A great senior secondary education requires a highly skilled and world-class workforce, including teachers, trainers, and other staff in schools to support vocational and applied learning.
The Department of Education is supporting teachers, trainers, and school staff to develop their expertise in vocational and applied learning.
VET Employment Based Pathways scholarship program
VET trainers who become registered teachers have greater opportunities to progress their careers within the education sector. Applications are open for VET trainers to enrol in courses that provide a pathway to becoming a registered teacher within 2.5 years.
The department is offering fully funded teacher education scholarships at Deakin University through the VET Employment Based Pathways scholarship program. The program covers:
- course fees
- one-on-one mentoring
- time-release.
Scholarships are available for 2 sequential courses:
- Graduate Certificate of Adult, Vocational Education and Training
- Master of Applied Learning and Teaching (Secondary).
Applicants can apply to only one course at a time.
Applicants who complete the Master of Applied Learning and Teaching are eligible to apply to become Victorian Institute of Teaching-registered teacher.
View this video for more information about how the VET Employment Based Pathways scholarship program can help career changers become qualified secondary teachers.
Eligibility and application requirements
The program is open to VET trainers who deliver VET to Victorian government secondary school students and have written endorsement from their principal. VET Trainers delivering one of the core VET certificates will be prioritised.
Interested VET trainers must apply for the course and be accepted by Deakin University to be eligible for a scholarship. Once an application is submitted, Deakin will provide an expression of interest and principal endorsement form to apply for the scholarship program.
For detailed eligibility requirements and application deadlines, refer to the course information below.
TAE Grant Fund 2024
The TAE Grant Fund is available to schools in 2024 to support school staff with vocational competency in one of the core VET certificates to become qualified VET trainers.
Under the TAE Grant Fund 2024, schools can claim reimbursement for up to $1,500 in Skill Set course fees and up to 5 days of casual relief teaching costs not exceeding $2,500. Funds can be claimed per eligible teacher.
Funding for qualified teachers
The TAE Grant fund will support funding for qualified teachers completing core skill sets from the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122).
As of 1 March 2024, teachers with vocational competency no longer need to complete a full TAE40122 to become a qualified VET trainer.
Teachers can now qualify as VET trainers by completing one of following 2 core Skill Sets:
- Assessor Skill Set (3 units), or
- VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set (5 units).
Funding for staff without a teaching qualification
Those without a secondary school teaching qualification will still need to hold a full TAE to become a qualified VET trainer. All non-teaching staff wishing to become VET trainers should complete a TAE40122 via the Free TAFE initiative.
Time release may be available for non-teaching staff to support them to complete the TAE if required. Please contact the Workforce Unit at Vocational.Workforce@education.vic.gov.au to discuss.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the TAE Fund 2024 school staff must:
- have vocational competency and intend to deliver Units of Competency or a certificate from the VDSS core offering
- be employed in a Victorian Government School (either ongoing or fixed term and in either a full-time or part time capacity)
- have their principal’s endorsement
- be willing and able to complete the Skill Set with the intention of delivering VET in a Victorian Government Secondary School, and
- be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
In addition, the school must be able to demonstrate that this teacher undertaking the Skill Set will:
- fill an existing workforce gap
- expand a school or cluster’s VET offering, or
- provide future delivery certainty by building VET teacher and trainer succession planning.
Reimbursement for schools
Schools can claim reimbursement for costs incurred between 1 January 2024 and 30 April 2025 through the Schools Targeted Funding Governance Portal. Costs will only be reimbursed once the teacher has completed the course.
Further information on setting up Initiative Agreements with the department to process claims will be communicated to schools in October 2024.
To claim reimbursement, schools will be required to submit:
- an invoice for the total sum
- evidence of:
- completion of the course
- payment of course fees to an accredited Registered Training Organisation, and
- payment of casual relief teaching costs (if applicable).
Schools will be able to claim reimbursement from the Department in:
- November 2024
- May 2025.
All claims for reimbursement must be submitted by 31 May 2025.
VDSS workforce Gateway pilot
Applications are now open for VET teachers and trainers to join the new Gateway pilot, which will run from Term 4, 2024 through to the end of Term 1, 2025.
The Gateway is a new digital platform that offers VET teachers and trainers access to:
- professional learning opportunities to develop and refresh existing skills as both an educator and industry professional
- guidance on maintaining and demonstrating skills competence and currency
- guidance on how to meet and maintain VET compliance requirements
- industry specific networks of practice
- career progression guidance and opportunities.
To be eligible to participate in the Gateway pilot, applicants must be delivering a VET certificate from the following list:
The Gateway pilot will be delivered in partnership with Chisholm Institute. The digital tool has been adapted from Chisholm’s VET Educator Passport to better suit the needs of those delivering VET in secondary schools.
VET teachers and trainers who want to participate in the pilot program can apply now. Applications close at 5 pm on Wednesday 31 July 2024.
Further information
For further information about the opportunities listed above please, contact the Senior Secondary Pathways Reform Taskforce’s Workforce team by email: vocational.workforce@education.vic.gov.au
VCAA professional learning
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) delivers professional learning to support delivery of the VCE Vocational Major and VPC.
This includes self-guided on-demand courses and Communities of Practice.
Visit the VCAA website to learn more.
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