Abstract

The UK further education (FE) and skills sector faces significant challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers, which has profound implications for educational quality and institutional stability. This special issue brings together studies from all over the world and demonstrates similar issues in countries such as Australia, Chile, Germany, Netherlands and Austria. These global challenges stem from various factors, including workload pressures, stagnating wages, limited professional development opportunities, and unclear career progression pathways. Educators across the various global FE and skills sectors often experience heavy workloads (including significant administrative duties, pastoral support, preparation, and teaching contact time), leading to burnout and high turnover rates. Additionally, these studies are linked by how they show that there is a consistent lack of adequate support and remission for professional growth and development, hindering teacher retention. Furthermore, the absence of transparent career advancement routes discourages potentially talented educators from entering and remaining in the profession.