Teaching bursaries promoted to graduates

The financial benefits of studying a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) have been outlined by one recruitment expert.

Financial incentives offered to graduates training to be teachers are not available on other postgraduate courses, Communications Director for Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, Elspeth Farrar, stated.

'In many cases, to do a one-year postgraduate diploma or even a master's course, you are not actually guaranteed any funding at all. With a PGCE you will get some funding,' she said.

Ms Farrar added that in this sense, studying for a PGCE is not 'difficult' on the purse strings, with some subjects - depending on the skills shortage in that area - offering a range of bursary schemes.

And figures from a newly qualified teacher survey by the Training and Development Agency for Schools have shown that 96% of PGCE holders are employed in teaching jobs.