PEOPLE who have started 2016 eager for a change are being urged to get into teaching, with two events being held to try to ease the shortage of teachers across the Bradford district.

Forty per cent of people in the region who registered to become teachers in the 2014-15 academic year did so in January, according to the National College for Teaching and Leadership, with 3,390 registrations that month.

And to harness the high numbers of people looking to change careers, two roadshows will be held to get more people into the profession.

Beckfoot School in Bingley will host an event, organised by the Bradford Teaching Schools Alliance, from 9.30am to 4pm on January 30.

And the National College for Teaching and Leadership has organised a similar event in the Leeds Hilton from 5pm to 8pm on February 25.

Last November it was reported how 63 per cent of secondary schools in the district faced recruitment issues because of a lack of applicants, the poor quality of applicants and a shortage of teachers specialising in subjects like English and engineering. And 58 per cent of primary schools faced similar issues.

Both roadshows will offer guidance to those looking to move into teaching, and different training routes, and there will be representatives from local schools present.

Ian Murch, local spokesman for the National Union of Teachers, said: “You hear the Government say there are more teachers than ever before but they don’t point out that there are more pupils too, and the gap is growing.

“I know that in September just gone there were not enough people going into teacher training. There aren’t enough people in the system to fill all the vacancies.

“If we don’t get more people signing up there will be a problem.”