Since the beginning of the credit crunch, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has seen an increase in interest in teacher training. Their website has had a 40% increase in enquiries, and they estimate that their recruitment target has been beaten by 2%. Students appear to be increasingly thinking about teaching, seeing it as an option that will guarantee them a secure future.

Graham Holley, Chief Executive of the TDA, commented that they have never had such a high level of interest, and that it is "completely unprecedented". He added that. "there’s a lag between people who express an interest in teaching, and those going on to become teachers. But even a 1% increase at that end means 4000 new teachers."

With the increasing number of companies downsizing, especially in the financial sector, there have also been more trainees aged 25 and over looking into changing their careers. Last year, 41.6% of those entering teacher training courses were over 25, this year the figure has increased to 46.7%.

To help those thinking about changing careers, the TDA launched Transition to Teaching. The programme aims to help staff in larger companies who currently face jobs cuts to move into a new career as a teacher. Seminars were set up in Canary Wharf after the Lehman Brothers bank had to lose 2000 staff in September, and 3 further events are planned in London and Birmingham in the coming months.

The financial sector once had the largest share of graduate recruitment, but that all looks to be changing, and the TDA believe that the increasing interest in teaching is a direct result of the uncertain economic climate. The possibility of looming financial instability seems to be causing graduates to seek out more stable career paths. Although teaching may not offer high pay packets, it does offer a good pension scheme, has the chance of career progression, and it has the potential to be a much more rewarding job.