Aspiring Riverina teachers will be given on-the-job training in local public schools while studying their education degree under a new, two-year pilot program to attract and retain local teachers.

The Public Teaching Hub has been established in partnership with the University of NSW and modelled on the Alphacrucis Teaching Hub, to attract Riverina locals to pursue a career in education by offering two pathways to their degree: an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) pathway in 2023 and a vocational (VET) teacher's aide pathway in 2024.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the program was one of the ways the NSW Government was investing in growing the next generation of teachers.

“This is a great opportunity to give our aspiring regional teachers the opportunity to stay in their communities and work in their local schools,” Mr Toole said.

“While this program will be piloted in the Riverina, it has potential to be rolled out to regional public schools right across the state.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the program would give teaching students a guaranteed permanent teaching job in a local public school at the end of their degree.

“This is an exciting new model we are launching in the Riverina region, where teaching students will be employed in public schools and receive real-world, in-classroom learning while studying their degree,” Ms Mitchell said.

“This program will see new teachers trained in schools in their home town and be offered jobs in those schools once they are qualified.

“There are many benefits to recruiting teachers from regional communities and I encourage those looking to study an education degree in the Riverina to apply.”

The pilot will support 10 ITE students to receive a double degree including a Bachelor of Education or a Master of Teaching (Secondary) through UNSW in 2023, and 10 VET students to achieve a Certificate III or IV in School-Based Education Support through Alphacrucis University College in 2024.

While undertaking their studies, teaching students will be employed as educational paraprofessionals working part-time in a teaching hub school.

Students looking to achieve a Bachelor degree will also be supported by a school-based mentor.

This pilot program is in addition to the $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy to boost the supply of teachers in NSW.

Applications for the ITE pathway of the Public Teaching Hub are now open and close on 13 November 2022. For more details, visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/teach-nsw/get-paid-to-study/riverina-teaching-hub-program