August 10, 2023
What can I do after the Level 3 AET course?
The Level 3 Award in Education and Training is an ideal qualification if you’re looking to teach or train adults in further education. The course provides a solid introduction to teaching, providing the knowledge and skills needed for effective lesson planning and delivery, as well as your core roles and responsibilities. This adult teaching qualification opens a lot of doors to new and existing opportunities in the further education sector and is a great step in your career progression.
So if you’ve finished you’re qualification, or maybe you’re still halfway through, and you’re sat wondering “what can I do after the Level 3 AET course?”, just know that you are not alone. Or you might have started running training courses at work or applying to work in a teaching role after completing the course, going full steam ahead.
Whatever stage you are at, let’s take a look at all the different options you have after completing this Level 3 teaching qualification.
What Can I Do With An AET Qualification?
After earning your AET qualification, your priority should be building your education and training skills by investing time and effort in your own professional development. The more effort you put in now, the better the results will be.
Here are some ideas to help you get started.
1. Update your subject knowledge
It’s only natural to think that we know everything we need to about the topics we are teaching. However, if you’ve got your AET and are teaching and training regularly, it’s difficult to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in your industry.
This is an unfortunate fact that affects all of us teachers. The very act of running courses takes your time and attention away from the front line.
The best way to overcome this is to get out and make an effort to talk to people in your sector, either informally by just calling and having a chat or by attending trade conferences and events. By doing this, you’ll also make connections with people in your industry, and you never know when that might come in useful!
You should also make sure that you read the trade press and sign up for any email updates from organisations in your field which might be useful in keeping your knowledge current. This is also known as CPD or Continual Professional Development.
2. Take the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET course)
The Level 4 CET course is a step up from AET, which means it goes more in-depth than the Level 3 AET. Despite the extra effort and hard work involved, it’s a great way to improve your teaching skills and knowledge and end up with the qualification as proof. The CET course only takes 8 days to complete, so it’s well worth taking the time to pursue if you want to enhance your existing AET qualification.
When you take the Level 4 CET course, you have to be teaching or training already as part of the course, as it involves being monitored while teaching real candidates. So we recommend waiting until you’re in your first teaching role, where you’re able to teach before pursuing your next teaching qualification.
3. Take a Level 3 Assessor Course
If you find the 8 days for the Level 4 CET a bit daunting, then you should seriously consider taking a Level 3 Assessor course which builds on your existing knowledge of assessing that you covered in your AET course. The most popular and well-known Level 3 assessor course is the CAVA course (Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement).
As you are already “in the system” with candidates of your own from your previous training, you’ll find getting through this qualification straightforward. On the course, you’ll cover in-depth the different types and methods of assessment, how to best carry these out and what the current best practice is in this area.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that many awarding bodies and organisations are making it compulsory for anybody delivering their qualifications to have the Level 3 Assessor course. So just getting this course under your belt will open doors for you in the education and training field.
If you’re interested in furthering your teaching or training qualifications, we’ve put together a handy blog post on what course to take after the Level 3 AET.
4. Expand the range of subjects you can teach
Expanding the range of subjects you teach, even if you do this in baby steps, is great for growing your repertoire of courses, topics and subjects you can teach.
There are all sorts of ways to do this, but a good place to start is to go and observe another course and offer to sit in and help the trainer. This will not only give you a chance to observe somebody else’s teaching style, but you’ll pick up how things are done and get an insight into how you could start. And don’t be shy. Most teachers or trainers will be very happy for you to help them out.
5. Turbo-boost your employer’s training scheme
Your company probably already has some training at their organisation, even if this is just staff inductions and updates. Teaching in these areas tends to be a bit neglected, often because those tasked with doing them are busy managers with a full workload already.
That’s where you come in and have a look at what you do using the skills you picked up on the AET course. You can spruce things up by organising the training with properly planned teaching and ensuring those taking part can see that they are being well taught.
You’ll increase your status within the company and take a load off your colleague’s shoulders. As well as making yourself useful/indispensable, you’ll boost your firm’s professional standing and improve how things are done.
6. Start working as a teacher or trainer
As the Level 3 Award in Education and Training is a nationally recognised teaching qualification, you can, of course, just jump straight into teaching! With an AET qualification, you can teach in a variety of sectors without needing to continue your education.
What Job Can I Get With The AET?
Now that you have completed your AET, here are potential jobs and roles you might consider:
- Further Education (FE) Teacher: The AET could serve as an entry point to teaching in post-16 education, although it’s worth keeping in mind that many institutions require a higher-level teaching qualification.
- Trainer in the Private Sector: Many businesses hire trainers to educate their employees on specific skills or topics. Having an AET qualification demonstrates foundational knowledge of educational principles, making you a more attractive candidate.
- Community Education Tutor: This entails teaching non-accredited courses in a community setting, such as workshops, hobby classes, or introductory courses.
- Support Tutor: You can work alongside more experienced educators, providing additional support and guidance to learners.
- Online Tutor: With the rise of online education, having an AET could set you up to teach or facilitate online courses, especially if you couple it with subject matter expertise.
- Assessor: Some vocational courses require assessors to evaluate learners’ competency in specific tasks. The AET can be a starting point in this line of work, although you might need assessor qualifications like those mentioned above.
- Learning Mentor: This role involves supporting learners in achieving their academic goals. It’s less about teaching content and more about providing guidance, study techniques, and motivational support.
So, What Can I Do After The Level 3 AET course?
The truth is, there is a wide range of opportunities and jobs available to you now that you have your AET. Whatever you decide to do, please feel free to reach out to the team at Carlton Training for advice on your next steps in becoming a teacher or trainer. We’re more than happy to help!
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