Aberdeenshire Council is launching a recruitment drive to try and entice people back to the teaching profession.
It is part of a bid to fill the multitude of vacant positions which exist throughout the region.
The authority currently has 76 open teaching posts in secondary and primary schools across the north-east.
The council is striving to attract trained teachers, who are not working in classrooms for whatever reason, to join the new initiative.
Chair of the Education, Learning and Leisure Committee, Cllr Alison Evison, said: “The council is trying a whole range of different and innovative ways to recruit teachers, but we are still experiencing some difficulties in pockets of Aberdeenshire.
“We know there are people living in the area who have taught previously, perhaps in another country, and there are others who started along the road to becoming a teacher, but did not complete their studies for various reasons.
“These sessions will give people the chance to find out how the council can help. So I encourage anyone who is a registered teacher in Aberdeenshire, but is not currently teaching, to come along and find out more about this rewarding career.”
Information sessions for people considering a return to teaching will take place next week across Aberdeenshire.
These are aimed at registered teachers, including those who have previously worked elsewhere in the UK or abroad.
Council officers will be in attendance to explain the different options open to teachers who may not have taught for some time, may never have taught in Scotland, or never used their teaching qualification.
Vice-chair of the committee, Cllr Charles Buchan, added: “Last year, our first intake of former oil and gas workers began their training to become teachers and we’ve also been contacting retired teachers to ask if they would consider returning to the classroom.”
An afternoon session at 2pm and an evening session at 7pm will be held at each of three locations – Peterhead Academy, Inverurie Academy and Portlethen Academy – on Thursday, January 19.
