To become a further education (FE) lecturer in England, you need a Level 3 or higher qualification in your subject and genuine industry experience — and, in most cases, a recognised teaching qualification you either already hold or work towards once you're in post. There has been no legal requirement to hold a teaching qualification to lecture in FE since 1 September 2013, but colleges and training providers still expect you to be qualified or actively working towards it. The main teaching routes are the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills), a PGCE in further education at Level 7, or a Cert Ed at Level 5 — typically one year full-time or two years part-time. Many lecturers then gain QTLS, the FE sector's professional status. Indicative pay runs from around £28,000 for a starter to £47,000 for an experienced lecturer (National Careers Service, 2026).
Pay figures are the National Careers Service's indicative UK range for a further education lecturer (gov.uk, accessed 2 July 2026). Actual salaries vary by region, subject, provider and experience, and qualification costs and durations differ by provider — treat all figures as indicative and dated.
Do you need a teaching qualification to become an FE lecturer?
Legally, no. The requirement that once made a teaching qualification compulsory for FE teachers in England — the Further Education Teachers' Qualifications (England) Regulations 2007 — was revoked from 1 September 2013, following the independent review led by Lord Lingfield. Since then, whether a lecturer must hold a teaching qualification has been a matter of employer discretion, not statute.
In practice, that discretion lands in a fairly consistent place: colleges and training providers expect you to be qualified or working towards it. You can usually start lecturing on the strength of a Level 3 or higher qualification in your subject plus recent, credible industry experience, then complete the teaching qualification while you're employed. That "unqualified on entry, qualified within a set period" model is how a large share of FE lecturers actually enter the profession — particularly those moving across from a trade or a technical career rather than from a university teacher-training route.
Can you qualify on the job as an FE lecturer?
Yes, and for many people it's the most realistic way in. If you have the occupational expertise a college needs, you can be hired as an unqualified lecturer and supported to gain a recognised teaching qualification in service, often within your first year or two. Employers commonly fund or part-fund this, and some deliver it through a training partner or via the Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship.
This is where FE differs sharply from school teaching. A schools route front-loads the qualification; FE lets your subject credibility open the door first, with the teaching qualification following. If you're weighing FE lecturing against the closely related tutor and trainer roles, our guide on how to become a tutor in FE and adult education walks through where those paths diverge.
Struggling to find a provider that will back you while you qualify? Talk to a team that recruits FE lecturing roles every week.
Which teaching qualification route should you take?
Three routes lead to a full FE teaching qualification, and the right one depends on whether you want an awarding-body vocational qualification or a university-awarded one, and how you want to study. The table below sets out the three most common:
| Route | Level | Typical duration | Awarded by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) | Level 5 | 1–2 years, often part-time / in-service | Awarding body or HE provider (RQF) |
| PGCE (further education / PCET) | Level 7 (postgraduate) | 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time | University / HE provider |
| Cert Ed (Certificate in Education) | Level 5 | 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time | University / HE provider |
The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is the current full teaching qualification. It replaced the older Diploma in Education and Training (DET) for new starts from September 2024, so check that any course you enrol on carries the new title rather than the withdrawn DET. It has a substantial teaching-practice requirement — a placement of at least 250 hours, including at least 150 hours of teaching practice (per the gov.uk qualification framework). The PGCE and Cert Ed cover similar professional ground but are awarded by universities rather than an awarding body. For a fuller map of how these sit alongside the Level 3 Award (AET) and Level 4 Certificate (CET), see FE teaching and assessing qualifications explained.
Is a PGCE in further education the same as a PGCE with QTS?
No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding we correct. A PGCE (FE), sometimes badged as PGCE (PCET) or post-16, qualifies you to teach in further education, adult and community education, and training settings. It is not the same as a PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is the schools route. If your goal is FE lecturing, the FE-focused PGCE, Cert Ed or Level 5 Diploma is what you want; a schools PGCE with QTS is built for a different sector.
The FE sector has its own professional status, gained after your teaching qualification, and it's worth understanding before you commit to a route: QTLS.
What is QTLS, and do you need it to lecture?
QTLS — Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills — is the recognised professional status for FE and skills teachers. You don't need it to start lecturing, but many lecturers pursue it once qualified because it signals full professional standing and, for holders who keep up their membership of the Society for Education and Training, carries legal parity with QTS — meaning you can also teach in schools as a qualified teacher. It's earned through a portfolio-based professional formation process rather than a taught course. We cover the detail — eligibility, cost and whether it earns its place — in what QTLS is and whether it's worth it for your FE career.
Already qualified and ready for your next lecturing post? See what's live across colleges and providers.
What do colleges actually look for, and what does it pay?
Beyond the paper qualifications, the thing that gets you shortlisted for an FE lecturing role is current, credible occupational expertise — recent experience in the industry you'll be teaching, ideally with a Level 3 or higher qualification in that subject and Level 2 English and maths (or a clear willingness to achieve them). In shortage subjects such as engineering, construction, digital and health and social care, colleges will often flex on the teaching qualification for a candidate who brings strong industry credibility, precisely because that expertise is hard to recruit. In our day-to-day work across the sector, it's the technical and vocational subjects where demand is most persistent, and where a career-changer with the right trade background is genuinely sought after rather than merely tolerated.
On pay, the National Careers Service puts a further education lecturer's indicative range at £28,000 for a starter to £47,000 for an experienced lecturer (gov.uk, accessed 2 July 2026). Where you sit within that depends on subject, region, provider and whether you already hold a full teaching qualification or QTLS — and advanced-practitioner or curriculum-management roles can take you higher again. If you're negotiating an offer, it helps to know how your subject and experience are being valued in the live market, not just the national average.
How Aptitude can help
We recruit only in the FE, skills and employability sectors, so we know what colleges and training providers actually want from a lecturer — and how to present a career-changer's industry experience so it lands with a hiring manager. Whether you're moving into FE teaching for the first time or you're qualified and looking for your next lecturing role, we can point you toward providers that support qualifying on the job and value the subject expertise you bring. See our advice for candidates to get started, then tell us what you're looking for.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a degree to be an FE lecturer? Not necessarily. For vocational and technical subjects, relevant industry experience and a Level 3 or higher qualification in your subject often matter more than a degree. For some academic subjects a degree is expected. Colleges also look for Level 2 English and maths, and a teaching qualification you hold or are willing to work towards.
How long does it take to become an FE lecturer? You can often start lecturing quickly if you have the right industry experience, then qualify in service. The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) typically takes one to two years part-time; a PGCE (FE) or Cert Ed is usually one year full-time or two years part-time.
Is a PGCE in further education worth it? For FE teaching, yes — but be clear it's the FE-focused PGCE (FE/PCET), not a schools PGCE with QTS. It's a recognised, university-awarded route into FE lecturing at Level 7. Whether to choose it over the Level 5 Diploma or a Cert Ed depends on whether you want a postgraduate, HE-awarded qualification and how you prefer to study.
What's the difference between the Diploma in Teaching, a PGCE and a Cert Ed? The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is an awarding-body vocational qualification; the PGCE (Level 7) and Cert Ed (Level 5) are university-awarded. All three prepare you to teach in FE — they differ in level, who awards them and how you study.
Do FE lecturers need QTLS? No — you can lecture without it. QTLS is a professional status you can gain after your teaching qualification, through a portfolio-based process with the Society for Education and Training. Many lecturers pursue it for recognition and, for those who keep their membership active, its legal parity with QTS.
