The longstanding pay gap between teachers in further education (FE) colleges and secondary schools is continuing to widen, with FE teachers earning on average 20 per cent less than their secondary school peers.
New research by NFER reveals the pay disparity has grown significantly over the past five years. It also shows average FE teacher pay has now declined in real terms by almost a fifth since 2011, contributing to the pay gap reaching its highest level since at least 2010, while average UK earnings have grown by four per cent.
Although colleges are responsible for setting pay, funding cuts over the last 15 years have created significant budget constraints.
The report notes that while new funding announcements for the sector are welcome, a sustained effort over several years is needed. In particular, NFER urges the Government to provide sufficient funding that allows FE providers to pay teachers more.
The analysis, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, also shows the number of teachers in general FE colleges and sixth form colleges has stabilised in recent years, following a decade of decline. However, the report indicates the FE sector is suffering from a significant shortage of teachers. In 2023/24, there were around 3,000 vacant FE teaching posts, with very high vacancy rates in key subject areas.
Construction and engineering – priority sectors for the Government’s skills agenda – have high shortages, with vacancies reaching one in 10 roles in some regions. Recruiting more teachers in these subjects would address the shortages as well as contributing towards the Government’s target to recruit 6,500 more teachers. The Government is aiming to address shortages with bursaries and retention payments - an approach similar to that used in the school sector.
FE is also currently experiencing a significant increase in the number of 16–18-year-old students. If FE teacher numbers can increase to meet this additional demand between 2023 and 2027, that could represent around 2,700 new teachers – nearly half of the Government’s recruitment target.
NFER Education Workforce Lead, Jack Worth, said:
“FE teachers play a vital role in giving students the education and skills they need to enter the labour market. Despite welcome signs of slight growth in FE teacher numbers, more needs to be done to ensure this continues. The sector faces substantial pressures with growing student numbers and significant teacher shortages in key subject areas such as construction and engineering. We know that FE teachers in these subjects are set to play a critical role in supporting the Government to meet its economic growth ambitions.
“With three per cent of roles vacant and pay falling far behind comparable professions, including schoolteachers, short-term measures alone will not fix this. We need a sustained, strategic approach that makes FE teaching a financially competitive, attractive and rewarding career.”
Dr Emily Tanner, Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation said:
"Half of 16-18 year old learners study in FE and sixth form colleges and yet we know relatively little about the workforce which is quite distinct in terms of closer connections to industry. Given the importance of this sector and its workforce for delivering on the Government's skills agenda, NFER’s insights and recommendations on how to improve retention and the data infrastructure will be an important resource for policymakers and sector leaders."
The report also finds:
- FE teachers do not appear to work particularly long hours compared to similar workers, but lack of paid overtime and low pay may still be contributing to dissatisfaction with workload.
- NFER’s analysis of national surveys* shows that FE teachers consistently report having less input in workplace decision-making compared to similar workers in other sectors. FE teacher retention rates could potentially be improved by increasing their participation in decision-making.
Further recommendations from the report include:
- The Government and FE providers should continue to target funding at key shortage subjects. Long-term evidence looking at bursaries and retention payments in schools show they can be cost effective.
- FE leaders should explore how teachers can be meaningfully involved and engaged in the way the colleges or other providers define their organisational development priorities and make decisions more widely.