Skip to main content
National Careers Service

beta How could we improve this service? Your feedback will help.

  1. Home
  2. Explore careers
  3. Skills for life teacher

Skills for life teacher

Alternative titles for this job include Functional skills teacher

Skills for life teachers work with adults and sometimes 16 to 18-year-olds to improve their English, maths and IT skills

Average salary (a year)

£25,000 Starter

to

£35,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

35 to 37 variable

You could work

evenings

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship

University

If you have a degree in a relevant subject, without qualified teacher status, you can apply for a postgraduate teacher training course like:

  • postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)
  • professional graduate diploma in education (PGDE) in teaching disabled adults

You can find more details about postgraduate courses on GOV.UK.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

College

You can do a college course to complete a recognised teaching qualification.

Qualifications include:

  • Certificate in Education (Cert Ed)
  • Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training
  • Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training with a specialist pathway for teaching literacy, numeracy, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), or teaching disabled learners

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
  • 1 or 2 A levels, a level 3 diploma or relevant experience for a level 4 or level 5 course

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Learning and Skills Teacher Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship.

This typically takes around 2 years to complete.

You'll need a qualification or experience in the subject you want to teach.

You'll also need to show ability in English, maths and IT.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

More Information

Volunteering

To find out if you're suited to this type of teaching, you could do some voluntary work, although this is not essential.

You can find out about volunteering opportunities at Do IT or at NCVO.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a skills for life teacher from:

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • the ability to work on your own
  • leadership skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

You'll need a minimum of a level 3 qualification, like an A level, in the subject you wish to teach.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a skills for life teacher, you could:

  • carry out skills assessments on students
  • talk to students about what they want to achieve
  • design learning plans to suit the needs and abilities of students
  • prepare teaching materials and keep accurate records
  • use a range of paper based and online resources to teach
  • deliver individual and group teaching sessions
  • guide and support learning support assistants and volunteers

Working environment

You could work in the community, at a training centre or at an adult education centre.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

There may be opportunities to move into more senior roles, like head of department, or to train other teachers.

You might also be self-employed and work as a freelance teacher.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a skills for life teacher right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Education & Training Award L3

  • Provider: BATH COLLEGE
  • Start date: 15 September 2025
  • Location: Bath

Award in Education and Training

  • Provider: UNITED COLLEGES GROUP
  • Start date: 15 September 2025
  • Location: London
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Search further careers

Related careers

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

  • 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Is this page useful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.