Join us on our mission to inspire

Founded in 1903, the WEA is the UK’s largest adult education charity. Our mission is to bring education within reach.

We deliver life-changing learning across England and Scotland. Whether it’s courses that provide basic maths, English and IT skills for employment; or learning to improve health and wellbeing; creative programmes to broaden horizons, or community engagement activities that encourage active citizenship. Here at the WEA, there really is something for everyone  
 
We believe that all adults, regardless of situation, should have access to education. We are committed to supporting our learner, inspiring them to reach their personal aspirations, encouraging them to apply their learning to their communities and the wider world. 

Want to help us bring education within reach? Then apply for one of our roles.

WEA Why work for us

Make a difference

My tutor Nusrat always believed in me and coached my development.
Her positive impact on my life cannot be overstated

Selma,
WEA learner

Assessed ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2018, we have classes in almost every area of England and Scotland. 

Our staff are dedicated to bringing high quality education into the heart of communities. We are proud that 98% of our learners are satisfied with their learning experience and 96% of our teaching sessions meet or exceed learners’ expectations. 

Don’t just take it from us, hear what our learners have to say. (Check out our Inspiring stories pages).

Morag tells us of her experience, ‘I felt confident starting my job, knowing I had learnt so much from the WEA course, and I was able to put my new skills into practice’.  

Join us as we continue to open doors through adult education, improve social mobility, and build a future where everyone realises their full potential. 

Staff benefits

At the WEA we are proud to offer a great employment package that includes good terms & conditions and pension schemes, flexibility in our approach, family-friendly initiatives, development opportunities, and services to support your health and wellbeing.  

Our diverse job opportunities include a wide range of benefits including: 

  • Generous annual leave allowance (30 days, plus bank holidays for full-time staff), including Christmas/New Year closure; 
  • Agile working opportunities; 
  • Pension scheme membership to provide benefits for you and your family; 
  • Life assurance cover;
  • Well-being programme with Employee Assistance Programme, counselling and Mental Health First Aiders across the association;
  • Learning and development opportunities; 
  • Cycle to Work Scheme; 
  • Eye care vouchers; 
  • Staff recognition schemes; 
  • Staff discounts on a range of products and services including travel and high street savings.

Career development opportunities

Since education is what we do, we care deeply about career and personal development. You’ll benefit from:  

  • a structured induction programme for new starters, to make you feel welcome and part of our team. 
  • an annual performance and development review, to help identify your career aspirations and structure your individual development plan; 
  • mentoring opportunities to support your career development; 
  • diverse job opportunities, giving you great flexibility in choosing a career path to suit your changing interests and ambitions.

Work-life balance

Should you have family/caring responsibilities, we have a whole package of family-friendly policies that provide for flexible working, additional paid maternity and paternity leave, and leave for family emergencies.  

Colleagues are welcome to ask about flexible working opportunities during the recruitment process. We support a wide range of flexible working opportunities including job shares, part-time working, term time only working and homeworking. 

Applying for a vacancy at the WEA

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. An organisation where our staff and learners can work and study in an environment that is supportive and inclusive, and in doing so, recruit the best candidates from all backgrounds and identities. 

We welcome applications irrespective of people’s age, disability, sex, gender identity or gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, neurodivergence or other personal circumstances.  

We will continue to work towards the ‘good work plan reforms,’ ensuring greater transparency and protection for staff working under more flexible working arrangements.  

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is a key part of our strategy and a central part of everything we do. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process. This includes the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neurodivergent. Please contact the Shared Services Team at [email protected] for further information. 

We are a Disability Confident employer and recognises and celebrates good practice in recruiting and supporting disabled applicants. We have also signed up to Investors in Diversity accreditation a national framework for improving FREDIE practices within the workplace. We are also Investors in People, holding a silver accreditation. If needed, you can download our recruitment privacy policy.