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Three-quarters of employees are thinking about changing their jobs, and more than a third of those believe that teaching could meet many of their career aspirations, according to a new survey for the Teacher Training Agency.
The survey, which looked at what people want from a career and how that compares with what they think teaching offers, comes at a time when around a third of entrants to teaching are career changers entering the profession aged over 30.
It also coincides with the period when many people are submitting their applications for teacher training courses due to start this September.
In the survey, 72 per cent of the 1,500 people who responded had thought about changing their career in the last year. Asked what they would look for in a new career 66 per cent of people surveyed wanted more job satisfaction as a priority. The second most popular attraction was working in a subject you enjoy, with 46 per cent.
More than 30 per cent of respondents wanted an improved work-life balance if they were to change careers, suggesting that employers should increasingly consider flexible working practices to attract and retain employees.
Only two per cent of respondents claimed that they would seek improved social status in a new career.
Commenting on the findings, Mary Doherty, the Teacher Training Agency's director of teacher supply and recruitment, said: "It is clear from this research that people want to work in careers where the quality of life derived from their job matches their other aspirations.”
