Your career with ACT education

If you’re currently at school and thinking about a teaching career, a first step is to consider what type of teacher you want to be. See our guide to teaching types on Teaching as a career.

You can also find out about the next steps on Pathways to becoming a teacher in the ACT.

If you’re currently studying a teacher education course at a recognised Australian university, there’s support for your next steps to becoming a fully qualified teacher.

We work closely with 5 affiliated universities to promote pathways to becoming a teacher in the ACT. These universities include:

• University of Canberra (UC)
• Australian Catholic University (ANU)
• Charles Sturt University (CSU)
• Swinburne University of Technology (SUT)
• Charles Darwin University (CDU)

Find out more on Pathways to becoming a teacher in the ACT.

If you’re considering a mid-career change to become a teacher, the University of Canberra has developed the School-based Teacher Education Program, or UC STEP, in partnership with ACT Education Directorate.

This program supports your mid-career change into teaching through a Masters of Primary or Masters of Secondary Teaching.

Financial support is available enabling you to focus on your studies, earn money working in an ACT public school, including a $20,000 scholarship.

Find out more about UC STEP on Pathways to becoming a teacher in the ACT.

If you’ve recently graduated and are a new educator entering the teaching profession in an ACT public school, you’ll be supported to succeed through our New Educator Support Program.

New Educator Support Program

Graduate teachers, also known as ‘new educators’, can access the New Educator Support Program. It provides you with targeted support in your first 3 years of teaching, setting you on the path of continual development for your teaching practice.

Here’s what the New Educator Support Program offers.

Induction program

Our 5-day induction program is for new educators who have recently joined the ACT Education Directorate. It assists you to learn the organisation’s formal requirements and rules. The program also provides you with an understanding of informal expectations of colleagues and the community.

Induction is offered twice a year – before the start of the new school year, and mid-year.

School mentoring

Our new educators are supported by an in-school mentor.

Mentors play an essential role in supporting you and your development. They offer both the technical and emotional support to feel more confident as you transition from graduate to proficient teacher.

Our mentors receive training to ensure you receive high quality mentoring support in your school. The supports offered by mentors may include:

• weekly or fortnightly meetings
• classroom observations
• co-planning
• team teaching and moderation.

Reduced teaching hours

New educators have a reduced teaching load for the first 3 years of their career. This time is used flexibly, with details decided by your school so that it meets your individual development needs.

New educators also receive 2 additional 'New Educator Days' each year to attend Professional Learning.

Opt-in coaching

The opt-in Coaching Program provides new educators with a personalised, in-class professional learning experience facilitated by the Directorate. This program complements and builds on the support provided by schools and in-school mentors.

Coaching is for teachers who are willing to agree to a process of change to improve their practice. It is a professional learning strategy using questioning and conversation to support professional growth. You’re encouraged to reflect on and develop your practice using the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Teacher Standards as a framework.

Ongoing professional learning

The New Educator Support Program offers a series of Professional Learning (PL) opportunities over 3 years including:

• 6 full day sessions
• optional afternoon workshops.

The PL series covers topics such as:

• positive behaviours for learning
• inclusion
• trauma informed practice
• explicit instruction
• assessment and reporting
• looking after your wellbeing
• understanding behaviour
• occupational violence
• cultural integrity.

All PL aligns with the Enabling Pedagogies Framework (the Directorate’s pedagogical framework for schools) and the AITSL Teaching Standards.

Support transitioning from graduate to proficient registration

As a graduate you have already met the Graduate Standards. Most teachers then progress to proficient registration over the course of 2 to 3 years while in a full-time teaching role. It may take longer for those employed on a casual, temporary or contract basis.

To progress to proficient registration, you need to be able to demonstrate the proficient level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. This is a school-based process involving support from your mentor, supervisor and school principal.

The ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) conducts several information sessions and workshops for those working towards proficient registration.

The TQI Portal also provides you with further support on your professional journey to full registration.

If you have achieved full registration through the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI), then you’ve met the highest registration level in the ACT.

In the ACT, fully registered teachers are supported to build on existing skills. Find out more about our scholarship program.

ACT Teacher Scholarship Program

The ACT Teacher Scholarship Program provides financial support to ACT teachers and school leaders within the Education Directorate to undertake:

• further education
• training
• research (aligned to current Directorate priorities that will lead to improved student learning outcomes).

Each year the ACT Education Directorate offers the opportunity for teachers and school leaders to study one of 3 streams of teacher scholarships:

• Priority Area Scholarships – funded up to $10,000
• Master of Education (University of Canberra) – fully funded
• Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) – funded up to $22,000.

If you hold a current registration to teach in an Australian state or territory you can apply for the equivalent registration in the ACT. This is through mutual recognition (MR) provisions.

If you are interested in moving to the ACT, you can learn more about the teacher registration process, including assessment criteria, on the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) website.

We will reimburse relocation expenses up to $12,000 for eligible interstate applicants.

If you are interested in working as a teacher in the ACT through a migration pathway, visit the Australian Institute for School Teaching and Leadership (AISTL) website. As part of Australia’s skilled migration program, AITSL assesses the skills of teachers through a skills assessment process.

In the ACT, the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) registration of teachers and an assessment for migration are separate and independent processes. You need to submit all the evidence outlined in the occupation checklists and application guide to both AITSL and TQI as required.

All visa and immigration queries should go to the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs. Their website provides advice about visa and immigration, for example:

• visa type
• points test for skilled migration
• the skilled occupation list.

We provide reimbursement of relocation expenses up to $12,000 for eligible international applicants.

Registered teachers from New Zealand

If you hold a current registration to teach in New Zealand, known as a Practising Certificate, you can apply for the equivalent registration in the ACT. This is through mutual recognition (MR) provisions.

A range of administrative and school support roles are offered in ACT public schools. Find out more on Education careers for non-teaching staff.