Further education lecturer: Entry requirements

Lecturers and trainers in any sector need to be competent in the subject or vocational area they teach and this may be evidenced through qualification at degree level (or equivalent) or through considerable occupational experience.

This area of work is open to:

• HND diplomates in a relevant subject;
• graduates, including foundation degrees in a relevant subject;
• professionals with considerable industrial experience.

Professionals without academic qualifications are usually expected to have at least a level three (e.g. NVQ or A-level) qualification in their specialist subject.

It is essential for further education (FE) lecturers to have time management skills and research experience, and to be highly organised and able to observe well.

Although it is not essential, relevant student and classroom experience gained in a voluntary or work shadowing capacity is useful for this type of work. Classroom experience helps to gather an understanding of learner needs in a diverse and equal opportunities setting.

Since September 2007, all new lecturers entering the FE sector in England and Wales are required to obtain one of the following initial teacher training (ITT):

• Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Sector (CTLLS);
• Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS);
• Cert Ed or PGCE within the FE sector.

Lecturers choose between the diploma, which is a teaching qualification, equal to the PGCE/Cert Ed, or the certificate, depending on their role. Details of courses can be found on the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)  or TALENT (Training Adult Literacy, ESOL and Numeracy Teachers)  websites.

New entrants have five years in which to gain full qualification, but it is an advantage to hold the qualification before applying for a job. Anyone gaining a lecturing job without the relevant teaching qualification has to gain a minimum of Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Sector award (PTLLS) within the first year. PTLLS is a useful introductory qualification for those unsure about developing a career in teaching. City & Guilds  is the main provider of relevant qualifications up to level four.

There are two main roles: full teacher; and associate teacher. The associate teacher tends to be less involved in preparation and course design. They are more likely to deliver materials designed by someone else in a routine manner. An example of this may be training, where the same content is taught irrespective of whom the trainees are, for example, equipment training or workshop supervision.

Many FE colleges support their existing unqualified lecturing staff through part-time study leading to Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status in England and Wales or a Teaching Qualification in Further Education (TQFE) in Scotland. Similarly, Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS) status is available to unqualified lecturing staff in England and Wales, whose roles contain fewer teaching responsibilities. These teachers often have job titles such as trainer, instructor, technician or assessor.

All courses leading to FE teaching qualifications are endorsed by Standards Verification UK , the body responsible for endorsing generic initial teacher training (ITT) qualifications for the lifelong learning sector in England and Wales and those for Skills for Life practitioners in ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), literacy and numeracy in England.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.