Teaching in Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE)
Research careers and find opportunities in teaching in further and higher education
About
FE colleges employ around 70,000 teachers in England. 28,500 teachers are employed by independent training providers. A further 15,500 teachers are employed by adult and community learning providers. For more information, see the 2022 report by the Education and Training Foundation.
In data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), there were 181,180 teaching staff employed in the HE sector in 2022. HE lecturers can be employed by universities or by further education colleges that provide degree courses.
Roles and skills
FE teachers can work in a variety of settings including:
- colleges
- sixth forms
- adult and community learning centres
- prisons and youth offending organisations
- independent training providers
In FE and HE teaching, it is possible to begin work without a teaching qualification and then work towards a relevant qualification while you are in post.
For teaching in higher education, you need to have published research. Organisations will look at your ability to develop your research, and attract funding into the academic school.
Job profiles
Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:
Skills employers look for
- in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for your subject
- excellent written and verbal communication skills
- interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate students
- confidence and strong presentation skills
- good organisational and planning skills
- ability to work as part of a team and on your own
Inspiration from people working in the industry
- browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
- use LinkedIn’s Alumni tool to find out what Newcastle graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Newcastle Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on Getting inspiration from others [3:13]
- attend alumni events, such as Newcastle Develop, to hear directly from our graduates
- sign up for mentoring support with Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project. These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting
- attend events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions
Online reviews
Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.
Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:
- RateMyPlacement - placement year reviews written by students
- The Job Crowd – graduate job reviews
- Glassdoor – company reviews from employees
Not sure what you want to do?
If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.
Career guides
Read career guides for this sector, such as:
- GOV.UK Teach in Further Education Campaign
- The Education & Training Foundation for advice on careers in further education
- Vitae for advice on careers in higher education
Attend events
Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.
See our Events and workshops page for upcoming events, including recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights.
Student societies
Join related student societies. Societies often organise and promote events and invite guest speakers to talk about their careers. See NUSU for a list of the societies that you could join.
Social media
Use social media to find industry insights
Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.
Find out more about how to use social media for your career.
Professional bodies
Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network
Professional bodies often:
- run networking events
- have specialist groups you could join
- post vacancies on behalf of their members
- have member directories, useful for speculative applications
Key organisations include:
HESA has a list of professional bodies for the higher education sector.
Finding professional bodies worldwide
GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.
Guide to finding opportunities
We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.
- search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below
- look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities. Use Researching Employers to help you gain insights into companies
- attend events such as recruitment fairs and employer and sector insights
- contact employers speculatively – see Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs to help you find organisations to approach
- follow companies on social media for latest news and updates
- consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
- register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners.
- ask family and friends if they have any useful contacts who may be able to offer you work experience
- consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
- create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance
Advertised work experience
Advertised internships and placements are not common in further or higher education teaching. Work experience in a related setting could be useful. For example:
- university administration
- youth and community organisations
- tutoring
Some teachers and lecturers may have gained experience in a related sector or industry before teaching in that subject.
Further education
Many students arrange their own placements in education settings by contacting employers directly.
See our Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs section for more information about how to find employers.
Experience gained in schools, colleges, and private or community organisations would give you classroom experience, and allow you to observe experienced teaching staff.
If you study for a teaching qualification you will get the opportunity to gain further teaching experience, as part of the course.
Find further information about gaining experience in our Applying for Teacher Training section.
Search for internships and placement years
Use our resources to get started:
- MyCareer - search for internships and placements in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
- Internships, placements & shadowing - links to vacancy sites
- Global work experience - for internships or placements abroad
NCL internships
The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.
- search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box
- you can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March
Worldwide experience
Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:
- additional vacancy websites
- CV, application and interview advice
- advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Looking for ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.
Vacancy sites
Use our resources to get started:
- MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
- Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites
Search the external sites below for more opportunities in the FE/HE teaching sector:
FE and HE
FE only
Worldwide vacancy sites
Global Academy Jobs.com – includes HE lecturer jobs from around the world.
See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites.
Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:
- additional vacancy websites
- CV, application and interview advice
- advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs
Not all work experience and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:
- networking and making contacts
- developing their own business ideas
A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.
How to access hidden opportunities
Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:
- identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in
- send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company
- follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated
- if your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
How to find organisations
- find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
- use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page
- search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working
- browse our Work Experience and Graduate Employment directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed
UK organisations
- use the National Careers Service's Find a course facility to find Further Education colleges
- use the course search facility on UCAS to find universities by area of academic study and location
- targetjobs - search employers by sector
- professional body websites sometimes include member directories, which are helpful for finding employers
Worldwide organisations
Search GoinGlobal's employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.
Specialist recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies can be useful for finding graduate jobs. These tend to be for immediate start positions. It's worth registering with one or two agencies towards the end of your course.
Specialist agencies include:
See Recruitment Agencies to find more agencies.
Finding overseas recruitment agencies
GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:
- staffing agencies and temporary help firms
- executive recruiters and search firms
Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.
Other ways to gain relevant experience
We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.
- complete a free virtual internship. You can complete a free online virtual experience programme with Teach First through the Forage platform
- sign up for free online courses to develop new skills. The Education and Training Foundation provides a free course through Future Learn. You can book your place on the Preparing for a career in FE teaching and training through the ETF website
- attend events and network to make contacts and connections
- volunteer. Go Volunteer run education-based opportunities such as play and youth volunteer or tutor. See Volunteering for more opportunities
Work for yourself
Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:
- support with idea generation
- provide tailored advice
- help you develop your skills
- introduce you to like-minded peers
- refer you to further support from mentors
- award grant funding up to £3,000
Further education
A qualification is preferred however you may be supported by your employer to work towards a relevant qualification.
Information on the types, and levels of qualifications available, can be found on the Prospects Further Education Teacher occupational profile.
Graduates can take a PGCE in post compulsory education. The course will take one year full time and you will need a degree in the subject you wish to teach. You can use the DfE's Apply for teacher training service to apply for courses.
Some FE teachers work towards gaining Qualified Teaching and Learning Status (QTLS). You will gain recognition of your professional status and parity with school teachers. The Society for Education and Training website has more information.
FE Initial Teacher Training Bursaries are available for students to train to teach shortage subjects such as maths, science and English. The amount of funding available depends the subject you want to teach.
Higher education
You will normally need a PhD in the subject you wish to teach. You can begin work as a university lecturer without a teaching qualification. You can then study for a teaching qualification once you're in post. Teaching qualifications are accredited by Advance HE.