The field of education involves meeting needs and developing skills in the areas of education, vocation and personal development, as well as identifying future directions in the field and facilitating change. Education is usually associated with teaching, whether at schools or in universities, but it is also relevant to pre-school children as well as adults of any age, and there are many specialist roles and areas of expertise.

In addition to teaching in primary, post-primary and tertiary education contexts, areas of work include special needs or remedial teaching, adult education, educational psychology, TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and careers guidance.

What skills do I need?

A career in education is worth considering if you enjoy communicating and have a genuine interest in helping people to develop their potential at a range of different levels. Other important qualities include creativity, organisational skills, flexibility, the ability to work in a team and, depending on the area you work in, an enthusiasm for and in-depth knowledge of a specific subject. If you are passionate about a particular subject, teaching could be an excellent choice for you.

Career prospects and salaries

Starting salaries differ widely between different areas of education, but prospects for promotion in all fields are good. The starting salary for primary and post-primary teachers in Ireland is €26,109 with extra allowances depending upon the level of qualification obtained; in Northern Ireland the starting salary is £18,105.

Lecturers in third-level education begin somewhere between €27,000 to €34,000 or £18,225 to £25,451 in Northern Ireland. Educational psychologists can earn between €34,679 and €46,018 or £27,000 to £40,000 depending upon experience.

Adult education is such a varied field that it is difficult to sum up career paths and salary details. To give some examples, in Ireland the starting salary for an adult literacy organiser or community education facilitator would be €35,259 and for an adult education organiser €42,027.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements vary according to the specific area of education and country worked in, but most roles require some kind of specialist training. The majority of teachers in schools need a recognised basic teaching qualification, which can be taken at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

To work in remedial or special needs teaching requires a relevant specialist qualification, which is often taken after an initial teaching qualification and a minimum amount of teaching experience in schools. Various qualifications are available for those wishing to work as careers guidance counsellors. Educational psychologists normally take a first degree in psychology, a teacher training qualification and a masters in educational psychology.

At third-level education in-depth subject knowledge is essential, normally through attaining a doctorate; a formal teaching qualification is not always required, however. Holding a postgraduate course in adult education will enable appointment to important organisational roles.

Further information

For more information see the gradireland Teaching & Education sector career guide, available to download from our Publications page.