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.
The Further Education Teacher Workforce in England Annual
Report 2026 is the third piece in a five-part series on the
education workforce. Over the next two weeks NFER, funded by the
Nuffield Foundation, will publish a report which examines the
school teacher workforce, and finally an overview report that
assesses the challenges across the education workforce in England
as a whole.
NOTES TO EDITORS
*Household surveys enable NFER to compare the pay and working
conditions in FE to staff working in other occupations. NFER uses
the Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey to compare
to staff with similar age, gender, qualification level and region
profiles.
