in Wales report aims to analyse the state of the Welsh teacher labour market by measuring the key indicators and trends of teacher recruitment and retention. This is the second report funded by the Nuffield Foundation, tracking changes over time, building on the trends analysed in the 2020 report.
The increase in teacher recruitment and retention in Wales, as a result of the pandemic and related recession, is likely to ease teacher supply challenges over the next two years. However, the emerging evidence from England in 2022 suggests that these trends are unlikely to persist into 2022, implying that the environment for recruiting and retaining teachers after 2022 may be significantly more challenging. This in turn is likely to have implications for the staffing plans for schools in Wales over the next few years.
Key Findings
- The Covid-19 recession has led to an increase in the number of applicants to initial teacher education (ITE) courses in Wales. The number of ITE applications with accepted offers increased by more than 30 per cent for primary courses and over 60 per cent for secondary courses between 2019/20 and 2020/21.
- Fewer teachers left teaching in 2020 as a result of uncertainty caused by the pandemic
- Action by the Welsh Government to address these trends should focus on improving the attractiveness of teaching to enter and stay in, focusing on both the financial and non-financial attractiveness and targeting action at the subjects and areas that most need support.
Related Titles
Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2022
Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2021
Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2020