BITE THE BULLET AND START OVER

AFTER 24 years in the British Army, Gary Evans wasn’t sure what his future held. But reflecting on the many skills he'd acquired, he decided further education (FE) teaching was ideal. “It gave me a second career and a second chance to make a difference,” says Gary, 50, from Ipswich.

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I'm an internal quality assurer (IQA) at North Herts College, based at the engineering and construction campus.

I oversee quality across seven vocational qualifications - everything from electrotechnical to gas engineering, lab tech and site carpentry.

T’ve been in further education for six-and-a-half years now. Before that, I spent 24 years in the Army. It was strange to leave my role in the Army, but teaching in further education has given me an opportunity to use my existing skills in a new way.

I think lots of people reach a crossroad in their career at some point, but finding a new chapter can be really rewarding and the FE sector provides lots of opportunities to do that.

What does your job involve day to day?

I make sure assessments are fair, consistent and meet national standards. That means mentoring assessors, sampling learner work, and working closely with tutors and awarding bodies.

It’s all about making sure learners get the best possible experience — and the qualifications they deserve.

Talso maintain close communication with program managers and provide monthly reports to the quality assurance manager.