IT teachers are commonly acknowledged to have a tough time of it. In fact, the Office of National Statistics has indicated a higher turnover among secondary school technology teachers than any other comparable role.

The reasons are clear. Often called upon to solve colleagues’ technology problems, frequently lambasted when the printer is out of toner, surely, they must think, there is a better life in another school where they will be appreciated more, given time to plan and create resources, update skills and actually do some teaching without having to hide from other staff members in the server room.

The education employment market can be fickle, and fluctuates considerably depending on the location, particular specialism and experience. The entry of newly-qualified IT teachers has, in recent years, grown steadily in terms of quantity and quality.

Graduates attracted by the array of monetary and fringe benefits have seemingly flooded the market, leading to much higher levels of competition for vacancies. John Simons, market analyst for specialist recruitment agency Hensos, has witnessed many ups and downs in the UK employment market in the past 15 years.

“When you consider all the job opportunities available to IT graduates in the private sector, it might seem surprising that so many students elect to pursue a career in education,” he says.

“With multinationals such as IBM offering salaries in excess of £35,000 for recent IT graduates, the fact that there is still a large number who decide to take a PGCE and become teachers is a testament to the idealism of today’s youth and the benefits of a job in education.”

Government spending on IT remains at record levels, accompanied by a barrage of new national objectives and attainment targets throughout the curriculum. The upshot for IT teachers is that their skills remain highly valued.

Finding evidence to demonstrate the benefits you bring to your role can be challenging. Sarah Jones, a teacher for 20 years before she joined education recruitment company Turner-Williams, says speaking to your head of department or headteacher can help secure information.

“Getting the correct balance of presentation is paramount ­ you want your CV to reflect your personality, but you need to demonstrate your ability as quickly as possible,” she says.

“Find out all you can about your school’s performance statistics ­ read any Ofsted reports with particular attention to value-added scores and your own department, look at national trends and get into the nitty-gritty of the statistics.”

Augmenting your skills portfolio is also extremely important in a profession where the development of new technology largely dictates what is being taught in the classroom. For teachers looking to increase their employment prospects, there are a number of training options that will help you to become an indispensable asset in any school.

Aside from the continuous professional development programmes and inset days organised by most schools, some IT teachers decide to pursue part-time courses which lead to a deeper understanding of the infrastructure they work with.

Many choose to pursue the Level 3 or 4 NVQ for IT Professionals, based on a learner-driven syllabus and incorporating such units as system management, technical advice and fault diagnosis. The qualification is a modular course centred on a system of continuous assessment that can be completed based on the skills you already use at work.

Simons says that developing your skills in such a manner can elevate you to godlike status in the eyes of many employers. “They highly value the convenience of having an IT teacher who can also double as a network administrator and technical consultant,” he says.

“It means that there will always be someone who can help when things go wrong. And although it might sound like more work, many schools will provide cov er so you can divide your time between teaching and maintaining the infrastructure. It can be a nice way to work and will pretty much guarantee you will have no problems finding a job.”

The full version of this article appears in the forthcoming issue of ICT for Education www.ictforeducation.co.uk

Keeping staff onboard
Whether it is concerns over the digital divide, the use of mobile phones as data loggers or the advance of online testing, many education policies and initiatives will eventually have to filter through the IT departments of every UK school.

That makes IT teachers and heads of department particularly influential in helping shape the organisation and ethos of individual schools.

Henry Duchamp, a human resources adviser with management consultancy Greenwoods, believes it is time the government recognised the unique nature of the position.

“There can be a lot of stress associated with working in an IT department, whether you happen to be a specialist secondary teacher at a large inner-city comprehensive or a primary teacher with no more than a passing interest,” he says.

“School management needs to help reduce the day-to-day grind associated with the job so those involved do not lose these key personnel to big businesses offering even bigger salaries and benefits.

“Little things can make all the difference: re-organising support staff to give IT teachers more non-contact hours; giving them greater autonomy over purchasing decisions; looking for funds to provide managed solutions for network maintenance and setting up better support channels for any issues that might arise.”