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(Further Education Lecturer, PLC Tutor, FET Trainer, Adult Education Teacher)
Education & Training
Salary
€32,000 - €62,000/yr
Level
Professional
Outlook
Stable
Sector
Education & Training
As a Further Education Tutor you plan and deliver learning programmes to adult learners in Colleges of Further Education, Education and Training Boards (ETBs), and community education settings across Ireland. You teach a broad range of subjects — from ICT and business to healthcare, languages, and personal development — typically on QQI-accredited PLC courses at NFQ Levels 4 to 6. Your working day involves preparing lesson materials, facilitating classroom and workshop sessions, assessing learner work, and providing constructive feedback that takes account of each student's prior experience and individual circumstances. You work closely with learners who may be returning to education after a break, upskilling for employment, or working towards progression into higher education, and you collaborate with colleagues, programme coordinators, and support services to ensure learners succeed.
Listen: a day as a Further Education Tutor
You arrive at the College of Further Education just before half eight, badge in at reception, and head straight to the staff room to print off the assessment briefs you finalised last night. Today is a full teaching day: three class groups, a learner review meeting, and a QQI moderation session after lunch. You make a quick coffee, check your college email for anything urgent from the ETB quality assurance office, and gather your materials. Your first group, a Level 5 Healthcare Support class of fourteen adults, starts at nine. Ages range from nineteen to fifty-two. You are mid-way through the Care Skills module, and today you are demonstrating correct moving-and-handling techniques using the practice equipment in the training room. One learner is anxious about the practical assessment coming up next week, so you take five minutes aside to go through the QQI assessment criteria with her and reassure her about the portfolio evidence she has already collected.
There is no single fixed route into Further Education tutoring in Ireland, but a relevant Level 8 Honours Bachelor degree in your subject area is the typical starting point — for example, a degree in Business, Computing, Health Science, or a language. A postgraduate teaching qualification such as a Professional Master of Education (PME) or a QQI Level 6 Certificate in Training and Education (formerly FETAC) strengthens your application considerably, and many ETBs require or strongly prefer it. Some tutors enter through vocational backgrounds, holding a trade qualification or professional experience alongside a QQI training award. Leaving Certificate subjects that build a foundation include your intended subject specialism, plus English and Mathematics at Higher or Ordinary level for communication and numeracy. Registration with the Teaching Council is not currently mandatory for Further Education posts in the way it is for second-level, but it is increasingly expected for permanent ETB contracts, and the Council's FE registration category applies. Continued professional development in areas such as assistive technology, literacy, and inclusive education is valued throughout your career.
Many Further Education Tutors begin as part-time or hourly-paid instructors within an ETB, building experience across several QQI modules before securing a full-time permanent contract. With experience, you may take on a role as Programme Coordinator or Assistant Principal, overseeing a suite of QQI courses and managing timetabling, learner progression, and staff. Senior positions within ETBs include Deputy Principal or Principal of a College of Further Education, which involve strategic planning, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement. Some experienced tutors move into curriculum development, quality assurance roles with QQI, or transition into third-level lecturing at institutes of technology or technological universities.
AI tools such as generative text assistants and adaptive learning platforms are beginning to influence how Further Education Tutors prepare lesson content, create differentiated resources, and provide feedback at scale. These tools can reduce time spent on routine administrative tasks, freeing tutors to focus on face-to-face mentoring and the relational aspects of adult learning that technology cannot replicate. However, tutors will need to develop digital literacy skills to evaluate AI-generated content critically and guide learners in using such tools ethically and effectively. The human capacity to build trust with adult learners who may have had difficult educational experiences remains a core and irreplaceable part of the role.
→ Further Education Tutor (Current role)
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Nationwide
Funds and oversees FET programmes delivered by tutors nationwide.
Dublin City
Employs tutors across PLC, adult literacy and community education programmes.
Cork City and County
Delivers QQI-accredited FET courses requiring specialist subject tutors.
Limerick and Clare
Runs PLC and community education courses staffed by qualified tutors.
Galway and Roscommon
Employs FET tutors in colleges, community centres and Youthreach settings.
Killester, Dublin 5
Tutors deliver NFQ Level 5–6 PLC programmes in business, healthcare and ICT.
Coolock, Dublin 17
Provides a wide range of QQI courses requiring subject-specialist tutors.
Dundalk, Co. Louth
Tutors support bridging and further education programmes for adult learners.
Louth and Meath
Employs FET tutors across PLCs, Youthreach and adult education services.
Nationwide
Tutors deliver skills and employment training programmes to jobseekers.
Crumlin, Dublin 12
Tutors teach QQI Level 5–6 courses in languages, business and social care.
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