Award-winning Premier Teachers, which is developing an innovative app set to transform the recruitment and retention of teachers, says it has received an overwhelmingly positive reaction during recent trials.
The Sunderland-based specialist education recruitment company – named Most Innovative Specialist Recruitment Company (North East) in the 2020 UK Enterprise Awards – is on schedule to launch the Evolve Teachers app later this summer in the North East and London before it is rolled out across the rest of the UK.
The tailor-made system streamlines the whole process by allowing candidates to make simple one-click applications using a single form for multiple posts via their mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.
It also provides schools and local education authorities with a searchable database of motivated applicants that exactly matches their criteria, speeding up the recruitment process and reducing costs.
Premier Teachers, founded by experienced teacher Mike Donnelly in 2013, has already received 100 percent approval ratings for its app from sample groups of student teachers attending the University of Sunderland and TyneMet College.
The Evolve Teachers app will also alert applicants to roles matching their criteria using push notifications sent directly to the phone screen – invaluable for both trainee teachers, supply teachers and teachers looking for a new permanent role.
It will also put an end to the uncertainty surrounding the whole process by creating a dashboard that allows applicants to chart their application’s progress, indicating reference take up and interview selection.
Mike Donnelly said: “Evolve Teachers is designed to completely shake-up the traditional and outdated method of teacher recruitment, but even I was surprised by the feedback from our groups of student teachers, who all wanted the ability to research and apply for jobs from their smart phones.
“All those who took part in the focus group recognised that this user-friendly app streamlines what is currently a very time-consuming and complicated process, often requiring the filling in of separate application forms for each post.
“It will encourage more candidates to apply for more teaching jobs which in turn expands the talent pool, giving schools a better chance of finding the right candidate first time, increasing retention rates.
“I’m excited at the prospect of launching this innovative disruptor which I believe will bring about a real evolution in teacher recruitment.”
As part of its London launch, the company will be promoting Evolve Teachers directly to 30,000 of the capital’s teachers as well as attending September’s Schools & Academies Show at ExCeL London, which is attended by more than 4,000 education leaders and decision makers.
Premier Teachers supplies teachers and support staff to schools throughout Teesside, County Durham, Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. From September it will provide a recruitment service to London-based schools and national schools.