Further Education Teacher

What is the work like?

Further education (FE) teachers, sometimes known as FE lecturers, teach students over the age of 16, and some 14- to 16-year-olds studying work-related subjects.

As an FE teacher you could work in a variety of learning environments, ranging from colleges and community centres to prisons and the armed forces.

The types of courses you could teach include:

• academic subjects (like maths and English) often leading to qualifications such as GCSEs and A levels
• vocational courses which train students for careers such as catering, construction and childcare, often leading to NVQs
• the new 14 to 19 Diplomas
• leisure and hobby courses, such as photography.

Depending on the subject you teach, you would use a variety of teaching methods, such as seminars, tutorials and demonstrations.

Your day-do-day work would typically involve:

• planning and preparing lessons or seminars
• setting and marking assignments, tests and exams
• monitoring and assessing students’ progress
• developing new courses and teaching materials
• record keeping and other administrative tasks
• attending meetings, professional development courses and workshops
• interviewing prospective students
• acting as personal tutor, supporting students and helping with problems
• supervising practical work, work placements or field trips.

You could teach full-time, part-time (day or evening) or day-release courses.

What qualifications and experience will employers look for?

You would need:

• at least a level three qualification (for example A level or NVQ level 3) in the subject you want to teach – for some academic subjects you may need a degree
• teaching qualifications which are recognised by Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK).

LLUK introduced new teaching qualifications in September 2007. These have replaced all previous qualifications.

The Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector is a short introductory course which you would do at the beginning of your teaching career.

You would then need to take further qualifications, depending on whether you are aiming to qualify as a 'full' or 'associate' teacher.

The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector is the minimum qualification you will need as a full teacher. It will also lead to QTLS status (Qualified Teacher, Learning and Skills). As a full teacher you would have a full range of teaching responsibilities – your work would involve:

• using teaching materials you have designed and evaluated
• teaching a range of levels, subjects and learner types
• teaching programmes of varying lengths.

The Level 3/4 Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector will qualify you as an associate teacher. As an associate teacher you would have less teaching responsibilities than a full teacher – your work would involve at least one of the following methods:

• using packs or pre-prepared materials, with little involvement in designing curriculum and materials
• teaching on a one-to-one basis
• teaching one particular level, subject or type of learner, rather than a full range
• teaching short courses (see the LLUK website for a definition).

You can go straight onto the Level 5 Diploma without completing the Level 3/4 Certificate if you want to qualify as a full teacher.

The qualifications are awarded by City & Guilds, Edexcel, OCR and a number of universities. See Standards Verification UK for full details of qualifications and training providers.

The Level 5 Diploma is roughly equivalent to the PGCE/Cert Ed in Further Education. Some universities and colleges will carry on using these titles for the new qualifications, although they will reference them against the Level 5 Diploma.

If you started to do qualifications before September 2007, such as Stage 1 and/or 2 of City & Guilds 7407 (which have now been replaced), you can get advice from the LLUK Information and Advice Service about where you will fit into the new qualification framework.

You can train to become an FE teacher on a full- or part-time basis. If you want to do a part-time course and are not already employed as a teacher, you will need to arrange some teaching hours. You may be able to do this on a voluntary basis, although many people find paid teaching work whilst still training.

Under new government regulations, all FE teachers need to register as members of the Institute for Learning (Ifl). See the IfL website for details.

What further training and development can I do?

You could complete a teaching qualification whilst working as a teacher. To do this you should:

• be well-qualified or experienced in the subject you intend to teach
• find an employer who is willing to take you on and support you in working towards qualifications
• complete a teaching qualification within a set time.

As a newly qualified teacher you would need to apply to the Institute for Learning (Ifl) for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. See the Ifl website for information.

Qualifying as an FE teacher does not give you qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in schools. See the Primary and Secondary School Teacher profiles for more information.

Under new government regulations, you will need to keep your skills and knowledge up to date by completing 30 hours continuing professional development (CPD) each year (less if part-time). See the IfL website for details.

Where can I go for more information?

5th Floor
St Andrew’s House
18-20 St Andrew Street
London
EC4A 3AY
Information and Advice Service: 020 7936 5798
Email: advice@lluk.org

If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser at  learndirect Careers Advice, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form

Related profiles...

Secondary School Teacher

Training Officer

Prison Instructor

Higher Education Lecturer

Primary School Teacher

Skills for Life Teacher

EFL Teacher