Teaching & Education Careers
WHAT ARE TEACHING & EDUCATION CAREERS?
While the first job that comes to mind when you think of education is likely a teacher, when you start to dig beneath the surface you’ll find that classroom based teaching makes up only a small part of this varied sector. To support students from early childhood to higher education takes a huge range of skilled professionals working collaboratively across different fields.
In traditional learning institutions such as schools, colleges and universities, teachers and support staff work directly with students to create inclusive and engaging learning environments. The wider education sector however covers researchers, policymakers and specialists ensuring that the knowledge and skills taught stays up to date with constant evolutions in society and technology. This challenging task opens up lots of different career options to explore!
WHY SHOULD I BE INTERESTED?
A career in teaching and education offers the unique opportunity to have a directly positive impact on the lives of others. Whether you’re in the classroom with students everyday or helping to shape future curricula, working in this sector means you’ll be empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and reach their full potential which can be very personally rewarding.
What’s more, as teaching and education professionals need to keep their own knowledge up to date, these careers offer the potential for continuous personal growth. At the same time, there’s scope for creativity and innovation in adapting teaching methods to take advantage of new technologies. By developing yourself along with others therefore, these roles provide a strong sense of purpose and fulfilment.
KEY FACTS AND FIGURES
KEY TRENDS
The development of Education Technology (EdTech) to enhance learning is one of the top growing sectors in the UK
EMPLOYERS
Higher Education Institutions such as universities are some of the largest education employers in the UK
SKILLS
Adaptability and digital skills are increasingly in demand as the education sector continues to evolve
SALARY
Salaries vary with a sector average of around £36,400
WHAT TYPES OF PEOPLE ARE SUITED TO TEACHING & EDUCATION ROLES?
Although teaching and education careers can vary widely, people working in these fields are united by a passion for learning and a desire to inspire others. These careers attract people who are motivated by supporting others to develop and achieve successes they may never have believed possible.
Whether you’re working directly with students or in the wider sector, the ability to form connections with individuals combined with a natural sense of patience, empathy and compassion will be a great advantage. What’s more, as the sector continues to evolve to meet the educational needs of the future workforce, employers value those who are adaptable and enjoy keeping up to date with and creatively reacting to current trends. In general, those who are driven by learning and who approach challenges with resilience and a positive attitude tend to thrive in these careers.
WHAT KIND OF ROLES ARE OUT THERE?
Careers Adviser
21k – 35k
Starter – Experienced
35 – 40
Average hours per week
Occasional evenings & weekends
What’s the role?
Careers advisers help people make decisions about their education, training and work options.
Where should I start?
Careers advisers use their knowledge of work, training and study opportunities to help people reach their full potential. There are a number of different ways into this career
A good way in could be by completing a Career Development Professional Level 6 Higher Apprenticeship which will combine study with on the job training
Find apprenticeships near to you here
Or get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
Alternatively, if you already have a degree or relevant work experience (for example as a teacher or youth worker), you could consider completing a postgraduate diploma or masters degree in career guidance.
Get started with postgraduate qualifications here
It may also be possible to begin as a careers coordinator and work your way up by completing further training on the job.
Your employer could support you to take relevant work-based qualifications such as:
- Level 4 Diploma in Advice and Guidance
- Level 4 Diploma in Career Information and Advice
- Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development
Community Education Coordinator
23k – 32k
Starter – Experienced
37 – 39
Average hours per week
Occasional evenings & weekends
What’s the role?
Community education coordinators make sure education, training and recreation courses meet the needs of the local community.
Where should I start?
Community education coordinators need great communication skills to help to organise and promote participation in local education or training opportunities. There are loads of different routes into this career
You could get started by completing a college course. This can help you find out if this is the career for you and boost your applications for trainee positions. Relevant courses could include:
- Level 2 and 3 Certificate in Community Development
- Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Social and Community Work
Find course providers here
To take this further and help you to enter at a higher level, you could complete a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree. Relevant subjects could include:
- education
- sociology
- youth and community development
Search courses here
Alternatively if you’d like to start gaining some practical experience while you learn, you could consider an apprenticeship in youth support work, learning and development or cultural learning and participation.
Find apprenticeships near to you here
Or get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
Volunteering is also a great way of building experience of working in the community. This could help you to directly apply for roles.
Get ideas for volunteering opportunities here.
Digital Learning Developer
19k – 40k
Starter – Experienced
37 – 39
Average hours per week
Occasional evenings
What’s the role?
Digital Learning Developers (sometimes called e-Learning Designers) specialise in the development, delivery and evaluation of educational materials for online or digital environments.
Where should I start?
Digital Learning Developers need technical knowledge in order to stay up on date on the latest technology and trends in digital learning. There are a number of different ways you could build this
To get started, you could complete a college course. This will help you to build a foundation which will boost your applications for trainee positions. Relevant courses include:
- A level in Computing
- Level 3 Certificate in Programming
- T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development
- Level 3 Certificate in Web Design and Development
Find course providers here
To take this further and help you to enter at a higher level, you could complete a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree. Relevant subjects include:
- computing
- multimedia design
- educational technology
Search courses here
Alternatively if you’d like to build your knowledge while gaining some practical workplace experience, it may be possible to complete an advanced or higher apprenticeship in digital learning design or computing.
Apprenticeships are often offered directly by individual companies but you can get started with ideas here
Or get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
You can find out about the e-learning industry more widely through joining the Learning Network
Educational Publishing
18k – 43k
Starter – Experienced
37 – 39
Average hours per week
Occasional evenings
What’s the role?
Educational publishers produce materials for educational markets such as schools, universities and training programmes. This can include textbooks, study guides and academic journals as well as digital resources and online content.
Where should I start?
Careers in Educational publishing are varied, you could work in a range of different roles in editorial , production, marketing and sales. There are a number of different routes into these roles
Many employers will look for you to have a degree in a subject relevant to the publisher’s content. For example, if you’d like to work for a scientific journal, a science degree may be required.
For broader roles however, employers may look for you to have a degree which demonstrates your written communication skills. Relevant subjects could include:
- english
- journalism
- media studies
Search courses here
Alternatively, you could look into completing an advanced apprentice as a publishing assistant which will combine study with workplace learning.
Apprenticeships are often offered directly by employers but you can get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
It may also be possible to begin by working in a publishing office as a general assistant or in communications and work your way up to your preferred role.
Educational Researcher
18k – 39k
Starter – Experienced
37 – 45
Average hours per week
Evenings and weekends as required
What’s the role?
Educational researchers investigate academic problems, they collect and analyse data to propose solutions and recommend innovative new teaching methods.
Where should I start?
Educational researchers draw on their advanced knowledge of both educational research and statistics to analyse key issues in modern education.
You could get started in this career by completing a degree in a broad range of different subjects and specialise later. Particularly relevant subjects could include:
- education
- psychology
- sociology
Search courses here
To gain a research position, employers will also expect you to have a postgraduate qualification such as a masters degree or a PhD. You should look for a qualification in the area you would like to research further, different themes could include:
- curriculum development
- education leadership
- educational psychology
- language acquisition
Get started with postgraduate qualifications here
Gaining professional experience is also important in this career. Throughout your studies, you could consider applying for teaching assistant roles or volunteering for classroom or community positions to gain practical knowledge that will help to guide your research.
Get ideas for volunteering opportunities here.
Higher Education Lecturer
33k – 54k
Starter – Experienced
36 – 38
Average hours per week
Occasional evenings
What’s the role?
Higher education (HE) lecturers research and teach academic and vocational subjects at universities and higher education colleges.
Where should I start?
Higher education lecturers need strong expertise in their chosen subject area in order to conduct research and teach students at a high level.
To get started, you’ll need to complete a degree in a subject that’s relevant to what you want to lecture in and research further.
To be able to teach at undergraduate level, you’ll also need to have completed a postgraduate qualification such as a masters degree or a PhD.
Search degree courses here and get started with postgraduate qualifications here
Many universities and higher education colleges will also expect you to have completed a teaching qualification but there are several routes into obtaining this:
- You could study for a higher education teaching qualification
- You could complete a postgraduate apprenticeship as an academic professional
- For more vocational courses, employers may value experience working in the field over a formal teaching qualification.
Museum Curator
18k – 40k
Starter – Experienced
38 – 40
Average hours per week
Evenings & weekends on a rota
What’s the role?
Museum and art gallery curators manage collections of objects of artistic, scientific, historical and general interest.
Where should I start?
Museum curators seek to educate and make collections come alive through engaging exhibits. This is a varied role with activities ranging from caring for collections to running education programmes. There are a number of ways into this career
To get started and build your knowledge, you could complete a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject relevant to the type of museum you would like to work for.
For example, a degree in fine art or art history may be relevant for art museums. However, you could also consider a degree in museum or heritage studies.
Search courses here
Alternatively if you’d like to build some practical skills while you learn, it may be possible to complete an advanced apprenticeship in heritage and cultural operations.
Find apprenticeships near to you here
Or get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
You can find out more about becoming a museum or gallery curator from the Museums Association.
School Business Manager
25k – 55k
Starter – Experienced
35 – 39
Average hours per week
Occasional evenings to attend appointments
What’s the role?
School business managers oversee the efficient day-to-day running of a school and support the headteacher and leadership team.
Where should I start?
School business managers need a strong foundation in a range of business areas from budget management to marketing in order to successfully run a school. There are a number of different ways into this career
To start building your management skills, you could consider completing a foundation degree, a degree of a professional qualification in a relevant subject such as:
- accountancy
- business management
- public administration
- human resources
Search courses here
Alternatively if you’d like to start building some practical experience while you learn, you could look into a business administrator advanced apprenticeship or school business professional higher apprenticeship.
Find apprenticeships near to you here
Or get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
It may also be possible to gain experience by starting as a school administrator or secretary and working your way up. Completing a qualification can help you to progress more quickly, this could include:
- ILM Level 4 Diploma in School Business Management
- ILM Level 5 Diploma in School Business Leadership
You can find out more about this career from the Institute of School Business Leadership.
Teacher - Secondary or Primary School
28k – 44k
Starter – Experienced
37 – 45
Average hours per week (term time)
Occasional evenings to attend appointments
What’s the role?
Primary school teachers are responsible for the educational, social and emotional development of children from age 5 to 11 while secondary school teachers teach children from 11 to 16, or up to 19 in schools with sixth forms.
Where should I start?
To successfully engage students, a good teacher not only has strong expertise in their subject area but is creative and patient with excellent listening skills. If you’re motivated to support young people in reaching their potential, this is a great career to explore!
To get started, you’ll need to complete a degree to build your knowledge. You can either complete a degree which leads to qualified teacher status (QTS) such as:
- Bachelor of Education (BEd)
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) with QTS
- Bachelor of Science (BSc) with QTS
Or you can complete a degree in your chosen subject area and then complete a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) which will equip you with the skills needed to teach.
Find out more about PGCEs here
Alternatively if you already have a degree, you could complete a Teacher Level 6 degree apprenticeship.
Get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
Gaining some voluntary experience with young people is a great way of finding out if teaching is for you. This could be through volunteering at a school as a teaching assistant or through supporting further activities such as sports coaching or at holiday clubs.
Get ideas for volunteering opportunities here.
You can find out more about a career in teaching from Get into Teaching.
Youth Worker
28k – 44k
Starter – Experienced
37 – 45
Average hours per week
Evenings and weekends on a rota
What’s the role?
Youth workers support young people aged 11 to 25 and organise activities to help them develop.
Where should I start?
Youth workers need great communication skills to help understand young people’s needs and support them in building their confidence and reaching their full potential. There are loads of different routes into this career.
To get started and find out if this is the career for you, you could consider taking a Level 2 or 3 college course in youth work practice.
Find course providers here
To build your knowledge further, you could complete a professional youth work qualification. This is a degree which is recognised by the National Youth Agency and you includes a range of relevant subjects such as:
- youth and community
- community and youth studies
- youth and theology
- informal and community education
Find out more about professional youth work qualifications here
Or search wider degree courses here
Alternatively if you’d like to build some practical experience while you learn, you could complete a relevant apprenticeship such as:
- level 3 youth support worker
- level 3 peer worker
- level 6 youth worker
Find apprenticeships near to you here
Or get started with advanced, higher and degree apprenticeship opportunities here
Employers also value work experience with young people – volunteering can be a great way of gaining this and can help you in applying for jobs.
You can find voluntary or part time youth work through the National Council for Voluntary Organisations or through a local youth service.
