college technical or vocational instructor
National Occupation Classification Code: 4131
OCCUPATION INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Can I practice as a College, Technical or Vocational Instructor right away?
- What are the duties for this occupation?
- What titles or specialization areas correspond to this occupation?
- Start Your Path to Becoming an Instructor
Can I practice as a College, Technical or Vocational Instructor right away?
Yes and no. With the required educational and work experience requirements, individuals are able to apply for jobs directly with institutes that provide academic or vocational instruction. Instructors are encouraged to have an Alberta teaching certificate or formal training with an adult education program.
Technical, trade and vocational instructors should have expertise in their field of instruction. Most have professional work experience prior or during their teaching position. Technical institutes may require their instructors to have technical certification or a license for their particular field of expertise.
What are the duties for this occupation?
College, technical and vocational instructors teach adult students in public colleges, vocational colleges and technical institutes. They educate, upgrade or retrain their students in a specific field.
Instructors develop curriculum following the program guidelines of the college or technical institute. They research; keep up-to-date on trends and establish/maintain contacts with industrial or business sectors. Attending and perhaps speaking at workshops, seminars and refresher courses are also necessary for instructors to remain current in both their field of expertise and in the trends of educating adult students.
In the classroom, instructors deliver comprehensive sessions, tutorials, exams and assignments using a variety of instructional techniques (lectures, demonstrations, laboratory work, field assignments).
Some of the non-instructional duties that instructors perform include: preparing teaching materials/handouts; marking exams and assignments; setting up audio-video equipment used during lecture time; and providing counsel to students who may need extra help or guidance on an assignment.
Types of courses that are taught:
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What titles or specialization areas correspond to this occupation?
Job titles or specialization areas in Alberta are as following:
*College, Vocational or Technical Teacher
*College, Vocation or Technical Trainer
*Training Representative
*Private Trainer/Facilitator
Start Your Path to Becoming an Instructor
Depending on the college or technical institute that you may wish to apply with, you may need either an Alberta Teaching certificate, a certification in your area of expertise or both.
Application criteria for the Alberta Teaching certificate:
1. 4 years of university education inclusive of a degree and a basic teacher preparation program from an institution acceptable to the Alberta Minister of Learning.
2. Evidence of valid certification as issued by the certifying authority in both the jurisdiction where the teacher was trained and the jurisdiction where the teacher last taught.
For further details and application forms, please view Alberta Learning’s Requirements for Teacher Certification in Alberta.
If you are deemed qualified to teach in Alberta, you will receive the Alberta Interim Professional Certificate. After teaching within Alberta’s school system for a minimum of two years, you may apply to have your teaching certificate made permanent.