Education administrator : Employers and vacancy sources

The main employers of education administrators tend to be universities and higher education (HE) and further education (FE) colleges. Opportunities also exist within tertiary colleges, private colleges and specialist training colleges and, increasingly, within primary and secondary schools.

The following is meant to serve as a rough guide to the differences between higher and further education:

• Generally, HE refers to courses with standards above A-level, Higher Grade or NVQ Level 3, including degrees, foundation degrees, HNDs and postgraduate qualifications. Typically, these courses take place in universities and HE colleges and, increasingly, FE colleges.
• FE refers to courses that are attended by those over the compulsory school age, which do not take place in a secondary school. These are typically up to the standard of A-level, Higher Grade or NVQ Level 3 and may take place in a sixth-form or tertiary college, FE colleges and, in some cases, universities.

Contact the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) , The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) , the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) , the Skills Funding Agency  and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)  for further details and background information on HE and FE.

Educational institutions are publicly funded and administrators need to understand and adapt to changes in the context of education, including recent changes to the way in which HE in England is funded and regulated. Student recruitment targets, monies from research bodies, sponsorship and support from industry, all impact on the finances of an academic institution. The Teaching Agency  has regular updates on opportunities and training for non-teaching staff in schools.

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Association of University Administrators (AUA)
• FE Jobs
• Guardian Jobs
• Jobs.ac.uk    
• Local Government Talent - for local council and school positions.
• Times Educational Supplement (TES)  
• Times Higher Education (THE)     
• Careers service and university/college vacancy lists and websites.
• Local newspapers.

Recruitment agencies rarely handle vacancies.

Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.