Further education lecturer jobs

Further education (FE) lecturers teach students aged 16 and over, and adults, in general FE colleges, sixth form colleges, adult education services and training providers. In England you do not need qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in FE. Colleges hire for subject and industry expertise first, then expect you to gain a teaching qualification, often while you work. Pay is set by each college, with no national pay document, so it varies from one employer to the next.

Who FE colleges are looking for

FE covers a wide range: construction trades, engineering, hairdressing, health and social care, IT, creative industries, A levels, English and maths resits, ESOL, adult learning and some higher education. For vocational subjects, colleges want lecturers who have done the job. A plumber, chef, electrician, nurse or software developer with solid industry experience and a relevant Level 3 or higher qualification can move into lecturing without a degree in many vocational areas.

For academic subjects such as A levels, colleges usually look for a degree in the subject and some teaching experience, and may prefer someone with a teaching qualification already.

English and maths teachers are in particularly high demand, because students without a grade 4 at GCSE must continue studying those subjects after 16, and colleges teach large numbers of resit students.

Teaching qualifications

English FE has no legal requirement for a teaching qualification, but most colleges ask new lecturers without one to complete it within a set period. The common options are:

1. A Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), usually part-time over two years while you teach.
2. A PGCE or Cert Ed in post-compulsory or further education, taken full-time or part-time through a university.
3. A Level 3 Award in Education and Training, a short introductory course that many people take before applying.

Colleges often pay the fees for staff and give some time off timetable. After qualifying, you can apply to the Society for Education and Training for QTLS (qualified teacher learning and skills) status, which is recognised as equivalent to QTS for teaching in schools in England. The QTS guide explains how the two relate.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements. In Scotland, for example, college lecturers are expected to hold or work towards the Teaching Qualification in Further Education.

What the job involves

A full-time lecturer teaches a timetable that is usually heavier than in a school, sometimes including evening classes. Alongside teaching you will:

• plan sessions and assessments to awarding body requirements
• assess practical work and portfolios, often in workshops or simulated workplaces
• track progress and complete the paperwork for vocational qualifications
• support students with additional needs, attendance or personal problems
• liaise with employers about work placements and apprenticeships

Students in FE are a mixed group. Some are motivated adults returning to learning, and others are 16-year-olds who did not get on at school. Behaviour management and pastoral care are part of the job, especially in entry-level and Level 1 courses.

Apprenticeship delivery is a large part of the work in many colleges. Lecturers and assessors visit apprentices at work and assess them against standards, which can mean a fair amount of driving between employers.

You will need an enhanced DBS check for most FE posts, since many students are under 18, and colleges follow safeguarding guidance in the same way as schools.

Pay and pensions

FE colleges are independent employers. In England there is no statutory pay scale for FE lecturers. Colleges set their own, often using recommendations negotiated nationally between employers and unions, which they are free to follow or not. Pay therefore varies by college, region and subject, and lecturers in some vocational areas are paid market supplements. Compare the salary range and the point you would start on in each advert, and ask how progression works. Sixth form colleges have their own national negotiating arrangements.

Teaching staff in FE colleges in England and Wales usually join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Member contributions from 1 April 2026 are tiered by actual pay: 7.4 per cent up to £36,198.99 and 8.9 per cent from £36,199 to £48,727.99, for example. The employer pays 28.68 per cent until 31 March 2027. Support and assessor posts are more likely to be in the Local Government Pension Scheme. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme guide has the full table.

Making the move from industry

Moving from a trade or profession into FE often means a pay cut, at least at first, and a steep learning curve in the first year. In return you get to pass on a trade, and the hours are often more predictable than in industry, though college terms are longer than school terms. FE colleges can take part in ECT induction for staff with QTS, but it is not required there. Changing career into teaching covers the money and the practical steps for the switch, and many colleges run open events for people considering lecturing. Some people begin with part-time or hourly-paid sessional teaching while still working in their industry.