College Instructor

Job Duties

College instructors teach applied arts, academic, technical and vocational subjects to students at community colleges, technical and vocational institutes and language schools. You may also develop courses and/or deliver training for private training companies, community agencies, language schools or government agencies. You may specialize in a particular field of study.

Generally, college instructors:

• Teach and supervise students using lectures, demonstrations, discussion groups, laboratory workshop sessions, seminars, case studies, field assignments and independent or group projects.
• Develop curriculum and prepare teaching materials and course outlines.
• Prepare, administer and mark tests and papers to evaluate students' progress.
• Provide consultation services to government, business or other organizations.
• Provide individual tutorial or remedial instruction to students who require it.
• Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work or hands-on training.
• Supervise teaching assistants. 

Source: HRSDC

Job Requirements

Education

This job requires: Post-Graduate

Comparison with other jobs in this profession

Job	Level of Education Required
College Instructor	Post-Graduate
Early Childhood Educator Assistant	College or University
Student Advisor	College or University
Private Tutor	College or University

Experience

This job requires 2 - 5 years of work experience.

Comparison with other jobs in this profession

Job	Years of Work Experience Required
College Instructor	2 - 5
Early Childhood Educator Assistant	0 - 2
Student Advisor	2 - 5
Private Tutor	2 - 5

Source: HRSDC

Essential Skills

As a college instructor, you need to:

• Speak, read and write English.
• Have up-to-date knowledge in your area of expertise.
• Understand current learning theories.
• Prepare and plan course outlines, including learning objectives and evaluation criteria.
• Use word processing, database, spreadsheet, presentation, internet, and email software.
• Use software such as Blackboard or WebCT to post lecture notes, assignments and supplementary material for students.

Source: Ontario Skills Passport

Language Skills

You need to communicate in person, on the phone and in writing with students and co-workers. You need to develop written and oral learning materials and instruct, mentor and counsel students. You also need to interact with colleagues, including other instructors, supervisors and administrative staff.

Labour Market Information

Trends

There is demand for college instructors because of the need to provide individuals with updated and specialized skills. While most opportunities arise within the educational sector, there will be opportunities in the private sector as well. However, with recent changes in government spending, the demand for continuing education services and attendance rate of young people, the number of college instructors is expected to slightly decrease over the next few years. 

Prospects

The work prospects for this job are: FAIR

Comparison with other jobs in this profession

Job	Work Prospects
College Instructor	Fair
Early Childhood Educator Assistant	Good
Student Advisor	Fair
Private Tutor	No Data

Wages

The average hourly wage for this job is: C$32.31/hour.

Comparison with other jobs in this profession

Job	Average Wage/Hour
College Instructor	$32.31
Early Childhood Educator Assistant	$16.41
Student Advisor	$30.00
Private Tutor	$0.00

Source: Job Bank

Retraining

Educational Programs

These links will give you a list of related educational programs or where you can search for them. There may be other schools that have similar programs, such as private career colleges. You may be able to get advanced standing.

• Related programs at Ontario colleges
• Search for related programs at Canadian universities

Bridging Programs

Here is a list of some bridging programs. These programs can help you assess your education and skills, get practical training or improve your language skills so that you can work in your field.

• College Teacher Training for Internationally-Educated Professionals - George Brown College
• See more bridging programs for teachers

Language Training

Here is a list of some language training programs:

• Specialized Language Training Programs

Work Experience Programs

Many college programs in this field include co-operative (co-op) work experience.

Voluntary Membership Opportunities

• The Institute for Performance and Learning

• Local Chapters

Helpful Links

• Career Map for Teachers
• Information for Internationally-Trained Elementary School Teachers
• Information for Internationally-Trained Secondary School Teachers
• Ontario College of Teachers
  • Registration Requirements for Internationally-Educated Teachers
• Ontario Community Colleges

The data in this profile is provided for informational purposes only. Some of the information may have changed since this profile was written. Please check the source for the most up-to-date information.