Daniel Roberts
From Outdoor Instructor to FE teacher: Daniel’s career-change journey.
Daniel Roberts has returned to the University of Worcester to study for his PGCE in Further Education, after more than a decade building the skills he knew he’d need to become the teacher he wanted to be.
“I did my undergraduate degree at Worcester in Outdoor Pursuits and Leadership Management,” he said. “I got a job through my course at a climbing centre in the Brecon Beacons and started working there.”
Starting as a junior instructor, Daniel gained numerous awards and worked his way into a senior position before moving to a different centre to become a duty manager.
“I went into business management and consultancy, leading corporate clients on climbing days, and then I moved back into outdoor centres where I entered management.”
Daniel said he missed spending time working directly with people and developing their confidence, and he saw further education as a career where he could use those strengths every day to support others to grow.
“A PGCE was always on my mind,” he said. “I thought, ‘if I don’t do this now, I might never do it’, so I enrolled at Worcester and now I’m nearing the end of my course.”
Having spent a decade developing his own skills and experience, Daniel brings a wealth of personal insight to his students’ classroom experience.
“The majority of the skills I’ve learned in the outdoor industry have transferred really well into teaching,” he said. “I haven’t had to adapt all that much when I’ve been on placements as I’m really comfortable in front of people. I can strike up a conversation and build trust quickly and I find it easy to find common ground with people.”
Some people who thrive in Further Education have developed skills in addressing groups, like Daniel. Others have built communication skills through hospitality roles, organisational skills through events work, or the ability to relate to others through experience in healthcare settings.
Whatever your background, the PGCE FE course helps you apply your existing strengths to a teaching environment in a meaningful way.
Placements are a major part of the PGCE FE course. “They’re brilliant,” said Daniel.
“They’re the part of the course I enjoy most. In my last job I’d have a great time working with a group, building them up and spending a day with them, then they’d go off and I didn’t see them again.”
He continued: “Now, I get to see the students arrive feeling anxious and not knowing what to do, and over the course of weeks I see them grow and develop, and start being able to do more and more. It’s so rewarding to see that you’re creating real enthusiasts.”
As a career changer, Daniel’s life experiences have given him a rich bank of material to draw from in the classroom.
“My experience has really helped me,” he said. “I can always tell a story from my time in the outdoor industry, which my class always appreciates, and I can do that while making sure they stay engaged and have a good time.”
Daniel secured a role through his undergraduate degree, and he’s done the same again during his PGCE.
“I’ve been offered a lecturing role already,” he said. “I really do see myself working with students studying for their BTECs. I’ve also thought about doing a Master’s, so I could teach on degree courses at university level.”
Mike Tyler, Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education (Further Education) at the University of Worcester, said: “Dan’s prior experience in the outdoor pursuits sector has helped him transition into teaching in further education.”
“He has developed a really strong understanding of effective teaching and combines this with his deep subject expertise,” he continued. “In my observations of his teaching, I’ve seen how valuable his industry knowledge has been for his learners. They know that they are getting up-to-date, relevant and applicable teaching from Dan, and this sets them up well for their next steps.”
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