Transforming university teacher training to make it more streamlined will go a long way in tackling shortages in staff, according to Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (Ucet).

The organisation explained that trainees should be able to move between higher education and school-based courses, TES reported.

This would mean, regardless of the course they applied for, they could eventually end up in a role they may not have originally thought they would end up in.

Allowing this mobility, Ucet said, will help to fill teaching roles that are failing to attract professionals.

"It should be possible for providers and schools at a local level to share places, so if one route is full you are not turning people away," James Nobel-Rogers was quoted by the online education news provider as saying.

"More flexibility about intake numbers between schools, universities and SCITTs (school-centred initial teacher training) could help maximise recruitment."

In November, data revealed that the government was on track to miss its own target for trainee teacher recruitment for the third year in a row.

Some analysts have stated that if this continues, by 2017, there will be a shortfall of 27,000 teachers.

Speaking at the time, Tristram Hunt, shadow education secretary, said that if this is not tackled, schools will have no other option but to increase class sizes.

In an interview with the Guardian, he said prime minister David Cameron had failed to inspire his colleagues in government to attract more talent to the profession.

He added: "This, alongside his decision to allow schools to permanently employ unqualified teachers and the crisis in primary school places that is leading soaring class sizes, shows just how deeply his Tory-led government is damaging standards for children."