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The Institute for Learning (IfL) has updated its strategy to reflect the organisation’s return to being a fully independent, self-financed professional body for teachers and trainers in further education and skills.

IfL’s elected chair, Sue Crowley, said “Following IfL’s return to its roots as a voluntary professional membership body, individual teachers and trainers can now choose to be members of IfL, their professional body, and very large numbers are choosing to do so. IfL’s non-executive board considered that the time was right to review IfL’s strategy from 2011 and update it to reflect revised priorities for teachers and trainers; the challenges faced in our diverse sector and the wider economy; and shifts in policy.

“Our guiding principle is that young and adult learners need to benefit from the talent and energy of the best qualified and expert teachers and trainers, whatever the political and financial landscape. In undertaking this strategic review, we have focused on how to support individual practitioners to be the best they can, dual professionals who are experts and stay up to date in their specialist vocational or subject area as well as in teaching methods. Allied to this is the belief that teachers should be accorded a level of esteem that reflects their vital role in helping tomorrow’s economy and society as they teach millions of young people and adults every year, enabling engineers, plumbers, welders, chefs, technicians and care workers, for example, to acquire the skills they need.

“IfL’s mission is to support members to achieve excellence in their individual practice, helping them deliver life-changing opportunities for their learners. We aim to be widely recognised on a par with the very best professional bodies, so that three years from now all dedicated teachers and trainers in FE and skills regard membership of IfL as an essential commitment to their individual professional practice.”

IfL’s chief executive, Toni Fazaeli, said, “Our impact reviews for 2012 and previous years document the progress IfL has made, highlighting the regular introduction of member benefits that make a difference to professional practice; the determined raising of FE teachers’ and trainers’ status; and the consistent and influential voice of a professional body that engages fully with its members and reflects their views.

“With a solid foundation on which to build, IfL will focus on making a difference for members in three key areas: excellence in professional practice; membership status and development; and influencing policy. As the only professional body for individual teachers and trainers with teaching and learning as the primary focus, IfL will work with partner organisations, including the new Education and Training Foundation, employers and trade unions, to achieve our aspiration for every learner in FE and skills to experience standards of teaching and training equivalent to the highest available anywhere in the country.”

Click to download IfL strategy update July 2013 in PDF format.

Click to download Impact review 2012 in PDF format.