What automation and mechatronics covers in further education
PLCs, HMIs, sensors, pneumatics, servo systems, industrial robots and integrated mechatronic systems.
Roles you could be considered for
- Mechatronics lecturer
- Automation technician
- Apprenticeship assessor
What you might teach
- PLC programming
- Sensors and actuators
- Robot programming and safety
- System integration
Skills from industry that transfer into teaching
- Commissioning and fault finding
- Reading electrical and pneumatic schematics
- Documenting changes
Routes into FE teaching and qualifications
Practical controls experience is often more important than a specific qualification, though colleges set their own criteria.
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
Do colleges use the same PLC platforms as industry?
Many use common platforms such as Siemens or Allen-Bradley, but this varies.