Qualifications in Further Education and Skills Teaching

New Level 5 full FE teaching qualification

A new framework for a level 5 qualification to replace the Diploma in Education & Training (DET) has been produced by the ITE Forum. Qualifications produced under the framework will be titled ‘Diploma in Teaching (FE & Skills)’ and will be specified and offered by Awarding Organisations at level 5, and by Higher Education Institutions at levels 5, 6 and 7.

In January 2024 the DfE, in its Further Education (FE) Initial Teacher Training (ITT) reform Government consultation response, stated the following:

“We will now update the eligibility for student support funding for FE ITT courses, effective from academic year 2024 to 2025. Only those trainees at English higher education providers with degree awarding powers, or their validated partners (including FE colleges), will be eligible to receive student support funding for FE ITT courses.”

See more on page 19 of the Government consultation response.

This means that from 1 Sept 2024, Awarding Body DiT (or any other FE ITE) programmes will no longer be eligible for student support funding.

Extant programmes which started before 1 September 2024 and continue to run past this date will be unaffected and continue as DET programmes, but all new HEI programmes from this date will need to meet the new qualification framework to be eligible for public funding.

Download: Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) – Qualification framework

Update to Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) Qualification framework for the full teaching qualification for the further education and skills sector:

The December 2023 update to the Framework does not change the content of the document but simply reflects some textual corrections and an amendment to a job title. 

Please note, an earlier version of this Framework document had a typographical error on page 4: the launch date for the new qualification is September 2024, not 2023 as stated in a previous version, and options units wrongly stated as 50 credits. These errors are now corrected in the version above and we apologise for any confusion.

Additional information

View the ITE Framework video below for more information on the new framework and its implications.

Additonal guidance to support the qualification framework for the Diploma in Teaching (FE & Skills)

This document includes a discussion of the Core Unit structure and some useful references for the programme and is downloadable here.

Additional advice on SEND and the Diploma in Teaching (DiT)

We have now issued additional advice related to the application of the DiT to teacher trainees in the SEND area which is downloadable here.

FE teaching qualification programmes up to 1 September 2024

Existing qualifications will still run as part of the Education & Training suite – the Award, Certificate and Diploma – read the updated qualification specification.

Minimum Core 

For everything relating to the Minimum Core, please see the Minimum Core page.

Please address any queries to enquiries@etfoundation.co.uk.