Further education lecturer : Entry requirements

Teachers and trainers in any sector need to be competent in the subject or vocational area they teach and this may be 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 qualification in their specialist subject.

It is essential and/or desirable for further education teaches to have time management skills and research experience, as well as 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 teachers entering the further education sector in England and Wales are required to obtain 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.

Teachers choose between the diploma, which is a teaching qualification, equal to the PGCE/Cert Ed, or the certificate, depending upon their role.

New entrants have five years in which to gain full qualification from when they commence, but it is an advantage to hold the qualification prior to 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 of developing a career in teaching.

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 further education (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, literacy and numeracy in England.

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