Further Education Lecturer

Further education (FE) lecturers work mainly with post 16-year-olds or adults. They teach a range of courses that may include:

• GCSEs, AS and A levels, Diplomas or National and Higher National Certificates/Diplomas
• Certificates, Diplomas and NVQs in vocational subjects
• foundation degrees or Access courses
• entry-level or basic skills courses
• interest and leisure courses.

An FE lecturer may be involved with:

• planning and preparing lessons
• teaching groups
• holding seminars and tutorials with small groups
• setting and marking coursework and tests
• keeping records of student progress and writing progress reports.

They may be full teachers, with responsibility for all aspects of their work, or associate teachers who may teach from materials that have been prepared by someone else.

Full-time lecturers work around 37 hours a week. Many lecturers work part time. Depending on their subject, they may work in classrooms, workshops or laboratories.

Salaries range from around £18,000 to £34,500 a year.

Further education lecturers need to have:

• knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, their subject
• the ability to get on well with students of different ages, abilities and backgrounds
• the confidence to teach groups of people
• good written and verbal communication skills
• good organisational skills.

There are about 400 further education colleges in the UK and 200,000 lecturers. Jobs are widely available in towns and cities throughout the UK.

New entrants usually have a degree or relevant professional qualification and employment experience. They are required to register with the Institute for Learning and to gain the status of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) or Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS). This is gained by completing a recognised teaching qualification and a period of professional practice. A recognised teaching qualification can be gained via a one-year, full-time, pre-service course or a two-year, part-time, in-service course. Entrants with relevant work experience are welcomed.

It is possible to progress in the job by taking on non-teaching responsibilities, such as student support roles, marketing or working as an admissions tutor. Some FE teachers move into college management, in areas such as finance and human resources.

Further details