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Further Education

In Scotland, the age range of students in Further Education is 16+ years of age. It is not currently a legal requirement for teachers in the Further Education sector to be registered with GTC Scotland.

In order to be considered for registration in Further Education, you must have been awarded a Teaching Qualification (Further Education) from one of the Scottish teacher education institutions or a teaching qualification which is comparable to this qualification.  This course is the recognised teaching qualification for individuals who either currently work as lecturers in Further Education or who wish to pursue a career in this sector. City and Guilds qualifications are not acceptable.

If you are awarded registration in Further Education this does not mean that you will be able to teach in local authority primary and secondary schools in Scotland. Registration in Primary Education or Secondary Education will not be awarded on the basis of a Teaching Qualification (Further Education).

FE Lecturers - registration benefits

Registration with us offers a range of benefits to Further Education lecturers.

These include the following:

• Through our website, lecturers can access guidance on many issues of relevance to aspects of their work. For example, the MyGTCS microsite allows users to update their personal details, take part in discussion forums and blogs via My Community, access a range of personalised content and gain access to our eNewsletters
• Through Teaching Scotland online, which is sent either in paper format or online to everyone on our register, lecturers can keep up to date with current issues and developments in education throughout Scotland
• Professional Registration is also an option for lecturers who have been fully registered for two years. Professional Registration forms part of the Framework for Professional Recognition/ Registration and allows teachers/ lecturers to gain registration in different subject areas or sectors
• Lecturers who are able to demonstrate that they have the necessary academic requirements and have undertaken an agreed CPD programme to develop their professional knowledge and skills for teaching in the secondary sector, can apply for registration as a secondary teacher
• Lecturers can also benefit from access to Professional Recognition. This is a framework for registered teachers to gain professional recognition for sharing and enhancing their knowledge or experience. Registered lecturers with a minimum of two years' service after gaining full registration can apply to gain recognition in curricular areas, cross-curricular work or in other areas such as mentoring and coaching, sustainable development or leadership

We will continue to work with the FE sector to develop our existing partnership to support our lecturer colleagues.

We worked in partnership with colleges and the Scottish Government to establish Professional Standards for lecturers in Scotland's Colleges. We continue to have an important role to play as the accrediting body for university provision leading to the award of the Teaching Qualification in Further Education - TQ(FE).

Registration with us provides confirmation that lecturers have met the Professional Standards. It also provides evidence of skills and the commitment of an individual lecturer to be part of the wider education community.

Further Education Categories

Registration can only be granted in the categories listed below:

Registration Category	Subjects
Art & Design	Arts; Crafts; Design; Fashion/Textiles; Furnishing; Photography; Printing/Publishing
Business & Management	Accounting; Business; Economics; Finance; Law; Office Administration; Sales/Marketing Distribution
Care, Social Care & Health Care	Community Education; Counselling; Educational Theory; Guidance/Careers; Health Care; Midwifery; Nursing; Occupational Therapy; Psychology; Social Care/Social Work; Special Educational Needs
Communication & Media	Communications; English; Media
Computing & ICT	Computing; Information Technology; Librarianship
Construction	Architecture; Building/Construction; Manufacturing; Surveying; Wood/Furniture
Engineering	Automotive; Electrical/Electronic; Civil/Structural; Nautical
Hairdressing, Beauty & Complementary Therapies	Hairdressing; Beauty; Complementary Therapies
Hospitality & Tourism	Food Science/Technology; Home Economics; Hotel/Catering; Tourism/Travel
Land Based Industries	Agriculture/Horticulture; Fishery; Forestry; Veterinary Services
Languages	Community Languages; English as an Additional Language; English as a Foreign Language; Modern Foreign Language
Mathematics	Mathematics; Statistics
Mechanical/Manufacturing/Trades	Engineering Technology; Manufacturing/Production; Services to Industry; Trades
Music/Drama/Dance	Music; Drama; Dance
Physical & Life Sciences	Biology; Chemistry; Geology; Human Biology; Physics
Social Sciences & Social Studies	Geography; History; Modern Studies; Philosophy; Politics; Psychology; Sociology
Sport & Leisure	Fitness; Leisure; Sports