SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not legal advice. If you need advice specific to your situation, talk to your local FE college, training provider or CITB.
If your body's had enough of site but your head still loves the trade, teaching or assessing is a solid way to stay in the game and help the next lot through -- but you do need the right mix of experience + teaching/assessing tickets.
1. Teaching your trade in college (FE lecturer/tutor)
Further education (FE) colleges are crying out for proper tradespeople, and they'll often train you on the teaching side once you're in.
Key points:
- You do not need a university degree to start teaching vocational construction -- colleges mainly want strong industry experience, usually at least two years in the trade and a solid trade qualification at Level 3 or similar.
- Many FE colleges will hire you first, then pay you while you do a teaching qualification (often up to Level 5 in education/training) within a couple of years.
Typical teaching qualification routes in FE
- Level 3 Award in Education and Training -- entry-level intro to teaching.
- Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET).
- Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training / Cert Ed / PGCE in FE & Skills -- often the target within a few years and can lead to QTLS status.
Entry requirements for FE teaching courses usually include
- GCSE English and maths (or equivalent),
- A Level 3 qualification or relevant experience in the subject you want to teach.
The government's own FE teaching guidance is clear: "excellent trade knowledge is the only qualification you need to begin" -- formal teaching quals can be done on the job.
2. Becoming an NVQ assessor for your trade
If you prefer being out on site with learners rather than in a classroom all week, the NVQ assessor route is a good fit.
Two essentials
- Occupational competence -- you're an expert in your trade, with several years' experience and usually a relevant NVQ or similar at or above the level you'll assess.
- Assessor qualification -- most providers want the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) or equivalent (sometimes called the NVQ Assessor course).
What assessors actually do
- Watch candidates doing their normal job.
- Collect evidence -- site visits, photos, videos, written answers, professional discussions, witness testimonies.
- Judge that evidence against NVQ standards and sign units off when learners consistently meet them.
You're not teaching them how to lay bricks from scratch -- you're proving that what they already do meets the standard, and coaching them where there are gaps.
3. CITB expectations around trainers/coaches
For CITB-related training (short courses, in-house training, etc.), their standards give you a feel for what's expected of a trainer:
Trainers are generally expected to have:
- An award in education and training (or equivalent), and
- At least two to three years' relevant industrial experience in the area they're teaching.
For example, CITB's "Train the Trainer" standard expects:
- Minimum of 2 years' experience in the discipline,
- A recognised industry-relevant qualification, and
- An award in education and training (or equivalent) to prove you can actually train people.
In short: to be taken seriously as a construction trainer, you need the trade chops and at least a basic teaching qualification on top (L3 Award or similar).
4. Rough routes -- straight from site into teaching/assessing
Route A -- FE college lecturer (trades)
- Solid trade (NVQ3 or apprenticeship), several years on the tools.
- Apply for lecturer / instructor / workshop tutor posts in local colleges.
- They hire you based on experience and then expect you to complete a Level 4/5 teaching qualification (e.g. Cert Ed, Level 5 Diploma in Education & Training, or PGCE FE & Skills) within about 2 years, often with support and funding.
Route B -- NVQ assessor (construction)
- Solid trade background, ideally with the NVQ you'll assess (e.g. NVQ2 bricklaying).
- Gain CAVA (Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement) or equivalent assessor qual.
- Work for a training provider or college, mostly on site: observing, gathering evidence, guiding learners through NVQs.
Route C -- Construction trainer for short courses
- Trade/management experience plus relevant qualifications (e.g. site management NVQs, SMSTS, etc.).
- Award in education and training at minimum, higher teaching quals if you're delivering more advanced stuff.
- Deliver CITB or in-house courses (e.g. safety, supervisor skills, basic trade upskilling).
5. Common mistakes
- Thinking you need a degree before you can teach -- FE colleges want trade experience first; they'll train you to teach.
- Jumping in without the assessor qualification -- occupational competence alone isn't enough; you need CAVA or equivalent to assess NVQs.
- Expecting site-manager money from day one -- FE salaries are typically lower than senior site roles, but the hours, holidays and physical demands are very different.
- Not keeping your industry skills current -- if you've been in a classroom for 5 years and haven't touched the trade, your credibility with learners (and Ofsted) starts to slip.
- Underestimating the paperwork -- teaching and assessing both involve a lot of documentation, evidence trails and quality assurance. If you thought site diaries were bad, wait until you see an NVQ portfolio.
6. Who to contact
- Your local FE college -- search for construction lecturer/instructor vacancies and ask about their route into teaching (free to enquire)
- Education and Training Foundation (ETF) -- support and CPD for FE teachers: et-foundation.co.uk (free resources)
- Society for Education and Training (SET) -- professional membership for FE teachers, including QTLS: set.et-foundation.co.uk (membership fees apply)
- CITB -- trainer standards and construction training provider information: citb.co.uk (free guidance)
- Go Construct -- careers information including teaching and assessing roles: goconstruct.org (free)
- City & Guilds / Pearson -- CAVA and education & training qualifications: cityandguilds.com / pearson.com
7. Sources
- GOV.UK -- Teach in further education -- government guidance on becoming an FE teacher, entry routes and qualifications: gov.uk/guidance/teach-in-further-education
- Education and Training Foundation -- professional standards for teachers and trainers in FE: et-foundation.co.uk
- CITB -- Trainer and assessor standards -- what CITB expects from people delivering construction training: citb.co.uk
- Ofqual -- regulated qualifications framework for teaching and assessing qualifications: ofqual.gov.uk
8. Related guides on this site
- 10.7 Management qualifications -- SMSTS, NVQ L6, degree routes
- 10.8 Site management as a career -- what it actually involves
- 10.3 Moving from labourer to skilled trade -- realistic routes
- 10.4 CITB grants -- money you can claim back
- S22 NVQs, SVQs and the qualification ladder explained
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