Working as a head of department within the further education sector can be both challenging and rewarding in equal measure. As an academic leader you would guide the department’s staff and curriculum whilst also managing the budget to ensure that your department functions to the best of its abilities. You…>
FE Career Advice
A Practical Guide to Apprenticeships
Do you want to get started with an apprenticeship? Read this practical guide on apprenticeships by jobs.ac.uk to help you get started. Apprenticeships make up a considerable part of the Further Education sector and this is set to increase, in the academic year 2022/23 over 337,100 students started an apprenticeship…>
Principal of a Further Education College Job Profile
The leading role within further education colleges comes under various names, the most common being a principal, FE director, or head of further education. For the purpose of this job description, we shall be referring to a principal of further education. The principal role requires a proven track record of…>
Functional Skills Teacher Job Profile
What are Functional Skills? Functional Skills (FS) are qualifications in literacy, numeracy and ICT that equip learners with the practical skills needed to live, learn and work successfully. They are suitable for learners of all ages and are a mandatory part of all Apprenticeship Frameworks in England. They are available…>
Working as an Unqualified Teacher in FE
Teacher Training on the Job to become a FE Teacher Don’t give up if you want to teach in Further Education (FE) but have no formal teaching qualifications. FE is one of the few education sectors where you can gain qualifications after getting your first teaching job. In 2013, the…>
What is the TEF?
In June 2017, the first Teaching Excellence Framework awards were announced to much fanfare. To say the TEF panel’s conclusions were controversial is an understatement. Headline-grabbing comparisons between Russell Group universities and CBHE providers did little to calm the storm, but now things have settled, what could explain why, out of 106…>
Reasons Why You Should Return to Teaching
Are you thinking about a career change? Would you like to make a real difference and inspire the next generation? You may have completed your teacher training a number of years ago and worked in the corporate world. Perhaps you gained some teaching experience in the past and you are…>
How to Equip Students with Workplace Ready Skills
Workplace-ready skills are also called soft skills. These include interpersonal and social skills, behaviours, and attitudes. According to the National Careers Service: ‘Soft skills are general skills that most employers look for when recruiting and are needed for most jobs. They are sometimes called transferable skills or employability skills by employers.’…>
How to Negotiate a Pay Rise
Staff in the FE sector are facing a growing number of pressures as a result of the increasing cost of living, inflation and continuously rising housing prices. More and more employees find it challenging to provide a sufficient living for their families. Many people working in the Further Education (FE)…>
How to get to know your colleagues better
A positive and thriving FE work culture does not happen overnight. Investing time in getting to know your colleagues is guaranteed to reap benefits including enhanced productivity. It is widely recognized that relationships with colleagues are hugely important as they contribute to a more positive and dynamic FE climate. Here…>