FE Lecturing Qualifications
What qualifications do you need to become an FE lecturer?
FE teaching areas
Broadly speaking, teaching in the FE sector falls into three key areas with different expectations on lecturers for each:
Vocational training
A vocational FE lecturer is expected to be a ‘dual professional.’ This means that not only do you need qualifications to demonstrate expertise in your chosen profession – i.e. hairdressing or plumbing – but you also need to have a teaching qualification or a willingness to work towards one.
Academic teaching
In order to have the highest level of subject knowledge, an academic FE lecturer will need a qualification in the subject they intend to teach (usually to at least degree level) as well as a teaching qualification, or be willing to work towards one. The teacher training element can be completed in situ.
Basic skills
A basic skills teacher at FE level needs to have experience demonstrating they can work with the specific group they want to teach, i.e. numeracy, literacy, ESOL or Special Education Needs (SEN). You would also need to have or be prepared to gain a teaching qualification.
FE teacher training routes
To work in all three areas of FE, prospective lecturers will need a teaching qualification or be prepared to work towards one. There are three common FE teacher training routes that cater to candidates with and without teaching qualifications:
Pre-service
This route means prospective lecturers gain a teaching qualification through study at a university, college or other training provider. The entry requirements may vary, according to the institution of choice.
In-service
In certain circumstances, it is possible to work as a lecturer within an FE environment at the same time as completing a part-time teacher training qualification. This is common with vocational FE lecturers.
Transferring to FE
Finally, for prospective lecturers who already hold a suitable teaching qualification, it is possible to transfer to FE teaching with a small amount of extra training or qualification, which can all be done in-service.
The FE Advice website offers further details on the various training routes available and how to apply. There are also a few FE teacher training providers on the UCAS teacher training website.
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