The further education sector is in urgent need of people to fill in a wide range of fe jobs. As well as a generation in leadership positions retiring, there is also a teacher shortage across the educational sector. According to The National Association of Head Teachers, 59% of schools advertising for teachers “struggled” to get applicants and a further 20% failed completely to appoint anyone.
The same issue persists in further education. However, FE jobs do not require the same qualifications required to work in primary and secondary education.
Although the skills needed to be a good teacher are transferable across the different stages of the educational ladder, further education is particularly dependent on people with industry experience rather than those with teaching qualifications. Not that the all FE jobs are teaching positions, there also a huge demand for new people in administration and technician roles.
So if you’re currently out of work, contemplating becoming a teacher or just looking for a change of career, here’s three reasons why you should start applying for FE jobs.
You can find out if you really want to teach
Working in further education allows you to test the waters of teaching without having to gain a teaching qualification. In practice this means that you can gain real-life experience in the profession before you have to commit to a time consuming course.
However, if you do decide that an FE job is for you, you can always get the relevant qualifications and earn more. Qualified FE teachers can earn anything between £23,952 and £36,162.
Further education is particularly attractive as you’ll be working with adults rather than children which is more likely to suit some people. In essence you’ll be preparing young adults for the real world, teaching them new skills and helping them bridge the gap between education and employment.
There are many, diverse roles in further education
Although teachers are a hugely important cog in the further education machine, other roles are available for those who may not see their future in teaching. According to AoC Jobs, there are many different FE jobs many people might not have heard of.
As well as administration and technician roles, FE jobs can range from marketing officers to receptionists. These jobs are both challenging and exciting, and although they don’t involve teaching they’re nonetheless vital in running the schools and colleges that support the further education sector. AoC Jobs state that “the best colleges need thousands of hardworking employees for the daily running, in numerous different sectors and subjects.
Your work will be interesting and challenging
Most students will be over 16 and preparing for their future career in their chosen industry. Getting students ready for this huge transition is an incredibly important job that demands an in-depth knowledge of your subject as well as patience, enthusiasm and commitment. However, it can also be the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do.
Although most FE jobs are based in colleges and universities, there’s a wide range of institutions dependent on further education. For example, overseas work such as teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), is a possibility. Closer to home, some FE jobs are based inside the Prison service or in the armed forces education branch.
Not only is this incredibly rewarding, unlike primary and secondary education, the further education sector has enjoyed higher retention rates of teachers.
