What can you do with an education degree?

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying an education degree

Knowledge and skills

Your studies will provide a broad range of skills of value to employers:

excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
resilience and self-discipline
development of critical thinking and understanding of theory
problem-solving and flexibility within work-based learning and related experiences
teamwork and leadership skills through group projects
researching, analysing and evaluating data through seminar work and independent assignments
time management and organisational skills through juggling different module assessment requirements and work-based learning alongside studies
emotional intelligence
written communication through report writing and presenting
planning and project management through independent research tasks.

Career options

15 months after graduating*

94% of our education graduates are in work or further study

89% of our graduates said their current activity is meaningful

75% of graduates say they used their skills they learnt during their studies in their current activity

Studying education at the University will open a wide range of career choices. One of the most obvious routes is teaching, whether as a primary or secondary school teacher, lecturer or adult educator. Depending on your level of education, you may need to gain some further qualifications, such as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Primary/Secondary education or a Teaching English as a Foreign Language qualification (TEFL) if you would like to teach abroad. There are lots of helpful pathways into teaching if you want to come back to it later in your career.

This versatile degree will equip you with a range of useful skills that are highly regarded by employers in job sectors as diverse as IT, local councils/support services and marketing, so if teaching isn’t for you, don’t worry! Your ability to research and articulate key information to others during the degree could lead to you working as a private tutor, researcher or careers adviser. Play therapy, family support work and youth work could also be interesting routes to take if you are motivated by making a difference in the lives of young people. It is worth bearing in mind that your skills and knowledge can be used in a range of settings not only away from the teaching environment but in entirely different job sectors.

*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2019/20 – 2021/22. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.

Researching your career options

With such a wide range of careers open to you as an Education graduate, it is important to make sure you explore and research your options thoroughly so that you can make informed decisions about your future.

Take a look at the Careers Service, Prospects, TargetJobs and other websites for inspiration:

South West employment and employers
The South West is an excellent place to start your career as a graduate as many of the UK leading companies have a base in Devon, Somerset, Bristol and Cornwall.

Here are some examples of major employers within the south-west region; however there are many more large companies and SMEs eager to recruit graduates:

Professional bodies
Joining or following a professional body can be an effective way to find out about opportunities, news and recent changes within the sector:

Department for Education
Ofsted
Society for Education and Teaching (SET)
Teaching Regulation Agency
The Teachers' Union (NASUWT)
Children’s Commissioner for England
Department for Education
National Education Union (NEU) – National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) combined
UCAS

Employment opportunities

Below is a snapshot of what some of the University of Plymouth’s education graduates told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates, these jobs serve as ‘stepping-stones’ to professional posts by providing relevant workplace experience.

Associate Teacher
Deputy Manager
Early Years Practitioner
Learning Coach
Primary School Teacher

Primary School Teaching Assistant
Recruitment Consultant
Sociology Lecturer
Supply Teacher
Writing Mentor

Employers

Babcock International
Belong Learning
Bishops Tawton Primary School
Cornwall College
Marine Academy Primary
Orchard Primary School
Princess Frederica Primary School

Salutem Care And Education
Shiphay Learning Academy
St Barnabas Multi-Academy Trust
Teacher Active
Teaching Personnel
University Of Plymouth
Wroughton Primary School

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying an education degree

Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with an education degree and learn how you can stand out to graduate employers.

We encourage you to:

undertake career planning and research
build your networks, meet employers and graduates
gain essential work experience during your course
attend career fairs and events
continually develop your skills and knowledge
get involved with relevant clubs and societies
visit the Careers Service for advice.

Further study

Some of the careers chosen by Education graduates will require – or benefit from – further study, so this should be considered carefully. The University of Plymouth offers the following postgraduate study options that could be of interest to education graduates:

You should consider the financial implications of further study as well as selecting a programme that suits your interests, learning style and future career direction. The following websites are a good starting point for exploring postgraduate options, but you may also benefit from talking to a Careers Consultant about your personal circumstances and situation.

It is also worth investigating what

further study options the University has to offer

as you may find the perfect course for yourself in an institution you already know. There are also sometimes financial benefits of staying on such as a fee discount to Alumni –

find out your funding options

Careers Service support

Accessing support from the Careers Service couldn’t be easier; come along to the Careers Service Helpdesk in the

Student Hub

or access

24/7 online resources

A wide range of support is available from skills workshops to events, placements and internships advice, 1-2-1 appointments and help getting started with LinkedIn.

Our bite-sized Skills Workshops can give your career the boost it needs. Choose from a range of topics:

effective career planning
job hunting techniques
finding part-time work
CVs and interviews
mastering LinkedIn
and more.

Workshops are delivered by the Careers Service; however, they are also an opportunity to learn from your peers, share experiences and ask questions. Visit myCareer to see the full range of activities and to book your place.

Connect with graduates

Build your network and job sector knowledge using LinkedIn’s alumni tool. This will allow you to see the career journeys of graduates from your programme, the qualifications they completed, the skills they developed and the employers they worked for. You can then ‘connect’ with people of interest.

search LinkedIn for ‘University of Plymouth’
select ‘Alumni’
filter the results by subject, sector, company or location.

For more information about the alumni tool, select the LinkedIn alumni tool guide. If you are looking for help with setting up or learning how to make the most out of your LinkedIn profile, select the LinkedIn guide for students or

come to one of our workshops

Other advice and guidance

Gaining work experience

Undertaking work experience in your first and second years will help you stand out from the crowd when the time comes for you to complete applications for graduate employment and further study. Work experience develops valuable skills and qualities that employers are looking for and is essential for many roles. It can also help you to confirm or rule out particular career choices. Furthermore, experience in the workplace can bring you into contact with people who may be able to assist you at the beginning of your career. The Careers Service regularly advertise roles on myCareer and have initiatives you can apply for, such as student ambassador work, placements, micro-internships and other fantastic opportunities!

Find out more about placements and work experience

You have plenty of options open to you. You could work part-time around your studies, undertake volunteering or approach organisations directly to negotiate short periods of work experience. Some organisations offer paid internships over the summer or of one year’s duration.

The University of Plymouth Students’ Union offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities.

Tutor and academic support

Your tutor and other academic staff are an excellent source of support for your career development. They will have experience and contacts across industry and academia, so definitely approach them for advice and insights into careers you are considering. Your tutor will ultimately write references for your employment or further study applications, so establishing a positive relationship with this person is invaluable.

Clubs and societies

Participating in a sport or society shows employers you are engaged and can seek out opportunities. It also helps you improve your teamwork, communication and negotiation skills. Committee members can develop leadership, diplomacy and organisational skills and will gain experience of meetings, handling funds and society promotion.

You may choose to join a society that is specifically linked to your studies or take the opportunity to explore the university’s wide range of clubs, societies and sports, all of which can help you to broaden your horizons and explore new interests.