Options with education

Your skills

Education courses vary in content and depth but will generally equip students with knowledge of some of the following areas:

• educational issues;
• theories of learning;
• equality and diversity;
• education policy and practice;
• comparative studies of educational institutions in the UK and elsewhere;
• creativity and education;
• understanding of education in social, political and economic contexts.

Studying education allows you to develop a broad range of skills that are highly regarded by employers. In particular there are opportunities to develop some of the following transferable skills:

• communication skills - presenting effective oral and written arguments;
• information, communication and technology skills (ICT) - using and often applying skills in word processing, databases, internet communications, information retrieval and online research;
• numeracy skills - interpreting and presenting relevant numerical information;
• working with others - as a result of developing interpersonal skills, planning skills and teamwork;
• self-management skills - reflecting on, managing and planning your own time, improving your own learning and performance;
• analytical skills - being able to analyse, synthesise, evaluate and identify problems and solutions.

If your course includes training for qualified teacher status (QTS), you will also develop the skills and knowledge you will need when teaching in a classroom, and which comply with national standards set by the Department for Education . These include planning, monitoring and assessing pupils’ work, and classroom performance and management. You will develop a professional development profile which demonstrates your progress and achievements in a reflective practitioner style.

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Primary school teacher - teaches a range of subjects to a class of pupils from the age range 4 -11 years and may have responsibility for delivering a particular subject across the school (e.g. music).
• Secondary school teacher - teaches one or more national curriculum subjects to classes of pupils aged 11-16 or 11-18.
• Early years teacher - fosters and develops the abilities, social skills and understanding of children aged three to five years, focusing on optimum child development and preparation for a successful transition to primary school education.
• Special educational needs teacher - teaches children with emotional, behavioural or learning difficulties at one or more stages in the SEN Code of Practice. They are also involved in identifying all levels of need.
• Further education lecturer - usually teaches a specific subject to students over 16 but increasingly to 14-19 year olds.
• Adult education lecturer - teaches specific subject areas to adults either within educational settings, in the community and increasingly through distance/remote learning
• Community education officer - works to promote and facilitate access to a wide range of voluntary educational activities by all members of the community, regardless of age.
• Youth worker - supports and encourages young people to become involved in local ‘informal’ educational activities.
• Education administrator - organises and oversees administrative activities and systems that support and facilitate the smooth running of an education institution. The majority are based in higher or further education, but opportunities are increasingly available in schools and private colleges.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Learning mentor - provides a complementary service to teachers and other staff, addressing the needs of children who require assistance in overcoming barriers to learning in order to achieve their full potential.
• Careers adviser/personal adviser - provides information, advice and guidance (IAG) inside and outside education. Advisers are employed to ensure that people (especially young people aged 13-19) achieve their full potential.
• Museum education officer - a museum education officer is responsible for realising the potential of the museum collections as learning resources and developing learning opportunities.
• Social worker - often works with people experiencing crisis or people who are socially excluded with the aim of providing support to enable service users to help themselves. Social workers maintain professional relationships with service users, acting as a guide, advocate or as a critical friend.
• Training and development officer - manages the learning of an organisation's workforce, delivering training sessions to participants or, in a more senior role, devises a training strategy for the organisation.

Other options

Going on to a teacher training course will require you to participate in some work experience in education. Many students go into local schools to observe or to help out and others participate in volunteer schemes organised by their careers service or education department. This includes the paid Student Associates Scheme  funded by the Teacher Development Agency (TDA) . If you are considering areas unrelated to education, it is still helpful to ‘test the water’ by trying to get some real experience, whether it is through volunteering, paid part-time work, work experience, vacation work or internships.

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. Look at your degree... what next? for informed advice on career planning and graduate employment, or login/register with My Prospects to find out what jobs would suit you, a helpful starting point for self-analysis.

Explore types of jobs to find out more about the above options and related jobs.

Career areas

A 2011 HESA survey of 2010 graduates indicates that six months after graduation almost three-quarters of those completing courses with qualified teacher status (QTS) went into full-time paid work and 56% of these entered teaching.

Other education graduates generally enter jobs working directly with children or young people, in a support capacity, or opt to apply for jobs for which any degree is acceptable, competing with graduates from other subjects.

Other roles in an educational setting, but with less direct contact with children or young people, include administration roles in education. There are posts available in other public sector organisations, such as local government, the health service and the civil service.

Where are the jobs?

The main employers of education graduates are usually local government education authorities as they have the responsibility for schools. Some education graduates may go on to work in colleges or for private schools where you will be employed directly by the institution. Central government departments and universities also employ education graduates to work in policy or research roles.

Other employers in this area include museums, community and voluntary organisations. For more detail, look into the following areas:

• Education
• Government and public administration
• Charity and development work

See industry insights for further information on possibilities in other employment areas.

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?

Further study

A 2011 HESA survey of 2010 graduates indicates that six months after graduation, of the education graduates without qualified teacher status (QTS), 8% went on to further study, with many embarking on teacher training qualifications or education-related Masters degrees to pursue a research focus. Education graduates are also interested in courses such as youth and community work, social work, library or information studies. Academic courses, following one of the themes on your education course, such as English or history, may also appeal.

These trends show only what previous graduates in your subject did immediately upon graduating. Over the course of their career - the first few years in particular - many others will opt for some form of further study, either part time or full time. If further study interests you, start by thinking about postgrad study and search courses and research to identify your options.

Look at funding my further study for details relating to finance and the application process.

AGCAS

Written by AGCAS editors

Date: 

January 2011

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