Qualifications for teaching in Further Education
To teach in Further Education (FE), you need a combination of subject knowledge and teaching skills. However, the specific qualifications you need to start will depend on what subject you intend to teach. Crucially, you do not always need a university degree to become a teacher. For many vocational roles, your work history and industry experience are your most valuable credentials. This page outlines the standard entry requirements for the sector.
Subject specialist qualifications
For vocational and technical subjects
If you are teaching a hands-on profession - such as construction, plumbing, hairdressing, or engineering - you typically do not need a degree. Instead, you will usually need:
- A Level 3 qualification in your trade (e.g., NVQ Level 3, City & Guilds).
- Substantial professional experience in your industry.
Your "qualification" is effectively your career history and your ability to demonstrate up-to-date skills in your field.
For academic subjects
If you wish to teach academic subjects like English, history, psychology, or sciences (at GCSEs and A-Levels), the requirements are similar to secondary schools.
- You will typically need a degree (Level 6) in the subject you want to teach, or a closely related subject.
- Industry experience is less critical here, but academic depth of knowledge is essential.
Teaching qualifications
While you may not need a teaching qualification to start a job in FE, you will be expected to work towards one. These qualifications teach you how to teach. Common qualifications include:
- Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET): An introductory foundation, often required for short courses or sessional roles.
- Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET): For those with a limited teaching timetable.
- Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET): The full teaching qualification required for permanent teachers. This is equivalent to a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) or Cert Ed (Certificate in Education).
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English and Maths requirements
Regardless of your subject, all FE teachers are expected to have a good standard of literacy and numeracy.
You will generally need Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths. This is equivalent to a GCSE Grade 4 (C) or above, or a Level 2 Functional Skills qualification. If you do not currently hold these, many colleges will support you to achieve them as part of your initial teacher training.
Qualifications for Assessors
If your role focuses purely on assessing apprentices in the workplace rather than teaching a class, you may need specific assessor qualifications.
These include the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA). Like teaching qualifications, these are often completed while you are working in the role.