The pay gap between teachers working in further education (FE) colleges and those in secondary schools has widened to its highest level in more than a decade, according to new research from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
The report finds that FE teachers now earn around 20% less on average than their secondary school counterparts, with the disparity growing significantly over the past five years. The analysis also reveals that average FE teacher pay has fallen by nearly a fifth in real terms since 2011, while average earnings across the wider UK economy have increased by around 4% during the same period.
Researchers say long-term funding pressures in the FE sector have played a major role. Although colleges set their own pay levels, years of constrained funding have limited their ability to offer competitive salaries.
The findings come as the FE sector faces rising demand. The number of teachers in general FE and sixth form colleges has stabilised in recent years following a decade of decline, but the workforce still faces significant recruitment challenges. In the 2023/24 academic year there were approximately 3,000 vacant FE teaching posts, with particularly high vacancy rates in key technical subjects.
Shortages are especially acute in construction and engineering, both priority areas within the government’s skills agenda. In some regions, vacancies in these subjects account for around one in ten roles, raising concerns about the sector’s ability to support workforce development in critical industries.
The report also highlights increasing pressure from rising student numbers. With more 16–18-year-olds enrolling in FE, the sector may need to recruit around 2,700 additional teachers between 2023 and 2027 to meet demand, representing a significant portion of the government’s broader target to recruit 6,500 more teachers.
Jack Worth, Education Workforce Lead at NFER, said FE teachers play a crucial role in preparing young people for employment but warned that structural issues must be addressed to sustain the workforce.
“FE teachers play a vital role in giving students the education and skills they need to enter the labour market,” he said. “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.”
The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, also suggests retention could be improved by involving FE teachers more closely in organisational decision-making and continuing to target funding towards shortage subjects through bursaries and retention incentives.
Sector leaders say addressing workforce challenges will be essential if FE colleges are to deliver the skills needed to support the UK’s economic growth ambitions.
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