Presented by television and radio presenter, screenwriter and children's author, Konnie Huq, the series sees unsuspecting skilled professionals that work in Construction, Motor Mechanics and Culinary Arts sectors unknowingly step into the role of FE teachers.
Leon Wilde, Head of Engineering at City College Norwich - goes undercover to make Walid, a seasoned mechanic, believe he is just a novice to uncover Walid’s hidden teaching potential. In turn, unsuspecting Walid thinks he was simply assigned an intern to mentor for the day. Watched on by his students, Leon brings controlled chaos to the workplace as Walid discovers his natural ability to guide and inspire learners.
This exciting new series shines a light on the incredible industry professionals, who have the skills to teach in FE but don’t know it yet. Through surprising challenges and heartwarming moments. Each episode helps the professionals realise that their real-life industry skills could make them great FE teachers.
Walid Alem, a mechanic from London shares: "I was surprised to find out I was part of an undercover show, where I was unknowingly mentoring an FE teacher, but I loved every bit of it!
My favourite part of the show was keeping the ‘intern’ engaged and motivated, even when mistakes happened, and seeing how they learned from those moments.
This experience has changed my view on teaching in further education, and now one day, I might consider it. Although I’m focused on running my business at the moment, I see the potential in passing on my knowledge and skills to the next generation of talent in the future.
Who knows, maybe one day I will be teaching at FE as well, especially since they offer part time positions”.
Leon Wilde, an FE teacher from City College Norwich shared: "As Head of Engineering, I understand the importance of recruiting teachers with a strong engineering background. 'Undercover Education' reinforced my confidence in hiring individuals directly from the industry.
Walid was an outstanding teacher—calm, knowledgeable, and positive. His insights, guidance, and practical tips were excellent. One memorable moment was bringing a bit of light-hearted energy to the session and hearing about Walid’s journey to becoming a skilled technician.
Teaching in FE is incredibly rewarding, with each day bringing new challenges and opportunities—an adventure I’m sure many industry professionals would enjoy. As the industry evolves, new teachers coming directly from the field can bring up-to-date knowledge to learners looking to enter the engineering sector.They will also have the opportunity to participate in professional development experiences that enhance both their teaching skills and expertise in their specialist area."
Konnie Huq, who presents the show and has been following the experts’ journey throughout, said: “It was great to work with the participants in these three fields to see their knowledge and the power of mentorship, whilst of course a lot of fun coming up with the conversations and pranks carried out by the undercover interns.”
The branded entertainment series is available on Channel 4’s YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, as will be available to stream on Channel 4. Undercover Education was produced by Zandland and the deal was led by media agency OmniGOV at MG OMD.
If professionals have industry experience, they already have what it takes to teach in further education. There’s a huge range of courses taught in FE – whatever the industry, there’s likely a job in FE to match a professional’s expertise.
You don’t always need prior teaching qualifications or an academic degree to start teaching in further education. Instead, you can complete teacher training on the job, meaning you can begin earning straight away.
To find out more about becoming a further education teacher and the next steps to take, visit: teachinfurthereducation.education.gov.uk.