How to be a FP teacher: everything we need to know about it

Education is the most rewarding professional sector as it allows us to be involved in the training of hundreds of young people throughout our careers. However, we may be interested not in elementary school, high school, or college, but in something much more practical. In that sense, do we really know how to be a VET teacher? At the International University of Valencia (VIU), we want to explain it.

What is PF?

Vocational training, better known simply by the acronym FP, is part of our education system. There is mostly practical in nature and is located very close to businesses. Its aim is to give students the tools they need to develop a particular profession in the labor market. That is, train them.

Currently there are more than 160 degrees divided into 26 educational families for vocational training in Spain. In each of them we can find the following levels:

• Further Vocational Training (FPGS): Allows the student to obtain a higher technical degree. Entry requirements for these courses are very similar to those at university.
• Intermediate Vocational Training (FPGM): Gives access to the technical title. Students can enroll after completing secondary education.
• Basic Vocational Training (FPB): It is intended for those who are struggling to pass secondary education and are looking for an opportunity to quickly enter the labor market. Offers the opportunity to obtain major professional titles.

How to be a VET teacher and requirements to consider

The characteristics of vocational training courses require teaching staff to meet a number of specific requirements. But before we get into them, we want to talk about the ones that need to be considered general character teacher candidates of this type:

• You are over 18 years of age and have not reached the maximum limit specified in the invitation. It is usually set at age 65.
• Be a Spanish citizen or, failing that, of any other country of the European Union or with which Spain has cooperation agreements in educational matters.
• In case the candidate wants to apply to be a FP teacher in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Galicia or the Basque Country, prove that they know the co-official language.
• Not suffer from a physical or mental limitation or illness incompatible with the development of the tasks of a vocational teacher.
• Not to have been disqualified from public service or to have been separated from it through disciplinary proceedings.

What specific requirements must graduates meet to be VET teachers?

First of all, we need to talk about the training that candidates for vocational training instructors need. All must hold the following academic titles:

• College Career: The applicant must have a higher education related to the study cycle in which he is interested.
• Master of Teacher Education: The law requires graduates to have this training to teach in any private or public center.

However, the master’s degree we just discussed can be validated in some cases. For example, those who received Certificate of Pedagogical Competency (CAP) before the law change that made it mandatory, they didn’t have to take it. The same happens to those who completed pedagogy, teaching, psychopedagogy or similar degrees before 1 October 2009. The same happens to those who taught for two full academic years or in intermittent periods separated by 12 months before September 2008 Mr.

How to be a FP teacher without a university degree?

As we said, vocational training is extremely practical in nature. For this reason, the legislation provides that candidates can work as teachers in a training cycle you don’t need a college degree. Of course, before that they had to pass the FPGS, which is the highest level of vocational training qualifications.

But How to be a FP teacher with an advanced degree? In this case, applicants cannot be required to have completed a Masters in Education as they may not have a university degree to give them access. However, there is an official Certificate of Pedagogical and Didactic Training (COPPD, better known as “CAP de FP”).

In turn, each autonomous community may require compliance with a certain number additional specific requirements. This is the case, for example, with the command of a co-official language. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the candidate read the invitation carefully before registering. The normal thing is that a citizen of Extremadura has no real possibilities to access a position as a FP teacher in Catalonia or Galicia, for example.

What are the job opportunities as a VET teacher?

It is likely that many of those who read us meet all the requirements that we mentioned earlier. So now it’s time to talk about professional opportunities that they have at their disposal.

public education

No doubt it is the most attractive option for aspiring VET teachers. However, it is also one of the most complex and requires the greatest sacrifices and efforts. After all, they obligates to approve opposition. This consists of:

• Written test: When the student is in the exam room, an “innocent hand” will draw several balls at random (usually five). Each of them will have a number that will correspond to a chapter of the agenda. The candidate will have to choose the one they prefer and develop it in writing.
• Practical exercise: In this case, the candidate will consider an issue related to the field of vocational training in which he wishes to work. You should resolve it successfully. It is customary to conduct this test after the previous one, that is, without days off.

Both parts of the exam must be passed. In some places it is not necessary, however, it is required that the average between the two ratings reaches 5. Similarly, it is common to establish minimums (the most common is 2.5).

If the candidate passes, he will proceed to the next phase. Specifically, it consists of a presentation of a didactic program. During its course, the court will assess the mastery of the used teaching technique and pedagogical skills.

If the student passes all the tests, his grade will be calculated. An average grade. To it will be added the merits that can be justified (certain level of English language proficiency, higher education, work experience, etc.). With all of this you will get your final score which will be the one that will compete within the court.

The normal thing is that Each court allocates a certain number of seats. If the applicant is in third position and awarded five FP teaching positions, they will start working in a community center when the course starts in September. Otherwise, you need to register in the temporary bag.

The a bag of interns It has a clear function: to cover sick leave, retirement and death of active public teaching staff. For example, imagine a woman who has just given birth and therefore will not be able to work as a professional teacher for the next 5-6 months. Her post can’t remain vacant that long, but she can’t be replaced by a tenured teacher either. In this case, someone who passed the opposition but did not get a civil servant position will be called.

It should be remembered that not having a place the first time is not the end of the world. At least until the candidate has access to the intermediate bag. You will have two years in which you can be called, achieve experience and raise your merit scale faced with the following oppositions.

Private or coordinated education

doHow to be a VET teacher for early childhood education or of another kind, without presenting ourselves to opposition? It’s something simpler or more complex, depending on how you look at it.

It is true that in order to work in a private or coordinated VT center, they will not want us to have approved an opposition. However, recruitment criteria it depends on each one. They are not regulated by law other than compliance with the basic and specific requirements mentioned above.

Therefore, anyone who wants to work as a teacher in a private or joint center as a vocational teacher should apply sending your CV when a selection process opens. The same thing that happens in every company in the labor market. Once you do, you will have to compete with the other candidates who are also doing it. In this sense, training and experience play a very important role.

After all, we already know how to be a VET teacher both in the public and private sectors. Likewise, we know the steps to follow whether we have a college degree or not. At VIU, we would like to invite all our readers to check out our distance learning courses and other related topics as they can help you make a difference and achieve your goals.