Teaching alongside your current career
Did you know you can teach in Further Education (FE) without leaving your current job? This is known as being a "Dual Professional" - someone who works in their industry while teaching part-time or flexibly. Dual Professionals are also known as Industry Associates.
This route is increasingly popular for experts in sectors like construction, engineering, digital, and health. It allows you to maintain your current salary and professional status while gaining the satisfaction of training the next generation of talent in your field.
Flexible teaching models
FE colleges are businesses that operate flexibly, and they can often work around your existing commitments. Common arrangements for Dual Professionals include:
- Day release: Teaching one or two days a week while working in industry for the rest.
- Evening classes: Delivering courses for adult learners after standard working hours.
- Block delivery: Teaching intensive modules over a specific period, fitting around project lulls in your main job.
- Workshop supervision: Overseeing practical assessments in college facilities on a flexible basis.
Benefits for you
Becoming a Dual Professional offers the best of both worlds. You keep your hand in the industry, ensuring your skills remain cutting-edge, while developing entirely new skills in coaching and communication.
Financially, it provides a secure secondary income stream. You will also gain access to funded teacher training, effectively getting paid to gain a new qualification that future-proofs your career.
Benefits for your current employer
Many employers actively support their staff to teach in FE because it benefits their business. By having you in the college, they get:
- Access to new talent: You can spot the brightest students and apprentices for future recruitment.
- Shape the training: You ensure that what is being taught matches what your company actually needs.
- Staff development: Your employer gets a more confident, communicative, and qualified staff member without paying for the training themselves.
Your skills are in demand
While all industry experience is valued, colleges are urgently looking for Dual Professionals in technical trades. If you work in Construction, Engineering, Digital & IT, or Health & Social Care, your current knowledge is exactly what students need.
Because technology and regulations in these sectors change so fast, a teacher who worked in the field yesterday is often more valuable than one who left the industry ten years ago.
How to talk to your employer
If you are interested in this route, start a conversation with your current employer about "Employer Partnerships" or "Corporate Social Responsibility." Frame it as a way to build a talent pipeline for the company.
Many colleges are happy to speak directly to local businesses to arrange a partnership where staff are shared. You can also contact your local college's HR department to ask about "Sessional" or "Visiting Lecturer" opportunities to find out what teaching is like.
No degree required
Remember, for most vocational subjects, you do not need a degree to start teaching. Your experience on the tools or in the office is your qualification. The college will help you gain your teaching qualifications while you work.
Share your skills part-time
Find flexible teaching jobs