WOULD-BE teachers are being encouraged to consider the profession after it emerged that dozens of posts are still unfilled throughout Suffolk.

WOULD-BE teachers are being encouraged to consider the profession after it emerged that dozens of posts are still unfilled throughout Suffolk.

According to the Suffolk Jobs Direct website there are currently 75 vacancies at schools across the county.

Neil Bartlett, Suffolk Teacher Recruitment advisor, said with unemployment on the rise it could be an ideal opportunity for people to retrain and move into the education sector.

But he warned that while there was plenty of opportunity available for the right candidate a teaching career should not be seen as an easy option and that it was a long term commitment.

He said the deadline for training courses that start in September had already passed so anyone looking to apply now would not start teaching until 2011.

He said: “There is definitely a lot of opportunity out there for the right person.

“In the next few months I think people might look at education as a new career path. It's a pretty secure job and there are huge rewards in terms of outcomes for pupils. When you see the penny has finally dropped with children its enlightening.

“However, if people are thinking about it they do need to carry out some research to find out if it's right for them.

“There are a lot of misconceptions. Many believe it's still a nine to four job but if you talk to any teacher that will be shot down in flames. There is a huge amount of commitment.”

Mr Bartlett, who taught for 30 years, said there were particular shortages in mathematics and design technology - a picture reflected throughout the country.