Careers in teaching and cultural activities include a diverse range of jobs in education, culture and heritage.They are linked to the study of subjects such as English, Religious Studies and History and involve skills such as research, attention to detail and good organisation.Many of these jobs involve public facilities and face to face contact with children and adults in the community therefore require good interpersonal skills.
Jobs within this section
Teachers work mainly in schools and colleges to teach qualifications to young people and adults. The work includes planning and preparing lessons and tasks, working within a curriculum framework, delivering lessons in an interesting and engaging way, assessing work and working as a member of the school team. In primary schools they may teach across a range of subjects but in secondary school they will usually concentrate on a single subject. Teachers may also teach young people with Special Educational Needs either in special schools or as part of mainstream education.
For more information visit:
Training and Development Agency for Schools: www.tda.gov.uk
Graduate Teacher Training Registry: www.gttr.ac.uk
The General Teaching Council for England: www.gtce.org.uk
Info on the Teach First scheme: www.teachfirst.org.uk
The Association for Science Education: www.ase.org.uk
CILT, The National Centre for Languages: www.cilt.org.uk
The Design and Technology Association:www.data.org.uk
National Society for Education in Art and Design: www.nsead.org
Association for Physical Education: www.afpe.org.uk
Teacher Training in Wales: www.teachertrainingwales.org
The Maria Montessori Training Organisation: www.mariamontessori.org
Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship: www.steinerwaldorf.org.uk
Info on Training as a teacher for the deaf (compiled by The British Association of Teachers of the Deaf) : www.batod.org.uk
Voluntary Services Overseas: www.vso.org.uk
World Service Enquiry: www.wse.org.uk
Department for International Development: www.dfid.gov.uk
British Council Information Centre: www.britishcouncil.org
European Council of International Schools: www.ecis.org
Council of International Schools:www.cois.org
►Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
British Council Information Centre: www.britishcouncil.org
International House: www.ihlondon.com
University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations: www.cambridgeesol.org
Trinity College London: www.trinitycollege.co.uk
European information on TEFL: www.europa-pages.com
Lifelong Learning UK: www.lluk.org
To search for worldwide English Teaching Jobs: www.tefl.com
There are a number of classroom roles in school for non teachers, these include: teaching assistants who support the class teacher or individual students with a learning need; higher level teaching assistants who may take on more involved roles such as supervising the class or making assessments of additional needs; administrative staff working in the office or dealing with pupil absence; bursar administering the schools finances, librarians, catering staff, ICT technicians and Laboratory technicians supporting individual departments.
For more information visit:
The Training and Development Agency for Schools: www.tda.gov.uk
Vacancies: www.LGtalent.com
Local opportunities www.durham.gov.uk
Info on Apprenticeships: www.apprenticeships.org.uk
Information on Apprenticeships in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools can be found HERE!
►Teaching in Further Education and Training
Further education colleges have coursed which are ‘vocational’ which means they train you in work areas such as: hairdressing, construction, performing arts, etc. Tutors have to have a Further Education teaching qualification and usually experience of that work area. Training takes place in work based learning centres and the workplace and tutors have to have occupational qualifications and skills in the vocational area they teach.
For more information visit:
Lifelong Learning UK: www.lluk.org
The Institute for Learning: www.ifl.ac.uk
Information on Apprenticeships in Education, Learning and Development can be found HERE!
Teaching in Higher education is often combined with a research position. Teaching can be anything from one-to-one tutorials to lecturing to a full lecture theatre. Higher education teaching is a way of passing on expert knowledge gained through an academic career and for this reason most tutors are qualified to Masters Degree or Doctorate level. Universities may also expect some formal teaching qualifications.
For more information visit:
The Higher Education Academy: www.heacademy.ac.uk
Journalists report on events locally, nationally or worldwide. They may work for newspapers, magazines, radio or television, reporting on a broad range of newsworthy topics or focusing on a narrow area such as sport, fashion or finance. Journalist need to: work to deadlines; be accurate in their spelling and grammar; be able to undertake background research; be willing to travel and be good at talking to the public
For more information visit:
National Council for the Training of Journalists: www.nctj.com
The Newspaper Society: www.newspapersoc.org.uk
Periodical Publishers Association and the Periodicals Training Council: www.ppa.co.uk
The Chartered Institute of Journalists: www.cioj.co.uk
Broadcast Journalism Training Council: www.bjtc.org.uk
National Union of Journalists: www.nujtraining.org.uk
Skillset: www.skillset.org
Info on vacancies and courses: www.journalism.co.uk, www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk
Technical writers use the written word to produce, handbooks, leaflets, catalogues, instructions, etc. These jobs are mainly in industry, science and engineering and they need specialist knowledge of the subject to communicate effectively. Some of the work may be in taking difficult technical information and writing it up for less technical users. Jobs may be in the public sector, manufacturing, publishers and specialist magazines or journals.
For more information visit:
Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators: www.istc.org.uk
Many people want to write but few can have a successful well paid career as an author. Authors may face many rejections before they finally have a book accepted for publication. For most authors it is a part-time job fitted around another role. The skills required are dedication, creativity and a flair for written English.
For more information visit:
The Society of Authors: www.societyofauthors.org
Writers’ Guild of Great Britain: www.writersguild.org.uk
The world of publishing has many jobs available such as: editors who decide what to publish and work with authors; copy editors who edit the content of publications before print, authors, photographers and illustrators who produce the content; sales marketing and production. There is also a whole new sector growing in online publishing of magazines and books where many of these roles are also available.
For more information visit:
The Publishers Association: www.publishers.org.uk
Skillset: www.skillset.org
Periodical Publishers Association and the Periodicals Training Council: www.ppa.co.uk
Society for Editors and Proofreaders: www.sfep.org.uk
The Society of Indexers: www.indexers.org.uk
British Association of Picture Libraries and Agencies: www.picture-research.org.uk
The Publishing Training Centre: www.train4publishing.co.uk
London School of Publishing: www.publishing-school.co.uk
Info on specialist recruitment agencies and access to job vacancies: www.bookcareers.com
►Careers in Museums and Art Galleries
There are a diverse range of opportunities available to those interested in working in a museum or gallery. Customer facing roles may include: customer service, sales, education officer, and guide.Back room roles may include exhibition designer, archivist, administration, conservation and restoration work.Many roles require specific qualifications.
For more information visit:
Association of Independent Museums: www.aim-museums.co.uk
Creative & Cultural Skills: www.ccskills.org.uk
Guild of Taxidermists – www.taxidermy.org.uk
ICON : The Institute of Conservation: www.icon.org.uk
Museums Association: www.museumassociation.org
Job Vacancies: www.museumjobs.com
►Library and Information Services
Libraries are more than book storage and lending services. Technology has broadened the role to include more ICT, CD and video use; the staff may now be called information scientist or information officer rather than librarian. The job may include cataloguing stock, researching, working with children and the community to help them to use the library services. Information jobs may be in university school or college libraries; public libraries; national archives; and specialist services such as mobile or hospital schemes.
For more information visit:
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals: www.cilip.org.uk
The Association for Information Management: www.aslib.com
Lifelong Learning UK: www.lluk.org
International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (UK and Ireland) : www.iaml-uk-irl.org
Arts and Humanities Research Council: www.ahrc.ac.uk
Information on Apprenticeships in Information and Library Services can be found HERE!
History is a subject which teaches useful skills for a number of career routes. Opportunities as historians are limited and teaching may not be for everyone.The research, analysis and investigation skills gained while studying History can be used in careers such as: archaeology, conservation or restoration, museum archivist, heritage, political or media research.
For more information visit:
The Historical Association: www.history.org.uk
The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies: www.ihgs.ac.uk
The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives: www.agra.org.uk
Society of Genealogists: www.sog.org.uk
Archivists work in document storage and preservation, often with very old and important historical records. These could be national data such as the census, or local information such as church or parish records, social history or the records from large industry or commerce. Roles include: conservation to preserve document; cataloguing of the archive; helping the public to use the data and using new technology such as the internet to make it widely available.
For more information visit:
Society of Archivists: www.archives.org.uk
The Association for Information Management: www.aslib.com
Lifelong Learning UK: www.lluk.org
List of UK Archives: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
The UK has a huge number of important heritage sites which are managed by organisations like the National Trust or English Heritage. These must be preserved for the nation, but able to be visited by the public.Many roles are voluntary but there may be opportunities in management, conservation, historical research, tourism, marketing and maintenance.
For more information visit:
Creative & Cultural Skills:www.ccskills.org.uk, www.creative-choices.co.uk
English Heritage: www.english-heritage.org.uk
The National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk, www.ntjobs.org.uk
The National Trust for Scotland: www.nts.org.uk
Royal Commission of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland: www.rcahms.gov.uk
The Welsh Assembly Government’s Historic Environment Service: www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
The Institute of Conservation: www.icon.org.uk
The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides: www.blue-badge-guides.com
Institute of Tourist Guiding: www.itg.org.uk
The British Antique Dealers’ Association: www.bada.org
Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association: www.aba.org.uk
British Horological Institute: www.bhi.co.uk
Rycotewood Furniture Centre: www.ocvc.ac.uk/rycotewood-furniture-centre
Archaeologists explore historical sites, collect and identify artifacts, carry out research and write up findings. They may work for universities, museums, government agencies and independent t organisations. It is painstaking, practical work often outdoors in all weather conditions. Excavations may come across buildings, jewellery and household items but analysis may involve examining grains of pollen or waste from long abandoned homes.
For more information visit:
Archaeology Abroad: www.britarch.ac.uk
British Archaeological Jobs & Resources: www.bajr.org
Council for British Archaeology: www.britarch.ac.uk
Institute for Archaeologists: www.archaeologists.net
The Ironbridge Institute: www.ironbridge.bham.ac.uk
Training Online Resource Centre for Archaeology: www.torc.org.uk
Using a foreign language is a part of many jobs, it can open doors to jobs in other countries and can make UK businesses more successful in a world economy.The sort of jobs available include: Linguists who can speak and write fluently in another language, interpreters and translators who can translate on behalf of a non native speaker for courts, the police or immigration services, working for government organisations such as the foreign office, working for the European union, teaching languages, working in the travel industry and for airline companies.
For more information visit:
The National Centre for Languages: www.cilt.org.uk
Languages Work: www.languageswork.org.uk
European Personnel Selection Office: www.europa.eu
Chartered Institute of Linguists: www.iol.org.uk
Institute of Translation & Interpreting: www.iti.org.uk
International Association of Conference Interpreters: www.aiic.net
Languages Work: www.languageswork.org.uk
Working within a religious organisation is often described as a ‘vocation’ or ‘calling’, where an individual has a strong faith and wants to use that to work within a religious organisation.This role could be a formal leadership role which could come with a paid position in a religious centre or voluntary work in your free time. There are some specialist religious roles available in the armed forces, hospitals or prisons.
Religions roles may require a lifetime commitment to a faith community and long training before taking on the role.
For more information visit:
Church of England: www.cofe.anglican.org
Church in Wales: www.churchinwales.org.uk
Church Army: www.churcharmy.org.uk
The Methodist Church: www.methodist.org.uk
The United Reform Church: www.urc.org.uk
Church of Scotland: www.churchofscotland.org.uk
Roman Catholic Church: www.ukvocation.or, ukpriest.org
Baptist Union of Great Britain: www.baptist.org.uk
BMS World Mission: www.bmsworldmission.org
The Salvation Army: www.salvationarmy.org.uk
World Service Enquiry: www.wse.org.uk
Christians Abroad: www.cabroad.org.uk
Congregational Federation: www.congregational.org.uk
Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches: www.fiec.org.uk
Agency for Jewish Education: www.brijnet.org
The Buddhist Society: www.thebuddhistsociety.org
The National Council of Hindu Temples: www.nchtuk.org
Sikh Missionary Society: www.gurmat.info
UK Islamic Mission: www.ukim.org
