Further education teacher
Further education (FE) teachers teach academic and work related (vocational) courses to young people and adults.
Also known as: Further education tutor, further education lecturer, FE teacher
- Starter salary£28,000 a year
- Experienced£47,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a further education teacher, you could:
- teach students of different ages, abilities and backgrounds
- develop and improve study programmes
- inspire and motivate students to do well
- provide constructive feedback to students and prepare them for assessments
- keep accurate learner records
- create course materials in print and digital formats
- stay up to date with changes to technology in your study area
- follow safeguarding and health and safety procedures
- refer students to college support services when appropriate
- take part in marketing, careers and student recruitment activities
Working environment
You could work at a college, in a sixth form college, an independent training centre, in a prison or at an adult education centre.
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your students
- knowledge of English language
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a further education teacher
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You can do a further education (FE) teaching qualification at university.
Qualifications include:
- Certificate in Education (Cert Ed)
- Postgraduate Certificate in Post Compulsory Education and Training
- Postgraduate Certificate in Further Education and Training
To teach an academic qualification like an A level, you'll usually need a degree in the subject.
Some courses include a placement to get practical experience, others may ask that you are already working in an FE college as an unqualified teacher.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
College
You could do a teaching qualification at college, such as:
- Certificate in Education (Cert Ed)
- Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training
- Level 5 Diploma in Teaching with a specialist pathway for teaching literacy, numeracy, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), or teaching disabled learners
Employers will expect you to have experience or a qualification in the subject you want to teach.
Entry requirements
You'll need:
- GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
- 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course
Apprenticeship
You could do a Learning and Skills Teacher Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
- a qualification in the subject you want to teach
- recent experience in your industry
- ability in English, maths and IT
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Work
You could apply directly to work as an unqualified further education teacher if you have a minimum of a level 3 qualification and lots of experience in your industry.
Once working, you could complete a teaching qualification on the job. Some employers might help to fund your training.
You'll also need level 2 qualifications in maths and English (though level 3 or higher if you're planning to teach these subjects). If you do not have these qualifications, the learning provider may support you to get them as part of your teacher training course.
Volunteering
It will be useful to get experience through paid work or volunteering at a school , college or adult learning centre.
You can also look for volunteering opportunities in your area .
Direct application
You can apply directly to teach in further education if you have relevant experience and qualifications in a technical or academic subject.
You can also apply directly to teach some subjects in further education, if you have taught them in a school and hold qualified teacher status (QTS) .
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- become a senior further education teacher, head of department or education programme co-ordinator in a college
- qualify as a training assessor or examiner
- write textbooks or create online course resources for an educational publisher
- become a training officer with a commercial company
Career tips
You can work towards qualified teacher learning and skills status (QTLS) , if you already have a teaching qualification at level 5 or above.
Guides for this industry
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