A BASINGSTOKE college which has struggled to recruit trained lecturers has come up with an alternative way to find new staff.

Basingstoke College of Technology is opening its doors to those working in specific industries with relevant experience, and will pay for them to go on a course to learn how to teach.

Lynda Pickering, director of higher education at the college, in Worting Road, said: “One of the problems in Basingstoke is that people don’t move here from other parts of the country, so we are pulling from a limited pool.

“What we want to do is open that up to those with five years of industry experience. These people have recent, relevant knowledge and skills and experience which they can bring to young people and make our courses relevant.

“The real benefit is they can bring it to life and really demonstrate real life examples of how study in these particular areas can lead to employment opportunities.”

She added: “We are really struggling to recruit the right staff. There are vacancies that I can’t fill. Our learner numbers have grown and we need more staff to meet that demand.”

Brian Adams is a co-ordinating lecturer in engineering who was recruited in this way. The 60-year-old has travelled the world, working in the engineering sector.

He said: “I was introduced to the opportunity to come here, did some part-time lecturing and really enjoyed it.

“I was working at the same time but it became difficult to balance the two, and a permanent job came up so I went for it.

“I have been here for two years now. I enjoy it because I’m passing on to students all the experience and knowledge I have gained over the last 35-years.”

Chris Clifford-Jones, a programme manager in engineering, was in the forces for 20 years. The 37-year-old took redundancy as an artificer sergeant major with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers in November 2011.

He is now lecturing at BCoT and is training to become fully-qualified. He said that teaching is at the “forefront of military life” with regards to training, but there are no official qualifications.

Mr Clifford-Jones added: “We have lots of guys out there who are frightened to come into teaching because they don’t have qualifications. If you have the industry knowledge and skills, then we will put you through a full teaching programme.”

Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Lynda Pickering, at BCoT, by emailing lynda.pickering@bcot.ac.uk.