Post Compulsory Education & Training (PCET) - PGCE/PCE

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Our PGCE and PCE PCET programmes at Cardiff Met are well recognised and valued within the sector and provide you with a nationally recognised, professional teaching experience which will qualify you to explore a range of teaching careers in a variety of post-16 settings including Further and Higher Education, youth work provision, adult and community education, 14-19 sector, work-based education including apprenticeships, training in HM Forces, prison education, industry and commercial training departments. Our programmes are also designed to support you if you wish to teach vocational subjects e.g., Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Journalism and Media & Communications. There are two courses available depending on your existing qualifications, which are aligned with the Welsh Government and Education Training Foundation Professional Teaching Standards: Professional Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) PCET Professional Certificate of Education (PCE) PCET The PGCE PCET is for graduates who want to teach their degree subject or any subject in which they are qualified to Level 3 or above. Graduates should also be teaching or actively seeking teaching in the post-compulsory sector of education and training. The PCE PCET is for students who have a Level 3 qualification and also experience working in the sector and wish to further their experience in their subject area by teaching in the PCET or lifelong learning and skills sector. Graduate and non-graduate entrants will follow the same learning pattern and assessments in Year 1, but, in compliance with the requirements of QAA, will be assessed at the differentiated levels for undergraduate study in Year 2. We also offer a 10-week short course Preparing to Teach in PCET, which starts on either Friday 16th January or Monday 26th January 2026. This course provides you with the skills and confidence, as well as a teaching toolkit to start your journey teaching in post-16 education. The Preparing to Teach in PCET short course is accredited at Level 4 and provides the minimum teaching qualification required to comply with EWC registration. Our PCET graduates have had great success securing part or full-time teaching in the PCET sector, usually teaching their subject as well as other subject related areas. All graduates are signposted to Cardiff Met’s Widening Access department as potential adult education tutors for outreach and summer school activities, as well as signposting to Adult Learning Wales and ACT Training for additional teaching opportunities.