The program will enable rural and regional education support staff—who are employed in various roles such as teaching assistants, integration aides, and cultural liaison officers—to pursue a full teaching qualification and help combat the Australia-wide issue of teacher shortages.
Minister for Education Ben Carroll launched the $13.9 million initiative last week to trial undergraduate-level employment-based teaching degrees to upskill staff working in Victorian government secondary and specialist schools.
“The Allan Labor Government is proud to invest $13.9 million, so our outstanding Education Support staff have the support they need to pursue rewarding teaching careers,” he said.
“The undergraduate level employment-based teaching degree initiative opens up teaching to a broader pool of diverse candidates by supporting staff to gain teaching qualifications while working in our schools.”
The innovative and tailored program, set to start in 2025, will be delivered by Federation University Australia and La Trobe University and will support people in studying and qualifying as teachers while undertaking paid employment.
Participants will be supported with Department of Education-funded living expenses scholarships, relocation incentives, and mentoring support. In the final years of the program, they will be eligible to start teaching as paraprofessionals.
Both universities’ programs will focus on supporting participation by Education Support staff in rural and regional Victoria. At the same time, La Trobe University’s program will encourage participation from Koorie Education Support Officers.
The new undergraduate-level employment-based teaching degrees will further expand Victoria’s nation-leading suite of employment-based teaching degrees – known as the Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow programs, currently available to postgraduate students.
