Become a Design, Engineering & Technology teacher
Teaching Design, Engineering and Technology in Scotland means spending every day designing, making and solving problems with young people – and helping them find careers they never knew existed.
SCALE 1:1
DETTeacher
SubjectTechnological Education
RoutesDegree or one-year PGDE
BursaryUp to £12,500 (2026/27)
SheetTeach DET
01Why teach DET?
Scottish schools need Design, Engineering and Technology teachers. It is a practical, creative job where no two lessons are the same.
Reason 01
Workshops, CAD suites and design studios are your classroom. You teach pupils to sketch, model, machine and build – and you keep learning new skills yourself.
Reason 02
From CAD and 3D printing to electronics and engineering, you open doors to apprenticeships, college and university for every kind of learner.
Reason 03
Technological Education is a bursary subject for eligible career changers, and new teachers get a guaranteed one-year probation post through the Teacher Induction Scheme.
BGE to Advanced Higher
Technologies in the Broad General Education (S1–S3)
Graphic Communication
Design and Manufacture
Engineering Science
Practical Woodworking
Practical Metalworking
Practical Electronics
SCQF level 6
Engineering
Civil Engineering
Creative and Digital Media
Delivered with local colleges and employers, often in S5 and S6.
National Progression Awards
NPA Engineering
NPA Construction Skills
Short, practical awards that build skills for further study and work.
Creative and STEM courses
Daydream Believers Creative Thinking Qualification (SCQF levels 5 and 6)
STEM Racing (formerly F1 in Schools)
Clubs, competitions and enterprise projects
Probation year
Salary for your probation year, with a guaranteed post through the Teacher Induction Scheme.
Main grade teacher
Once fully registered, you move up the main scale each year.
Principal teacher
Lead a department or faculty, with promoted posts beyond that.
Salaries from 1 August 2026 under the national pay agreement. Check the EIS or SNCT for the latest figures.
02Qualifications
To teach Technological Education in a Scottish school you must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). These are the minimum entry requirements for a teacher training course.
01
A UK degree (or equivalent) with at least 80 SCQF credit points relevant to Technological Education, at least 40 of them at SCQF level 8 or above.
02
For example mechanical, electrical or electronic engineering, mechatronics, architecture, construction technology or building services.
03
For example computer-aided design, graphic design, CAD/CAM, industrial design or product design. You also need to show you can develop practical skills.
04
Higher English (SCQF level 6) and National 5 Mathematics (SCQF level 5), at grade C or above, or equivalent.
05
Complete a GTCS-accredited course (a one-year PGDE or a teaching degree), join the PVG scheme, then do your probation year to gain full GTCS registration.
Summarised from the GTCS Memorandum on Entry Requirements (September 2024). Universities may ask for more, so always check the course page. Visit the GTCS website ↗
03Teacher training
Three Scottish universities train Design, Engineering and Technology teachers. Check each course page for dates, fees and how to apply.
PGDE Secondary: Technological Education · BSc (Hons) Education & Curricular Studies with Teaching Qualification
A one-year PGDE for graduates, with 18 weeks in school, or a four-year degree that starts with an engineering HND at college.
MDTechEd Design & Technology Education
Scotland’s integrated Masters for technology teachers: you qualify to teach at the end of year 4. The course page says it is not taking applications for 2026 entry, so check it for later years.
PGDE Secondary: Design and Technology
A one-year PGDE at the Moray House School of Education and Sport, split between the university and placements in schools.