Further education lecturer jobs

Teachers in further education are responsible for instructing students aged 16 and older in a variety of disciplines. Additionally, they instruct students aged 14 to 16 in work-related learning.

As a teacher in further education (FE), you will be responsible for instructing students in a variety of topics under one of these three primary categories:

training for specific occupations (including apprenticeships) - getting pupils ready for the workforce and ensuring that they have up-to-date knowledge and abilities

academic teaching refers to instructing students to achieve a variety of academic degrees, most often at the GCSE and A-level levels.

Math and English; teaching fundamental abilities in areas such as numeracy, reading, and English as a Second Language (ESOL) (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

You also have the option of instructing leisure classes that cater to particular hobbies, such as watercolor painting or local history.

Although you will spend most of your time working with people who are learning beyond the age of 16 or adults, you will be required to spend more time with students aged 14 to 19 who are pursuing vocational topics. In this scenario, people are more inclined to refer to you as a trainer.

The following kinds of environments are suitable for carrying out work:

a further education college, either general or specialized.

colleges that provide sixth forms

centers for continuing and community education for adults

universities

places of confinement and organizations for juvenile offenders

organizations that are run voluntarily for charitable purposes

training via actual employment.

Responsibilities

Depending on the environment in which you do your job, you may be required to:

plan and prepare lessons

Educate students across a wide variety of subject areas and levels, either during the day, in the evening, or in open access workshops.

Conduct research on a variety of new subjects, as well as build new courses and instructional materials, including online resources.

It is important to be able to teach big and small groups of students that come from a variety of demographics, ages, and skill levels.

watch over, evaluate, and grade the work of the pupils

preserve the integrity of the records, and track the development of the kids.

establish and monitor exams, as well as maintain communication with awarding organizations, to guarantee that quality criteria are satisfied.

provide pupils with guidance and instruction in the capacity of a personal tutor.

conduct lessons with each individual student on a one-to-one basis.

Make arrangements for extra assistance for the pupils.

participation in course team meetings for the purpose of monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating relevant courses

You will be expected to represent the college at events such as parent-student dinners, taster days, open days, and education or career conventions.

maintain a current knowledge of, and compliance with, college rules.

Conduct interviews with potential new pupils.

engage in communication with various educational professionals and organizations.

Work experience should be arranged, and evaluations of learners should be carried out in the workplace.

carry out a wide variety of administrative responsibilities.

Salary

If you are an unqualified FE teacher, you may anticipate earning anything between £19,758 and £23,325.

Earnings might range anywhere from £24,702 to £37,258 for a trained FE instructor.

Advanced teaching and training positions typically have wages ranging from £37,258 to £41,928 per year on average. It is very uncommon for leadership and managerial positions to have salaries that are much higher than this, with some of the most senior jobs paying more than 90,000.

The Association of Colleges has suggested the aforementioned rates for use in England (for further information, see the University and College Union (UCU) - English FE pay scales). On the UCU website, you may furthermore find information on the rates that apply in Wales and Northern Ireland. The Educational Institute of Scotland is a good source of information on wages and salaries in Scotland (EIS). However, colleges are free to choose their own pay, and the rates provided here are only for guidance.

Many educators in FE work on a sessional or part-time basis, often via an employment agency. The hourly wages for part-time work might range anywhere from £15 to more than £30 per hour, in addition to holiday pay or entitlement.

It is possible for salaries to differ in contexts other than FE colleges. In general, incomes range depending on factors such as the applicant's teaching and professional experience, the applicant's credentials, the demand for their subject area, the context in which they operate, and their geographic region.

The monetary amounts listed are just meant to serve as a reference point.

Time spent working

Full-time faculty members at colleges and universities typically work 35 hours a week, and their schedules may include include one or more evening classes.

Especially during the school year, you will need to put in additional hours of effort to organize and prepare classes, grade the work that students turn in, and attend meetings and open nights.

What may be anticipated

Depending on the topic that you teach, the majority of your work will take place in the classroom, the laboratory, or the workshop. There will be field excursions or study visits associated with some classes.

When it is deemed necessary, a portion of the teaching and grading will take place on the premises of the business with students who are participating in work experience or who are enrolled in classes that entail day release or work-based learning.

There is an abundance of job opportunities. Opportunities may be found at further education (FE) and training institutes in the majority of the UK's main towns and cities.

Many instructors in FE operate on a sessional or part-time basis, and in order to augment their income, they provide individual lessons, teach evening classes, mark national examinations, instruct on residential courses, do external consultant work, or write textbooks.

Movement between different types of educational institutions, such as schools (some of which include sixth forms), universities, and community-based learning centers, is sometimes feasible.

Qualifications

Even if you don't already have a teaching credential, you could still be able to work in the field of further education (FE) as a teacher. However, this is likely not the case. Your chances of landing a job and advancing in your current position will both improve if you get a qualification that is applicable to the field.

Every organization is responsible for establishing its own criteria, and some may even have their own own internal training programs.

There are many different degrees of qualifications, including the following:

The Level 3 Award in Education and Training is an introductory, knowledge-based programme that does not need a placement; nevertheless, you will be required to participate in microteaching, and you are able to finish this course before you are in a teaching capacity.

The Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training allows you to strengthen your practical teaching abilities and requires you to have at least 30 hours of teaching experience under your belt.

You are required to have at least 100 hours of teaching experience in addition to a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training. This diploma is the fully accredited teaching certification for the industry. At this level, you have the option to pursue a specialized course of study in either reading, ESOL, mathematics, or teaching students with disabilities.

Level 5 integrated specialist diplomas are very similar to the corresponding Level 5 DET and include a specialized route. However, all 100 hours of practice for these certificates must be completed in the selected specialty field.

You don't need to finish the previous levels in order to get the qualification for Level 5; you may move right to it. There is a possibility that you may be granted recognition for your earlier learning if you have already obtained a certification at Level 3 or Level 4.

In addition, you have the option of enrolling in a Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship, which requires a minimum commitment of two years and culminates in the awarding of a Level 5 DET and a Level 2 safeguarding certification. The entry criteria are different for each organization, but by the conclusion of the examination, you are required to have achieved level 2 in both English and mathematics. Visit the website of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education for any more details.

Full-time and part-time study options for gaining qualifications are often made available by universities, FE colleges, and other types of training providers. On the other hand, if you want to get a level 4 or level 5 certificate via part-time study, you will often have to arrange your own teaching practice placement.

To be eligible for enrollment in a course, you will need to have prior training or experience in the field that you want to instruct in. For instance, if you want to teach a class at a university, you will normally be required to have a degree. In order to be successful in vocational courses, you will need to possess a relevant occupational qualification (typically at least Level 3) in addition to relevant professional experience.

Getting a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, sometimes known as a PGCE, in post-compulsory education is the most common way for recent graduates to get into the teaching field. There is the option to attend classes either full time (lasting a whole year and involving student teaching) or part time. They include all of the prerequisites for the Level 5 certification, but in addition to that, they include extra units that are graded at a higher level and are evaluated on that level, which is often Level 6, but may possibly be Level 7. If you want to teach a certain topic, you will need to have a degree in that field.

You may also get a Certificate in Education, generally known as a Cert Ed, which satisfies the criteria for Level 5 but does not need a degree to complete. Instead, you will be required to have either a substantial amount of teaching experience or a certificate at Level 3 in the subject area that you intend to teach.

You must submit your application to UCAS in order to be considered for the primary postgraduate and undergraduate teacher training programs in Scotland and Wales. For information on how to apply to teach in Northern Ireland, please check the page "Train to teach in Northern Ireland." To apply for a position in the teaching profession in England, go to the Department for Education website.

Student loans for the payment of tuition fees are offered to students enrolled in authorized and accredited full- and part-time Level 5 DET and PGCE programs. These programs lead to the complete teacher certification required for post-16 education and training. Visit the Student Awards Agency Scotland and the Student Finance Wales websites for further information about tuition and financial aid in Scotland and Wales, respectively.

FE Advice and Get into Teaching - Become a Further Education Teacher are two resources that may provide you with further details on the financing and teaching that is involved in further education.

Skills

You'll need to make sure you have:

expertise and familiarity with your field or specialty in great detail (if teaching a vocational course)

the capacity to create and instruct classes that are relevant to your area of specialization

abilities in both writing and spoken communication

skills in interpersonal communication and the capacity to connect with children of all ages and levels of ability

organizing and planning skills

creativity

zeal, inspiration, and a will to succeed

a work ethic that is adaptable and willing to go with the flow of change

general IT skills

patience as well as a good sense of humor are required.

Practice in the workplace

Make an effort to get in touch with the head of the appropriate department at the college in your area and inquire about the possibility of doing some teaching observation or volunteer work in the classroom.

A list of local community organizations and businesses that provide continuing education and other forms of training is often kept in libraries. You might try getting in touch with these organizations to find out if you could provide your assistance and earn some experience.

Any additional experience you may obtain from working or volunteering with young people might be useful. This includes any and all experiences. Think about things like youth organizations, sports groups, charitable and volunteer organizations, schools, and universities.

Find out more information on the many types of work experience and internships that are currently offered.