Guidance

Teach in further education

Find out how you can become a further education teacher.

From:
Department for Education
Published
21 September 2022
Last updated
27 August 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

What is further education

Further education (FE) is for learners who want to:

  • learn a skill or trade
  • study a vocational subject
  • develop their professional career
  • take post-16 academic studies
  • study as part of an apprenticeship
  • take adult learning courses in basic English, maths and other entry level courses

As a teacher in FE you could teach a diverse set of learners, including young people and adults.

If teaching a skill or trade, you’ll spend more time in practical settings such as workshops rather than in a classroom.

Visit Teach in further education to learn how to start your journey.

How to get into FE teaching

To teach in FE, you’ll need:

  • skills, knowledge and experience in your subject
  • the willingness to work towards a teaching qualification (or have one already)

Ideally you’ll have industry experience. For some providers, it is preferable for you to have a relevant trade qualification, usually at level 3. You can find out more information about what qualification levels mean.

You’ll also need level 2 maths and English skills. If you do not have these qualifications, FE providers might want to assess your knowledge and skills. They may support you to improve your maths and English skills as part of your training.

It will be expected that those who train on the job or in their own time will be working towards completing either a teaching qualification or a level 5 FE teaching apprenticeship.

Train on the job

There is no specific entry path to becoming a teacher in FE. One way is to apply for a teaching job with an FE provider that can support you to train on the job.

Government programmes, such as Taking Teaching Further, cover the cost of training while working as a teacher. If you are an education provider and would like to find out more about how to apply for this scheme, visit Taking Teaching Further.

You can start work as an FE teacher as soon as you can get a job with an FE provider. When you apply for a job, FE providers will look for:

  • knowledge of your subject
  • experience of your industry
  • practical skills you’ve learnt in your career

Find a job in FE teaching.

Benefits of training on the job

This may be the best approach if:

  • you want to start teaching in FE soon
  • there is a suitable job available at a local college or training provider
  • you do not want to pay for teacher training yourself

The provider may support you to study, for example:

The qualification you work towards will be decided by your employer. Find out more about what qualification levels mean.

Train in your own time

If you prefer to train before starting a new role, you can do your teacher training in your own time around your commitments.

Once you have completed your training you can apply for any suitable jobs.

Benefits of training in your own time

This may be the best approach if:

  • you do not want to be tied-in to any one provider once you’ve qualified
  • you want to get a taste for FE before you commit to teaching in it

You may be eligible to apply for a student loan to help pay for the course fees and living expenses. Find out about student finance.

Bursaries

Depending on your subject, you may be able to get a tax-free bursary with your teacher training course. The value of these bursaries has increased for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

FE teacher training bursaries are worth up to £30,000 over the length of the course. The value of the bursary depends on the subject you are training to teach.

Example

If you are training to teach maths and your course is 2 years in length, a £30,000 bursary would amount to £15,000 per year.

A limited number of bursaries are available each year. Your course provider will let you know if you are eligible. Find out about bursaries available for 2024 to 2025.

Where you could work

Places where FE teachers work include:

  • colleges
  • independent training providers (ITPs)
  • adult community learning
  • workplaces
  • prisons

FE is not the same as:

  • university
  • secondary school, including school sixth forms

Colleges

There are many types of colleges including general colleges, sixth form colleges, land-based colleges and national specialist colleges. Colleges offer a wide range of courses, both vocational and academic, and you may teach a wide variety of full-time and part-time students.

Independent training providers (ITPs)

ITPs are typically a part of the private or charity sector, with many working closely with employers to deliver work-based courses.

Adult community learning

Adult community learning includes a range of community-based and outreach learning opportunities. This type of learning is managed and coordinated by local authorities and their partners to deliver adult education and training courses.

Workplaces

Some companies deliver in-house training which allows them to support their staff through their qualifications.

Prisons

Courses are normally available to help prisoners gain new skills, for example learning to read and write, use computers, or do basic maths.

What you could teach

FE providers teach a huge range of courses, from social care to construction.

Often the subjects taught reflect the needs of the local economy.

The courses taught include:

  • GCSEs
  • T levels (new qualifications in technical subjects, broadly equivalent to 3 A levels)
  • BTECs
  • apprenticeships
  • entry level courses

Professions, vocations and trades

There are many subjects taught in FE. The best way of discovering them is to explore your local FE provider websites.

Here’s a sample list of sectors covered by FE teaching:

  • agriculture, environment and animal care
  • business, administration and office management
  • catering and hospitality
  • childcare and education
  • construction
  • creative and design
  • digital and IT
  • emergency and armed services
  • engineering and manufacturing
  • hair and beauty
  • health and life sciences
  • legal, finance and accounting
  • sales, marketing and procurement
  • social care
  • transport and logistics

Academic subjects

You could teach subjects like:

  • English
  • maths
  • science
  • social sciences
  • humanities
  • modern foreign languages
  • art and design
  • performing arts

Some FE providers require you to have a degree in the subject you want to teach.

Benefits of working in FE

FE providers are independent employers and may offer a range of benefits, in addition to salary packages.

These may include:

  • pension schemes
  • childcare vouchers
  • cycle to work schemes
  • support with travel costs

This is not a complete list. You can find what each FE provider offers on their website.

FE providers like colleges and training providers can:

  • set their own entry requirements in terms of qualifications or prior experience needed to teach in FE
  • have their own pay structure and other terms and conditions

This means that you will need to make your own assessment of any FE provider you consider applying to work for.

Like colleges, some ITPs will provide teacher training on the job. ITPs may differ from colleges in other ways, and could:

  • be industry or sector specific
  • have a more commercial focus
  • have a greater use of remote working

Working hours

A full-time FE teacher is typically contracted to 35 to 37 hours a week. Some teaching occurs in the evening, so the working day may vary.

Many FE teachers work part-time or flexible hours to fit around other commitments.

Look at job vacancies on FE job boards or providers’ websites to gain an idea of how flexible jobs in FE can be.

Holidays

As an employee you are entitled to paid holidays.

Term-based holidays mean college-based FE teachers typically get 37 days’ paid leave per year, plus all bank holidays.

ITPs do not usually follow academic terms, so annual leave can usually be taken at any time.

The amount of leave offered varies by provider.

Read real-life stories of current FE teachers and discover what it’s like to teach in FE.

Find a teaching qualification

Teacher training is not linked to your subject. Instead, it will help you gain the specific teaching skills you need to best share your skills, knowledge and experience with your students.

The college or training provider will arrange this for you when you start a job with them.

Teacher training courses vary by:

  • cost
  • duration
  • minimum qualification requirements

What qualifications are available

Qualification Entry requirements What you’ll achieve
Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) Level 3 in your subject Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills)
Certificate in Education Typically level 3 in your subject Level 5 Certificate in Education
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education Typically level 4 in your subject Level 6 Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
Postgraduate Certificate in Education A degree or equivalent qualification Level 7 Postgraduate Certificate in Education

These qualifications are good if you want to:

  • complete FE teacher training full-time as a student
  • complete FE teacher training part-time or on the job
  • get a full teaching qualification

If you intend to teach in a secondary school or a sixth form in a secondary school, you should consider a teacher training qualification that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS).

Course structure

Typically, full-time study will involve at least 100 hours of teaching practice, including 50 in your chosen area if you are on a specialist pathway. You can do this over 1 year if studying full-time or 2 years if part-time.

Teaching status

Following the course, you will be eligible to apply for Qualified Teacher Leaning and Skills status (QTLS).

Cost

This varies by provider, but is usually between £6,000 and £9,250. You can have this funded by a student loan or by your provider.

Non-teaching roles

There are many other roles in addition to teaching in FE, which includes working as a:

  • technician
  • teaching assistant
  • learning support assistant

These sorts of jobs are advertised on FE providers’ websites, and on general job finder websites.

Where to find a job

The first place to look for a job is on your local college or training provider’s website.

Other places to look include:

The Department for Education does not endorse any particular providers or job sites.

Contact

Got a question about finding a job in FE?

Call our advisors on 0800 389 2502. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm.

If you prefer, you can email us instead at Teach.FE@education.gov.uk.

Sign up for updates and hear from current teachers on the Teach in further education website.

Updates to this page

Published 21 September 2022
Last updated 27 August 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated the list of available qualifications in the 'Find a teaching qualification' section.

  2. Updated the bursaries information for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

  3. Information on FE teacher training bursaries has been updated for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

  4. First published.

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