Quick answer: To become a college lecturer in further education (FE) you need strong subject expertise — a degree, professional qualification or substantial trade experience — plus a recognised teaching qualification, typically the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills). Unlike school teaching, you do not need QTS or even a degree for many FE roles, and colleges routinely hire industry professionals who train as teachers on the job.
Plumbers teach plumbing. Nurses teach health and social care. Accountants teach AAT. Further education is the one part of the education system where real-world experience is the main qualification — which makes college lecturing one of the most realistic career changes for skilled adults. Here's the route in full.
What does a college lecturer actually do?
FE lecturers teach students aged 16+ (and many adults) in general FE colleges, sixth forms, adult education services, prisons and training providers. Depending on your subject you might deliver vocational qualifications (construction, childcare, health and social care), GCSE and Functional Skills resits, A-Levels, or professional courses. The job mixes teaching, assessment, course planning, pastoral support and — in vocational areas — keeping your industry knowledge current.
What qualifications do you need to teach in a college?
Two ingredients: subject credibility and a teaching qualification.
Subject credibility depends on what you'll teach. For academic subjects (A-Level psychology, GCSE English) colleges normally expect a relevant degree. For vocational subjects, a Level 3+ qualification in your trade plus solid industry experience is the standard currency — a site manager with ten years on the tools is exactly who a construction department wants.
The teaching qualification ladder in FE, as set out in government guidance on teaching in further education, runs:
| Qualification | Level | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Award in Education and Training (AET) | 3 | Introduction — enough for many trainer/sessional roles; often a condition of starting |
| Certificate in Education and Training (CET) | 4 | Teachers with some responsibility, building towards the diploma |
| Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) | 5 | The full in-service teaching qualification — replaced the DET from September 2024 |
| PGCE (post-compulsory/FE) | 7 | University route, usually pre-service with placements |
The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is the current standard full qualification — if you're comparing it with the older DET you'll see on job adverts and CVs, our DET vs Level 5 Diploma in Teaching guide covers exactly what changed. Lift College delivers the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) fully online around your existing job.
Alongside these, expect colleges to require GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C (or Functional Skills Level 2), an enhanced DBS check, and — because FE students include 16–18s — safeguarding training.
Can you become a college lecturer without a degree?
Yes — this is the defining difference from school teaching. FE colleges in England set their own hiring requirements; there is no blanket law requiring QTS or a degree. What a vocational department wants is:
- A Level 3 or higher qualification in the subject you'll teach,
- Recent, substantial industry experience, and
- A teaching qualification — held already, or completed in-service (many lecturers are hired first and qualify while teaching, with the college supporting the diploma).
The practical entry pattern for career changers: start delivering a few hours as a sessional trainer or assessor with an AET, then move to a fractional or full-time lecturer contract while completing the Level 5 diploma. If assessing rather than teaching appeals, the CAVA assessor route is the adjacent option — assessors verify workplace competence rather than teach classes.
What is QTLS and do you need it?
QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) is the professional status for FE teachers, awarded by the Society for Education and Training after a period of professional formation. It's voluntary — you can lecture without it — but it's worth knowing two things:
- QTLS is legally recognised as equivalent to QTS for working in schools in England, so a QTLS-holding FE teacher can move into school teaching without retraining.
- To start professional formation you need a Level 5+ teaching qualification (the diploma or PGCE) plus Level 2 English and maths.
That makes the Level 5 diploma → QTLS route a genuine alternative to university-based teacher training for adults who came to teaching through industry.
How much do college lecturers earn?
FE pay is set by each college rather than a single national scale, so ranges below are indicative from live 2026 job ads and college pay frameworks:
| Role stage | Indicative salary (England) |
|---|---|
| Sessional/hourly trainer | ~£20–£30 per teaching hour |
| Unqualified/trainee lecturer | ~£24,000–£28,000 |
| Qualified lecturer | ~£28,000–£38,000 |
| Advanced practitioner / curriculum lead | ~£38,000–£45,000+ |
Pay in FE has historically lagged school teaching, but recent government investment has targeted the gap in shortage subjects — construction, engineering, digital and health lecturers frequently command the upper ranges, and some colleges offer market supplements. Check the National Careers Service further education teacher profile for the current published range.
How long does it take?
For a working professional taking the in-service route: the AET takes weeks; landing sessional teaching can happen immediately after (or before) it; and the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching typically takes 12–24 months part-time alongside teaching hours, which it requires — it's a practice-based qualification with observed teaching. Realistically you can be earning as a teacher within months and fully qualified within about two years, without leaving employment. Compare that with a full-time PGCE year plus the income gap, and the appeal to career changers is obvious.
Lift College's teaching and childcare qualifications — including the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) — are studied online with tutor support on a monthly subscription, starting with a 7-day free trial.
Author: Lift College Editorial Team