What carpentry and joinery covers in further education
Site carpentry, bench joinery, first and second fix, roofing carpentry, and woodworking machinery.
Roles you could be considered for
- Carpentry lecturer
- Joinery instructor
- Apprenticeship assessor
What you might teach
- Hand tool and power tool skills
- Jointing techniques
- First and second fix
- Machine safety
Skills from industry that transfer into teaching
- Reading drawings and cutting lists
- Quality finishing
Routes into FE teaching and qualifications
A Level 3 qualification and trade experience are commonly sought.
How requirements differ across the UK
- England: there is no single legal teaching qualification requirement for FE, but many colleges expect staff to hold or work towards one.
- Wales: FE teachers must register with the Education Workforce Council.
- Scotland: the TQFE is the established qualification for college lecturers. Registration arrangements are changing, so check current guidance.
- Northern Ireland: colleges commonly expect lecturers to gain a recognised teaching qualification within a set period.
See our guides for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and teaching qualifications and teaching without a teaching qualification for more detail.
Not everyone with experience in this sector will be suitable for every teaching role. Opportunities depend on your experience, the subject requirements, each college's criteria and your circumstances.
Funding information
Support for teacher training, such as bursaries or employer-funded qualifications, changes over time and differs by nation. We only publish funding details that we have checked against official sources. See our funding information hub.
Common questions
Will I need to teach on woodworking machines?
Bench joinery courses usually include machining; site carpentry may not.