Openai just turned on the new learning mode for ChatGPT. Learners can drop syllabus, ask for bite-sized explanations, and immediately ask practice questions while sitting on the bus. If that's already happening on their phones, how long can university and ITPS continue, as if nothing has changed?
Fe is trapped in the perfect storm
The vacancy in classes is 3.9%, the retention rate drops off the cliff, and the actual conditions are inversely stopped. The Institute of Finance has confirmed that university teacher salaries have crashed 18% on actual terms since 2010, with 13% of school teachers falling. A quarter of university teachers depart within just one year, and almost half are gone within three years. Less than a quarter of those who participated ten years ago remain at the post office today, compared to over 60% of school teachers.
The wage gap between colleges and schools has grown from 14% in 2010 to 21% today, with university teachers currently 6,000-11,000 pounds less than their school counterparts. It is so desperate that 172 university leaders have co-written on actions calling for a prime minister. This is not an isolated cry, but a collapse of the entire system.
Meanwhile, the university needs 800 mathematics teachers and 400 additional English teachers just to meet the new GCSE requirements. At current wage levels, it is pure fantasy. Schools paying over £10,000 can't find math teachers, what hopes do we have?
It adds the national skill crunch required by 2028, 251,500 additional construction workers (the industry loses 210,000 workers each year, but only recruits 200,000), 111,000 unexplored NHS posts, and a digital skills shortage that costs £27.6 billion by 2030. Even the government admits that without a better wage and labor strategy, their own skills England ambitions are “at risk of failure.”
First, the robot is the second
Think about your best brick tutor. Years on the scene, stories of grabbing the room, instincts to find sloppy mortar joints before they collapse, and the actual contacts of local businesses that actually take your apprenticeship. A chatbot cannot give it to you. Practical skills require you to look at angle grinders and welding torches. Plus, you need an idyllic nod: “I know you're struggling. Let's talk to you after class.” Anyone who argues that something like a learning mode can replace an alternative must have an agenda.
Where machines intervene
What machine can Prevent administrators from driving. A UCU Workload survey found that 41% of staff describe their workload as unmanageable, with instructors recording an extra 13 hours of extra hours each week. Bolton College's ADA chatbots have already supported questions from over 70,000 learners, releasing staff for deeper conversations. The JISC Teachermatic pilot found that nearly 400 lecturers from eight universities saved planning and resources by just over two hours a week, with nearly 70% reporting better learner experiences. In KS3 Science, the Education Endowment Foundation Trial showed that ChatGPT will help prepare, reducing quality by reducing its third to about a third. Even in high-risk transactions, virtual reality rigs combined with AI feedback allow trainees to practice scaffolding and live circuit work repeatedly without risk.
How to jump without blowing your budget
Would you actually start without actually waiting? Start with a license you already pay (usually Microsoft or Google) and designate a few curious staff members as AI champions. Ofsted's latest research finds that universities already use AI to reduce workloads and support learners, demonstrating that FE's mature learners and work focus is in the best position for AI adoption. Explore the champions, experiment, and then show them what works for the rest. Use the free JISC AI Maturity Toolkit to map the next step and understand where the university is where AI travels. They then run lunches and study sessions showing how other universities are doing this job.
Don't ignore fairness. When learners are scraping data about pay-as-you-go mobile phones, AI-rich courses widen the gap. The expansion of digital divisions is only growing, including Wi-Fi, device loans and evening access rooms.
Cost of sitting still
Replacing a burnt-out instructor costs over £30,000 when you add recruiting, covering and induction. All learners who drop out due to lack of support drag on their funds.
Employers vote on their own feet! 71% already view skills shortages as a threat to competitiveness. They choose universities that use things like learning modes to help them get better attendance, faster completions, and staff that still smiles in week 12.
No, AI won't take on your job
It polishes and expands it, making the human part even more important. The currently running university maintains staff, employers and funds. Those waiting for the “perfect” policy paper will see learners swipe through open chat learning modes.
I run out of time for another committee paper. Choose a pilot group, choose this term, carve out the rules, and allow the machine to shatter the dragging and return to spending more time on learners and employers, providing more time.
Danny O'Meara, Operations Manager at FE News
