Teaching Bursary helps Mike’s career change add up
Mike Wynne-Roberts is embarking on his new career as a maths teacher, thanks to support from the Teaching Bursary scheme.
Prior to embarking on his teaching career, Mike was an army officer with the Royal Engineers for six years before being a management consultant and then running his own small holiday let business.
He said: “After leaving the army I spent a bit of time trying to find the right thing for me. When I reflected on my time in the army, what I really found enjoyable and fulfilling in the military and also in my management consultant role was developing and investing in people and having a positive impact on people’s lives.
“I realised, as a school teacher that it’s such an incredible privilege to have a real shaping impact on the lives of young people, and that’s what I absolutely loved doing in the army and I saw teaching as an opportunity to do more of that.”
Mike heard about the Teaching Bursary through networking and talking to people in teaching, and was then able to get more information online.
Opened to new applicants from June 2025 by Skills Development Scotland, the £15,000 bursary is available for career changers in the new academic year whilst studying for a PGDE in Maths, Computing Science, Technological Education, Physics, Chemistry, Home Economics, Gaelic and Modern Languages.
Mike said: “The bursary was big consideration when thinking about applying for the course. I could have just about put myself through the course without the bursary, but having the bursary to help fund the course definitely made applying a viable option. Others I have spoken to have said that they wouldn’t have been able to do the course without the bursary.
“Being a mature student, thinking of changing career can be a challenge, when you’ve got a family or bills to pay and trying to balance it all, having that financial support is an incredible stress reliever and enables you to focus on your studies. My wife and I are expecting our first child shortly, and the bursary helped us keep going with our lives while enabling me to take the course.”
Mike has completed his year of study and is looking forward to starting his probationary year in a secondary school in Edinburgh.
He said: “I really enjoyed the course and it’s made me feel now that I’ve got a career for life, and feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to do it.
“I’ve found that my previous career experience has set me up so well to progress to this next stage in my career. I definitely don’t think I’d be here in a teaching role as a fresh graduate, I’m here as result of my time in the army and consulting – I think all of this has made me a well-rounded teacher, and I’ve been surprised at how quickly I’ve seen these benefits of that experience in the classroom.
“I think it’s important to bring in people who’ve had the benefit of other careers and industries into teaching and to have that diversity of background because that makes teaching in education richer in my opinion.”
Want to know more?
Find out more about the Teaching Bursary and how to apply