Postgraduate training to teach in further education and the lifelong learning sector
Training to teach in Further Education and Lifelong Learning
Lecturers in Further education teach students over the age of 16, some 14 to 16-year-olds studying work-related subjects and adults in the lifelong learning sector. This is usually delivered in colleges, community centres, prisons and the armed forces.
What prior qualifications will I need?
You will require:
- at least an A level or NVQ Level 3 in the subject you want to teach but for academic subjects a degree is required
- Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) English and Maths (and in some cases ICT)
What are the types of courses available?
- Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) (also known as the Graduate Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector - GDTLLS - or PGCE Post Compulsory Education - PGCE PCE - or PGCE FE).
This qualification will give you full Qualified Teacher in the Lifelong Learning Sector (QTLS) status. As a QTLS teacher you will have a full range of teaching responsibilities, including being qualified to design and evaluated your own teaching materials
- Below this is the Level 3/4 Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS) which will qualify you as an associate teacher only. As an associate teacher you would have fewer teaching responsibilities than a full teacher, mainly delivering prepared course work.
Funding for your course
For 2012 - 13, bursaries of £1,000 will be introduced to enable up to 10,000 trainees to take either the Graduate Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS).
Finding training courses
There is no central admissions service for training courses to teach in the lifelong learning sector.
The majority of Further Education colleges in the UK generally run the DTLLS or equivalent, often in conjunction with a local university or consortium. Contact your local FE college or university to find out details of the courses they offer, including the University of Derby.
Applications for some courses are via the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR), although this is currently the minority of courses.
