Blackpool further education teacher secures place in Skills Drive final challenge at McLaren

Published on 17/03/2025 by DBUCK

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Sreekutty Polachirayil Chandrababu, an electronics and electrical engineering FE teacher at Blackpool and The Fylde College, is one of three shortlisted FE teachers racing into the Department for Education and McLaren’s Skills Drive final.

The competition aims to fuel a passion among industry professionals to teach in further education, share their skills, and accelerate the next generation of talent. FE is any formal learning for those aged 16+ that is not a degree. If you have real world industry skills, you could already have what it takes to teach in FE and shape the next generation of talent in your field.

Engineering and automotive FE teachers from across England were encouraged to enter the competition to showcase how they share their valuable real world industry experience with their students for a chance to win a visit to The McLaren Technology Centre, receive an exclusive tour and take part in an exciting final challenge.

Judges from the Department for Education’s Teach in Further Education campaign and McLaren shortlisted three FE teachers to take part in the final. Sreekutty impressed the judges by sharing how she creates challenges in her workshops that require students to combine real-life problem solving with theory, to boost their understanding and engagement.

Sreekutty will form a student team to compete against two other finalists in a series of challenges at The McLaren’s Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, home to McLaren Automotive and the McLaren Formula 1 team.

The final challenges will test FE teachers and their student teams’ ability to work under pressure together and draw on their knowledge from their current course. In reward for reaching the final, all three FE teacher teams have already won a McLaren engineering masterclass for their college. The teams will compete in the final for the winning prize - an exclusive experience in McLaren’s pioneering esports racing simulator facility, the McLaren Shadow Studio.

Sreekutty Polachirayil Chandrababu said, “I’m incredibly proud to have made it to the Skills Drive final. It’s a fantastic opportunity both for myself and my students to witness world-class engineering and innovation in action at McLaren. I’m passionate about emphasising real-world application through my teaching and this competition embodies the principles of technical excellence, innovation, and practical application that I strive to instil in my students. Taking part in the day will create a lasting legacy within our college that I hope will inspire future students and show that excellence is achievable regardless of background or circumstances.”

From automotive to engineering, and from construction to healthcare and beyond – whatever your skills and experience, there’s likely a course in FE to match them. Industry professionals' experience and skills are highly valued in FE. With part-time contracts available FE teachers can teach alongside their existing job.

Minister for Skills, Jacqui Smith said, "Each finalist brought to life their passion for teaching in FE and sharing their experience in their entry. Through their work they’re helping to prepare a pipeline of talent for industry, and I hope their commitment to skills sharing inspires other industry professionals to consider how they can pass on their knowledge and experience to others. I wish all three FE teachers the best of luck in the final.”

You don’t always need prior teaching qualifications or an academic degree to start teaching in further education. You can complete teacher training on the job, meaning you can begin earning straight away.

If you’re an industry professional interested in sharing your skills and experience with the next generation via FE teaching, visit teachinfurthereducation.education.gov.uk to find out more.