What FE course should I teach?
If you’re wondering what you can teach in FE, using your existing real-world skills to determine your ideal subject area is a great place to start. You should be able to easily translate your industry expertise into a rewarding Further Education teaching role which allows you to inspire and educate the next generation. Below, we’ve identified a few ways that you could pivot your experience into a specific FE teaching subject – whether that’s Health & Social Care, Engineering, Digital & IT, or any other.
Match your industry experience to a subject area
No matter what area of industry your skills lie in, you’re likely to find an FE teaching option that fits your existing skillset. Here we list some of the most popular subject categories and how you can use your real-world career skills to teach them at an FE college.
Engineering & Manufacturing
- Vehicle Technician - teach Vehicle Maintenance
- Mechanical Engineer or Manufacturing Technician - teach Mechanical Engineering
- Electrician - teach Electrical Engineering
- Quality Assurance Technician - teach Quality Control
- Production Supervisor - teach Manufacturing
Health & Social Care
- Senior Care Assistant - teach Health & Social Care Support
- Midwife - teach Midwifery
- Nursery Practitioner or Childminder - teach Childcare or Early Years Education
- Personal Trainer or Fitness Instructor - teach Sports Science
- Counsellor or Support Worker - teach Counselling
Construction & The Built Environment
- Plumber or Gas Engineer - teach Plumbing & Domestic Heating
- Carpenter or Joiner - teach Carpentry & Joinery
- Welder or Metalworker - teach Welding & Fabrication
- Roofer - teach Roof Construction
- Structural Engineer - teach Structural Design
- Bricklayer - teach Bricklaying & Masonry
Digital & IT
- Software Developer - teach Software Development
- Web Designer - teach Website Design
- Security Engineer - teach Cybersecurity
- Graphic Designer or Animator - teach Digital Media
- Network Administrator - teach IT Support
- Photographer or Filmmaker - teach Media Production
Support designed for your expertise
Worried about your lack of former teaching experience? Even if you don’t have any previous credentials as a teacher, it’s still possible for you to use your expert knowledge to educate others. Many FE colleges will accept candidates with real-world skills and knowledge to teach specialist subjects – training you on the job once you begin or offering other invaluable support. This includes facilitating the Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme: a system that offers funds to FE providers to provide two years of career support for those entering a new FE teaching role. You’ll likely benefit from a reduced timetable that allows you to learn and teach at the same time.
Search for teaching jobs in FE
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Don't see your role listed?
If you can’t see your current job role listed above, don’t worry. This is just a snapshot of the FE teaching subjects you could lend your expertise to – there are many, many more. There are several job boards you could use to find the best FE courses to teach for your experience as well, including Indeed and TotalJobs, the Department for Work and Pensions' Find a Job service, and specialist FE sites such as FE Jobs and the Association of Colleges' AoC Jobs site.
If you are looking for a different challenge to regular further education settings, then a job teaching in a prison may be appropriate. Learn more about prison teaching and apply for a role at Prison and Probation Jobs. It’s worth looking at several job sites (and setting up relevant alerts) as they’ll often advertise different roles.