To work as an adult and vocational education teacher, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree;
• have work experience in the area you are teaching; and
• have a teaching license if you want to teach high school students.

Education after high school

Most adult and vocational education teachers have at least two years of education beyond high school. The exact length and type of training required varies by state and by the subject or trade being taught. While many adult vocational education teachers do not have advanced degrees, some may have as high as a doctoral degree (PhD). Most have a bachelor's degree. In general, they rely on their work experience to teach others a trade.

If you would like to teach in a high school, you need at least a bachelor's degree and a teaching license. Most schools require adult basic education teachers to also have specialized training in adult basic education.

To teach at a four-year college or university, you need a master's or doctoral degree (PhD). You also need work experience. A bachelor's or master's degree may qualify you to teach at a two-year college.

Work experience

Many adult vocational education teachers have many years of experience in the field they teach. For example, you can teach others to become plumbers through an apprenticeship program. However, first you need to work for many years as a plumber.

Military training

The military trains people to be training specialists and instructors. Training lasts two to 14 weeks, depending on the specialty.