Certificate In Education 14+ Level 5
Do you wish to teach a practical, trade or vocational subject? If you're brilliant at your trade and want to share your knowledge and passion with the next generation, this nationally recognised teaching qualification opens the door to teaching and assessing in further education, work-based learning and more.
The Certificate in Education 14+ (Cert Ed) is for trainee teachers in further education, sixth form colleges, adult and community education, universities, the prison and probation services, pre-employment training and work-based learning.
You can visit the the University of Greater Manchester website to find out more:
Part time route - click here.
Full time route - click here.
There's a growing recognition that the UK needs more tradespeople. The government is investing in apprenticeships and work-based education, and vocational subjects are proving popular in schools and colleges. If you're qualified, experienced and talented in a trade such as plumbing, bricklaying, hairdressing, or beauty, then a career sharing your skills with the next generation could be rewarding both personally and professionally.
1 year full-time - September 2025
2 years part-time - September 2025
This is a pre-service Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course – you don't need prior experience of teaching or current employment in education. Through a combination of traditional study and work-based learning, you'll be able to explore the key theories and techniques of teaching, learning and assessment. We'll support you as you discover how to apply them in practice, how you can mould them to the teaching of your trade and how they link to current research in education.
We'll guide you as you learn to plan lessons, deliver classes, assess your students' performances and provide constructive feedback. Our expert and supportive tutors will work to help you become a skilled, engaging and inclusive teacher with high standards of professionalism.
Part-time route - attendance is required one evening per week 5.30pm - 8.30pm
Full-time route - attendance is required every Thursday 10am - 2.30pm and Friday 10am - 12.30pm
Our lessons are delivered using a blended learning approach meaning that some lessons will be delivered face-to-face whilst some others will be delivered virtually using Zoom. Your Tutor will provide you with a timetable during induction.
On successful completion, you will achieve a Level 5 Certificate in Education 14+ (Cert Ed), awarded by the University of Greater Manchester.
This course will give you the necessary skills and practical experience required to prepare you for a teaching career, with the emphasis being in the Further Education and Skills sector. In this sector, you’ll have the opportunity to work with Further Education learners who range in age from 14 years old to adult. These students come from different backgrounds and experiences and may enter further education from local schools, the community, industry or local businesses.
- You must have the highest vocational qualification relevant to that subject area. For some subject areas this means a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 3, and for others it may be an NVQ level 4 or a Higher National Diploma (HND).
- You must possess suitable Level 2 qualifications in English and Mathematics; for instance, GCSEs at grade 4-9 (or grade C or above) or Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Mathematics. Please contact us for a list of other Level 2 equivalent qualifications that would be accepted for entry to this course.
- You'll be required to attend an interview as part of the application process. This will involve written diagnostic tests for English/literacy and mathematics/numeracy, a short oral presentation, and a face-to-face interview.
- This course involves working unsupervised with young people and/or vulnerable adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- You'll need to provide satisfactory references, a satisfactory health declaration and a satisfactory student agreement prior to enrolment on the course.
- We'll also consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Greater Manchester's Fitness to Practise procedure - find out more here.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
The fee for the part-time route is £4,767 per year (2 years).
The fee for the full-time route is £9,534.
Students are generally entitled to a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England.
For information on student finance visit www.gov.uk/studentfinance
Yes, however bursaries are only available for the subjects listed below, for courses starting in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.
Bursary of £30,000 available for the following subjects:
- Mathematics
- Science (including chemistry, physics and biology)
- Engineering (and/or manufacturing)
- Computing
Bursary of £15,000 available for the following subjects:
- English
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Bursaries support the training of FE teachers in high priority subject areas.
You can find out more about bursaries by clicking here.
You can contact the team directly if you have a question:
Zoe Williamson - Course Leader for Teacher Education
E. zoe.williamson@gceducationandskills.ac.uk
T. 07789 965 118
Rosemarie Davies - Higher Education Manager
E. rosemarie.davies@gceducationandskills.ac.uk
T. 07803 119945
Laura Ramsey - Higher Education Administrator/Co-ordinator
E. laura.ramsey@gceducationandskills.ac.uk
T. 07703 608 114
Yes, we do and we look forward to meeting you.
Click here to find book your place on our Teacher Training Information Event.
We take a blended approach to teaching and learning, using a combination of face-to-face sessions, work-based learning and electronic resources and communications. You can expect timetabled classes and lectures, along with workshops, small group and individual practical activities, and structured exercises and discussions. Individual support will be given in tutorials. We'll encourage you to participate in online discussions with your peers and tutors, make full use of ICT as a source of information and support, and maintain a digital portfolio of evidence.
In most cases, work-based placements will be arranged for you in situations that meet the requirements for becoming a qualified teacher in the FE and Skills sector. They may involve daytime or evening teaching or both. In most cases, our placement partners will expect you to have several years of experience working in your trade so that you can bring this practical experience into your teaching. While this industrial experience is not one of our listed entry requirements, it is strongly recommended as we are unlikely to be able to find you suitable placements without it.
During your placements, your teaching practice will be assessed according to Ofsted guidelines and documented through session planning, observation reports and reflective journals. You'll receive informal feedback on your performance to help you assess your progress and improve your practice, as well as formal assessment that will contribute to your overall grade for the course.
Additional formal assessment will be based on coursework. You'll be expected to produce written work that demonstrates your understanding and ability to apply the course content. You'll also receive informal peer and tutor feedback on individual and group activities. Your tutor will guide you towards areas of appropriate research and background reading that will help you complete your coursework.
To be awarded your CertEd 14+ qualification, you'll need to demonstrate that you've met all the learning outcomes for the course. Our highly experienced and dedicated staff will guide and support you in this, but a significant amount of personal and independent study is essential, and you'll need to take responsibility for managing your own learning.
In addition to working in FE colleges, sixth-form colleges and schools, there are significant opportunities to work in a range of other sectors. The work-based learning sector ensures people are ready for work and have the latest skills. It includes working with apprentices, young people who are not yet 'job ready', and employed adults who need to update their skills. Job opportunities in this sector are often with training providers in the private sector, but they can also be in the work-based learning units in colleges.
The adult and community learning sector delivers a range of community-based courses, including practical and creative, basic skills, language and computer courses. The justice sector involves working in prisons and youth offender institutions, teaching basic skills. Some offender institutions offer vocational preparation courses. Much of this work is subcontracted to local FE colleges, who then provide relevant staff.
Alternative career options
Some CertEd 14+ holders pursue careers outside the education sector or seek alternative roles within education. Some of these roles may require further training, qualifications and/or experience. These can include:
- Higher education lecturing
- Local Authority education
- Mentoring
- Family liaison
- Educational psychology
- Education administration
- Student services
- Student liaison
- Educational writing
- Examinations
- Counselling
- Careers guidance
- Training
- Quality standards
Location
Lee House,
90 Great Bridgewater Street,
Manchester,
M1 5JW
