Further education teacher job profile

Further education teachers teach a range of subjects to learners aged 16 and over, as well as work-related learning to students aged 14 to 16

As a further education (FE) teacher, you'll teach a range of subjects in one of three main areas:

vocational training (including apprenticeships) - preparing students for work and making sure they have up-to-date skills
academic teaching - teaching a range of academic qualifications, mainly at GCSE and A-level
English and maths - teaching basic skills in areas such as numeracy, literacy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

You may also teach recreational courses that support personal interests, such as local history or watercolours.

Although you'll work mainly with post-16 and/or adult learners, you're increasingly expected to work with students aged 14 to 19 who are studying vocational subjects. You're more likely to be called a trainer in this case.

Types of further education work settings

You could work in any of the following:

a general or specialist FE college
sixth form colleges
adult and community education centres
universities
prisons and youth offender organisations
voluntary and charity organisations
work-based learning.

Responsibilities

Duties may vary to some degree depending on the setting you work in, but in most cases you'll need to:

plan and prepare lessons
teach across a range of qualification types and levels, in day or evening classes or open access workshops
research and develop new topics, courses and teaching materials, including online resources
teach large and small groups of learners from a range of backgrounds, abilities and ages
monitor, assess and mark students' work
maintain accurate records and monitor students' progress
set and oversee examinations and liaise with awarding bodies to ensure quality standards are met
carry out a pastoral role as a personal tutor to students
conduct tutorials on a one-to-one basis with learners
plan additional support for students
contribute to course team meetings to monitor, review and evaluate relevant courses
represent the college at parents' evenings, taster days, open days and careers or education conventions
keep up to date with and implement college policies
interview prospective students
liaise with other educational professionals and organisations
organise work experience and carry out learner assessments in the workplace
undertake a range of administrative tasks.

Salary

As an unqualified FE teacher, you could expect to earn £21,021 to £25,366.
A qualified FE teacher can earn between £26,090 and £39,347.
Typical salaries at advanced teaching and training levels are in the region of £39,347 to £44,278. Salaries for leadership and management roles can significantly exceed this, rising to £98,222 for the most senior positions.

The above rates are recommended for England by the Association of Colleges (see the University and College Union (UCU) - English FE pay scales). Information for rates in Wales and Northern Ireland are also available on the UCU website. Salary information for Scotland is available from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS). Colleges can set their own salaries, however, and these rates are only advisory.

Many FE teachers work part time or on a sessional basis, often via an agency. Rates for this vary between £15 to £30+ per hour, plus holiday pay/entitlement.

Salaries in settings outside of FE colleges may vary. In general, salaries vary according to your teaching and industrial experience, qualifications, subject demand, work setting and geographical location.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Typical working hours for full-time college teachers are 35 hours a week, sometimes including one or more evening sessions.

You'll need to work extra hours to plan and prepare lessons, mark students' work and attend meetings and open evenings, especially during term time.

What to expect

Your work will be largely classroom, laboratory or workshop based, depending on the subject you teach. Some subjects will include field trips or study visits.
Where appropriate, some teaching and assessment will take place on employer premises with students who are on work experience or taking courses that involve day-release or work-based learning.
Jobs are widely available, with opportunities in FE and training institutions in most major towns and cities throughout the UK.
Many FE teachers work part time or on a sessional basis and will supplement their income through private tuition, evening classes, national examination marking, teaching on residential courses, external consultancy work or writing textbooks.
It can be possible to move between institutions, e.g., schools (which have sixth forms), colleges and community-based learning centres.

Qualifications

You can become a further education (FE) teacher without a teaching qualification, although you'll probably be expected to study for one. Obtaining a relevant qualification will increase your chances of getting a job and of receiving further promotion.

Individual institutions set their own requirements, and some may have their own in-house training programmes.

Qualifications are available at various levels, including:

Level 3 Award in Education and Training - an introductory, knowledge-based course, which doesn't have a placement, although you will have to take part in microteaching, and which you can complete before being in a teaching role.
Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training - develops practical teaching skills and requires you to have at least 30 hours of teaching practice.
Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training - this is the recognised, full teaching qualification for the sector, and you must have at least 100 hours of teaching practice. You can choose to take a specialist pathway at this level in literacy, ESOL, mathematics or teaching disabled learners.
Level 5 integrated specialist diplomas - similar to the equivalent Level 5 DET including a specialist pathway, but all 100 hours of practice must be in your chosen specialist area.

You can go straight into the Level 5 qualification without having completed the other levels. If you've completed a Level 3 or 4 qualification, you may be able to achieve recognition for prior learning.

A Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship is another option. For more information about these apprenticeships and their current availability, see the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education.

Qualifications are generally offered by FE colleges, universities and other training providers on a full or part-time basis. However, for part-time level 4 and 5 qualifications, you'll usually need to organise your own teaching practice placement.

To get a place on a course, you'll need to be qualified or experienced in the subject you want to teach. If you want to teach an academic course, for example, you'll typically need a degree. For vocational subjects, you'll need an appropriate vocational qualification (usually minimum Level 3) and professional experience.

Obtaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in post-compulsory education is the most usual route into the profession for new graduates. Courses are available either full time (one year including teaching practice) or part time. They incorporate the requirements of the Level 5 qualification but also offer additional units at a higher level and are assessed at a higher level, usually Level 6 but sometimes Level 7. You'll need a degree in the subject you wish to teach.

You can also take a Cert Ed (Certificate in Education) which meets the Level 5 requirements but doesn't require a degree. Instead, you'll need a Level 3 qualification in the area you wish to teach or extensive experience.

You can apply through UCAS for the main postgraduate and undergraduate teacher training programmes in Scotland and Wales. For Northern Ireland, see Train to teach in Northern Ireland for details of how to apply. In England, use the DfE's Apply for teacher training service.

Student tuition fee loans are available for approved and accredited full and part-time Level 5 DET and PGCE programmes that lead to the full teacher qualification for post-16 education and training. For information on fees and funding in Scotland, see the Student Awards Agency Scotland and for Wales, see Student Finance Wales.

More information about funding and teaching in further education is available from FE Advice and Get into Teaching - Become a further education teacher.

Skills

You'll need to have:

in-depth knowledge of your subject or professional area (if teaching a vocational course)
the ability to design and teach courses in your area of expertise
written and verbal communication skills
interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to students of all ages and abilities
organisation and planning skills
creativity
enthusiasm, motivation and commitment
a flexible approach to work and an openness to change
general IT skills
patience and a sense of humour.

Work experience

Try contacting the relevant head of department at your local college, to ask if it's possible to do some shadowing or voluntary teaching.

Libraries often hold a list of further education courses and training in the community. You could try contacting these to see if you could help out and gain some experience.

Any other experience you can gain from working or volunteering with young people can be helpful. Consider youth clubs, sports clubs, charities and voluntary organisations, schools and colleges.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

There are FE colleges based around the UK and many of them run satellite centres in the community, operating from community centres, libraries, schools and high street premises. Local authorities also run adult education services, often in conjunction with FE colleges.

Sixth form colleges exist in some areas (excluding Scotland). Some colleges are privately run, often specialising in a particular vocational area.

Adult residential colleges offer opportunities for teaching in special interest subjects such as archaeology, painting and philosophy.

FE teachers also find work in the prison service, the armed forces education branch or in company training departments. There are some opportunities in organisations offering vocational and basic skills training to young people and adults, for example those on government work-based training schemes.

There are opportunities to work overseas as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher. Voluntary and charitable institutions will have opportunities. For more information on how to qualify, see English as a foreign language teacher.

Many FE teachers have portfolio careers and are employed by multiple organisations, sometimes on short-term contracts, while also working in their specialist area outside of education.

Look for job vacancies at:

College websites and specialist recruitment agencies such as Protocol also advertise vacancies.

Professional development

If you've completed a recognised Level 5 or above qualification in education and training, you can apply to the Society for Education & Training (SET) for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. You'll need to have SET membership and complete a process of professional formation to show you can use the skills and knowledge you gained during your training effectively in your work.

QTLS status is equal to qualified teacher status (QTS), which primary and secondary school teachers hold. Having QTLS shows your knowledge and skills are at a certain professional level and can help with career development. QTLS is only formally recognised in England and may not be recognised by employers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

If you become a member of SET, you'll need to carry out continuing professional development (CPD). SET provides an online resource for recording CPD activities and has various CPD resources including webinars, online learning programmes, toolkits and workshops.

A range of CPD courses is also available from the Education & Training Foundation, the national support body for the further education and training sector.

Career prospects

With the right combination of experience and qualifications, it's possible to progress to senior lecturer, curriculum manager, head of department or divisional manager roles. Competition for these roles can be fierce due to the relatively small number of posts available.

Another option is to move into college management, in an area such as:

admissions
finance
guidance
human resources
quality standards.

Management posts often require relevant professional qualifications and experience and attract qualified applicants from outside the education sector.

Alternatively, you could take on additional non-teaching responsibilities, such as working in a pastoral role or as an admissions tutor. Some further education teachers retrain to become support tutors, for example, providing one-to-one support for students with dyslexia.

It's possible to move into other branches of education, such as higher education or training. If you're a member of SET and have QTLS status, you can work as a qualified teacher in a school. With further training, it's possible to become an assessor for a range of vocational qualifications. For more information, see FE advice - I want to be an assessor.

There are also opportunities to work as a personal tutor, working with students in their own homes or at a centre.

Further education teacher