Rural Professional Experience Program

Bachelor of Education students and Master of Teaching students completing a penultimate or final year professional experience placement and who meet the eligibility requirements can apply for the Rural Professional Experience program.

Participation in the Rural Professional Experience Program depends on your university’s partnership arrangements. Please contact your university’s education or professional experience team to confirm whether they are a participating partner and to discuss your eligibility.

As part of the Rural Professional Experience Program, participants are expected to successfully complete a regional, rural or remote NSW public school professional experience placement, adhere to the NSW Department of Education’s Code of Conduct and relevant professional standards and actively engage with the school and local community. Participants are also encouraged to consider future employment or professional opportunities in regional, rural and remote NSW public schools.

The Rural Professional Experience Program will run for the same duration as the professional experience placement arranged by your university. As professional experience placement lengths vary between institutions, please confirm the exact timeframe with your university’s professional experience team.

Rural Professional Experience Program locations vary and are determined in consultation with participating universities. Opportunities are available across NSW, aligned with local school needs and university arrangements. Participants can explore potential locations by visiting the Choose Rural information pages.

No. Accommodation is organised and fully funded by the NSW Department of Education. The program team will manage all accommodation arrangements for the duration of your professional experience placement.

Yes. Your completed and successful participation counts toward your required professional experience placement days and operates in the same manner as any other professional experience placement. The key distinction is that it is undertaken in a regional, rural or remote NSW public school.

Participants receive comprehensive support throughout the Rural Professional Experience Program. This includes regular check-ins from the program team, support from the host school and opportunities to connect with local staff and the broader school community. Where available, participants may also engage with local organisations to help them settle into the community.

To apply for the Rural Professional Experience Program you should complete the relevant application form for your university. As part of this process, you will be required to submit a short digital Expression of Interest, which seeks key information regarding your course enrolment and professional experience placement requirements, as well as a statement outlining your motivation for undertaking a professional experience placement in a regional, rural or remote NSW public school. This information will assist in assessing your suitability for the program and supporting appropriate professional experience placements.

The closing date for the Expression of Interest varies across universities and is specified within the relevant application form. Applicants are encouraged to carefully review these details to ensure timely submission. Should you require further clarification, you may contact your university’s professional experience office or the program team via email at ruralpex@det.nsw.edu.au.

Applications will be assessed by the affiliated university and the Rural Professional Experience Program team. In the selection process, priority consideration will be given to applicants who are undertaking studies in high-demand subject areas, in line with workforce needs across regional, rural and remote NSW public schools.