Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Program

The Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Program - Bachelor of Education (Technological and Applied Studies) pathway is seeking industry professionals and tradespeople with significant subject expertise and experience to transition into secondary teaching. To be eligible you must:

1. be an Australian citizen or permanent resident

2. be an industry professional with relevant industry experience

3. intend to complete a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) with the subject specialisation of Technological and Applied Studies, including design and technology plus one of the following:

• industrial technology (timber and metal)
• food technology
• agriculture (available at CSU only).

4. be willing to complete your studies at Charles Sturt University (CSU) or the University of Newcastle (UoN) and meet their entry requirements including:

a. Charles Sturt University

i. A minimum of 7 years relevant industry experience

ii. Industrial Technology (have completed a relevant apprenticeship or equivalent)

iii. Food Technology [have completed a relevant apprenticeship or equivalent OR have completed an Associate Diploma/Diploma in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery)/Food Science through a Registered Training Organisation]

iv. Agricultural Technology (have completed a relevant accredited two-year Associate Diploma through a Registered Training Organisation).

b. University of Newcastle

i. A Diploma or Advanced Diploma (Australian Qualifications Framework Level 5 or 6). This may entitle you to Recognition of Prior Learning which could enable you to complete your degree in less time. This is dependent upon teaching area/s chosen in the program and will be evaluated by the university's admissions team, view the website for more information.

5. be willing to begin your Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in early 2024 and complete your degree within 3 to 3.5 years

6. be willing to accept an appointment as a permanent full-time teacher in a NSW public school on completion of your studies and agree to serve for a minimum of three years

7. Applicants may be eligible for recognition of prior learning that will enable you to complete your degree in less time, which will be assessed and determined by the universities through the application process.

The universities will assess your qualifications and determine eligibility for entry into the Bachelor of Education program. In certain circumstances, universities may deem a participant eligible based on recognition of prior learning and give advanced standing.

For more information on your eligibility please reach out to:

• Dr Lincoln Gill at Charles Sturt University via email on LGill@csu.edu.au
• Associate Professor Robert Parkes at University of Newcastle via email on secondary-education@newcastle.edu.au.

To help meet the needs of NSW public schools now and into the future, the program is supporting experienced professionals to become teachers by completing their Bachelor of Education (Secondary) in a teaching area of demand.

If you are already a qualified teacher, you are encouraged to apply for approval to teach in NSW public schools. Contact the Teacher Approvals team or call 1300 300 498.

The bachelor entry stream will be focused on the high-demand teaching area of Technological and Applied Studies, specifically a combination of design and technology with ONE of: Industrial Technology (timber and metal), Food Technology or Agriculture (available at CSU only).  ​

Applicants who have completed recognised qualifications may be eligible for recognition of prior learning, which will be assessed and determined by the universities through the application process.

Some examples of relevant industries for Technological and Applied Studies may include, but are not limited to:

• Industrial Technology: trades, e.g., carpentry, furniture or cabinet making, metal work, engineering, fabrication, aeronautical, plumbing, electrical (avionics, refrigeration) or automotive mechanical.

• Food Technology: chef, baker or pastry chef.
  

In addition to applying for the Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Program you may also be eligible to apply for other scholarships the department has to offer. If you are successful for two scholarship programs, you will be required to select which program best suits your path.

Please visit the Get Paid to Study webpage for further information about other scholarship opportunities.

Successful applicants are required to sign a Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Scholarship Deed with the department committing them to:

• Accepting an appointment as an educational paraprofessional (on a part-time basis) in a NSW public school during their teacher education program

• Satisfying the department’s recruitment procedures and requirements. During the final year of study, participants are required to apply for conditional accreditation with NESA and then submit an online  application for approval to teach, which will include a behavioural interview

• Accepting an appointment as a permanent full-time teacher in a NSW public school in an agreed location on completion of their studies and remain employed in a permanent position for a minimum of three years.
  

Yes, existing initial teacher education (ITE) students who meet the standard eligibility requirements of the program are welcome to apply. We recommend that applicants be within the first 50% of their teaching degree, however applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

ITE student applicants will receive the same financial and logistical support as applicants yet to commence their studies. Placement as an educational paraprofessional may occur earlier than six to nine months following commencement on the program, depending on the percentage of studies already completed. The same maximum paraprofessional placement duration is applicable (i.e. 18 months for the master’s pathway at three days per week and 24 months for the bachelor’s pathway at two days per week). ITE student applicants are still required to complete at least two terms of paraprofessional placement during the program.

ITE students who already have their conditional teaching accreditation from NESA are not eligible to apply for the program.

Program name: Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Industry Entry Program

Program start date: February 2024

Subject specialisation: Technological and Applied Studies with a core specialisation in Design and Technology plus one of:

• Industrial Technology (timber and metal)
• Food Technology
• Agriculture.

Course length: Between 3 to 3.5 years, subject to recognition of prior learning.

Delivery mode: Predominately online.

Eligibility:

• A minimum of 7 years relevant industry experience
• If undertaking:
  • Industrial Technology - have completed a relevant apprenticeship or equivalent
  • Food Technology - have completed a relevant apprenticeship or equivalent, OR have completed an Associate Diploma/Diploma in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery)/Food Science through a Registered Training Organisation
  • Agricultural Technology - have completed a relevant accredited two-year Associate Diploma through a Registered Training Organisation.

Contact details: To find out more about their course offerings please contact Dr Lincoln Gill at Charles Sturt University via email at LGill@csu.edu.au or visit the website for further information.

Program name: Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

Program start dates: 26 February 2024 (Semester 1), 22 July 2024 (Semester 2)

Subject specialisation: Technological and Applied Studies within:

• Design Technology
• Food Technology
• Industrial Technology (Timber and Metal)
• Industrial Technology (Engineering)
• Industrial Technology (Graphics and Multimedia)
• Information Processes and Technology
• Software Design and Development

Course length: Between 3 to 3.5 years, subject to recognition of prior learning.

Delivery mode: Face-to-face

Eligibility:

• To be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning which could enable you to complete your degree in less time, you must have completed a Diploma or Advanced Diploma (Australian Qualifications Framework Level 5 or 6. View the website for more information). This is dependent upon teaching area/s chosen in the program and will be evaluated by UoN's admissions team.

Program details:

• Program participants will be able to work as an educational paraprofessional nine months after commencement.

• The program has three professional experience placements:

  • Year 2, Semester 1 (20 days)
  • Year 3, Semester 2 (20 days)
  • Year 4, Semester 2 (50 days)

Estimated cost per year: Indicative costs can be found via course or via subject. Please contact the university for further details. 

Contact details: To find out more about the course offering, please contact Associate Professor Robert Parkes at secondary-education@newcastle.edu.au or visit the website for further information.

Applications for this program are now closed. Please subscribe to the mailing list to receive updates about the next application intake.

The program will begin either in January 2024 with the University of Newcastle or February 2024 with Charles Sturt University.

Participants will find out if they have been accepted into the program by late November 2023.

The department will be accepting up to 20 participants in the bachelor entry pathway.

Please visit the department's Get Paid to Study webpage for further information about other scholarship opportunities with the department.

The Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Program's Bachelor of Education pathway is intended to be a full-time program. The course length is between 3 to 3.5 years, subject to recognition of prior learning.

We understand each participant’s journey is different and completing the program part-time will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and subject to the university being able to support part-time study.

The program is aimed at professionals with significant prior experience, including industry professionals and tradespeople, who are looking for a mid-career change to become a secondary teacher in a NSW public school.

Participants who are located or are interested to work in regional and rural NSW areas are encouraged to apply.

Participants will undertake a Bachelor of Education (Secondary), which will combine immersive and observational experiences within school environments to ensure you are classroom ready.

Whilst undertaking their studies, participants will be employed as educational paraprofessionals working part-time (up to two days per week) in a school. You will also be supported by a school-based mentor.

Upon completion of your studies, you will achieve a nationally recognised teaching qualification. Provided you meet the NESA accreditation and NSW Department of Education Teacher Approval requirements, you will be offered permanent employment in a NSW public school.

Applications for this program are now closed. Please subscribe to the mailing list to receive updates about the next application intake.

1. Submit written responses and a digital story

The online application will involve submitting responses to key questions and preparing a short video presentation - a digital story. The digital story video is a 2-minute presentation that conveys both your motivation to teach and aspiration to work in a NSW public school. You will need to upload your digital story video to Google Drive and submit the link as part of your application.

2. Select your preferences (subjects, universities and locations)

Through the application, you will need to select which subject specialisation you would like to complete your Bachelor of Education (Secondary) within and your preferred university.

You will also need to select the geographical locations/school education areas where you are prepared to accept a position within a NSW public school. Your selection will be used to place you when working part-time as an educational paraprofessional and as a permanent teacher on completion of your studies.

As part of the application process you will be asked to select at least three school educational areas. Consideration will be given to regional and rural participants to select only two school educational areas.

The areas you can select and agree to be appointed to a school within are the following school education areas: Albury, Armidale, Bankstown, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Blacktown, Bondi, Bourke, Broken Hill, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Clarence/Coffs Harbour, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Fairfield, Granville, Griffith, Hornsby, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Liverpool, Maitland, Moree, Mount Druitt, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Orange, Parramatta, Penrith, Port Jackson, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Ryde, Shellharbour, St George, Sutherland, Tamworth, Taree, Tweed Heads/Ballina, Wagga Wagga, Windsor or Wollongong.

Further information on the schools located in each geographic location/school education area can be found online or through the visual map.

3. Attach your documentation

Please see ‘What supporting documents will I need to provide as part of my application?’ below for more details on what we will need from you. 

Applications will be open until 11:59pm (AEST) on Sunday, 16 July 2023. We encourage you to submit your application early. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. 

Stage 1. Online application and digital story

A panel within the department will complete an initial assessment of your online written application and digital story.

Stage 2. University assessments

If you are shortlisted, the Mid-Career Transition to Teaching team will direct you to apply directly to a university of your choice. You can apply to as many universities as you wish. The universities will assess your qualifications and entry into a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) program. They will also assess whether you are eligible for recognition of prior learning and advanced standing. If you are deemed as meeting their requirements, you will receive an offer from the university.

Please note that if you are an international candidate, you may be required to provide evidence that you meet NESA’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements. Your university will be able to confirm your English language requirement, if this is applicable to you.

Stage 3. Interview and online assessments

If you receive an offer from the university, you will progress to the next stage and be invited to complete a teacher suitability assessment. This includes an online interview and assessments.

The panel will review your entire application and recommend candidates for inclusion in the program.

Stage 4: Probity checks

At this stage your reference checks, Working with Children Check and criminal records check will take place.

If you are successful in all four stages, you will be accepted into the program.

You will be required to complete and submit the documents listed below as part of your application:

• Official evidence verifying completion of a recognised qualification
• Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check: Application and informed consent form (PDF 1.8 MB)
• Declaration for child-related workers
• Working with Children Check (WWCC) number. You will need to apply for this directly with Service NSW. Once you’ve been cleared and obtain a WWCC number, please provide your WWCC clearance number to the Mid-Career Transition to Teaching team.
• Proof of identity (PDF 44 KB) including evidence of Australian Citizenship or permanent residence (if not born in Australia).
• If you intend to study at Charles Sturt University: a statement of service/employer and/or accountants letters confirming seven years of relevant industry experience within the last 10 years. Evidence must be provided that the work was in the context of the subject you wish to complete your studies within.

To submit the documents, open your ​​IworkforNSW application and upload in line with the instructions provided, prior to the closing date.

The online application system will not allow you to submit your application until all the required fields have been completed. Once you click on the submit button, a confirmation email will automatically be sent to the email address you provided as part of the application process. Please keep a copy of that email for your records.

If you did not receive a confirmation email, please email MidcareerPrograms@det.nsw.edu.au.

Yes. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified of the outcome via email once the selection process has been completed.

If you change your contact details after the closing date, please email your updated contact details to MidCareerPrograms@det.nsw.edu.au.

Educational paraprofessionals work under the guidance and supervision of teachers to provide support both inside and outside the classroom.

Educational paraprofessionals assist with teaching and learning, by working closely with teachers in the classroom to support student engagement and participation and improving student learning outcomes.

As an educational paraprofessional, you will always have a supervising teacher with you who will be able to guide and support your practise.

After completing nine months of study, participants will work part time (up to 0.4FTE/2 days per week) as an educational paraprofessional in a school whilst completing their studies.

Participants will be employed under the Teaching Services Act 1980 as an educational paraprofessional. This means that you will work under the same conditions and hours of work as a teacher, with paid leave during school holidays in accordance with your part-time status. You will also have access to sick leave, accrued pro rata.

Participants are also required to work during university breaks in cases where those breaks fall outside of school holiday periods. To ensure that your work aligns with university studies, participants will be able to negotiate working days with the school supervisor.

Please visit the department's awards and determinations [Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2022] for the annual salary of a full-time educational paraprofessional undertaking teacher education studies. Program participants are paid as educational paraprofessionals pro-rata, commensurate with their part-time status.

While personal preferences will be taken into consideration, it is expected that program participants are open to the opportunity to train and teach in a range of NSW government schools and contexts. You will be given the opportunity to select which geographic locations/school education areas you wish to work in and assigned a school from within that area.

To better understand the geographic locations/school education areas you are able to select from and which schools are included, further information can be found online or via the visual map.

During the program, participating schools will be carefully selected by the department based on their ability to provide mentoring and teaching opportunities to program participants.

Successful applications will be able to reference any NSW government schools they already have a relationship or connection with. We want to encourage local participants to stay and work within their local community particularly in regional and rural areas.

If you already have a connection to a school, it will be considered as part of the matching process. Participating schools will be carefully selected by the department based on their ability to provide mentoring and teaching opportunities to program participants.

A key outcome the program is seeking to ensure participants are classroom ready before they begin teaching, which is why it is important participants begin to gain experience as a paraprofessional.

This program is an employment-based pathway and includes working up to two days per week starting from nine months into the program. If this program is not suitable for you, please visit the department's Get Paid to Study webpage for further information about other scholarship opportunities with the department.

NSW public schools are grouped into locations called Operational Directorates (regions), School Education Areas and Principal Networks. Each region has several 'school education areas' for the purpose of staffing schools.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to select at least three school educational areas.

To better understand the geographic locations/school education area you can select from, and which schools are included, further information can be found online or via the visual map.

When you complete your Bachelor of Education (Secondary) and are being considered for appointment, the school education areas you nominated as your preferred locations will be used to match you to a permanent teaching position.

On successful completion of their teacher education studies, participants are appointed to a full-time permanent teaching position in a NSW public school in an agreed location. In some situations, you may be assigned to a temporary teaching position before being appointed to a permanent role when a substantive vacancy arises.

Upon successful completion of the program and meeting accreditation and approval to teach requirements, participants will be offered permanent employment in a NSW public school, based on the school education areas they have selected.

The opportunities offered to you will be dependent on available permanent teaching positions that match your teaching specialisation and subject codes.

In recognition of the need to support mid-career changers transition into a new career and return to studies, the department is offering a $30,000 (pre-tax) one-off training allowance to successful applicants on entry into the program.

The scholarship money will be payable after the commencement date and upon provision of evidence of enrolment in the course after the applicable university census dates.

A further $30,000 (pre-tax) study completion allowance will be available at the completion of your studies. This second payment will be phased over three years whilst you are employed in a permanent role within a NSW public school.

If you are appointed to a permanent teaching position in a rural area at the end of the program, you may also be eligible for additional benefits and incentives. To find out about the benefits and incentives that are available to teachers at individual schools, view the online benefits calculator.

Payments made as part of the Mid-Career Transition to Teaching Program must be declared as assessable income on annual income tax returns. Participants may have tax withheld from their equivalent upfront course contribution fee payment. HECS-HELP repayments may also be withheld depending on individual circumstances.

You are encouraged to seek financial advice for your own personal circumstances.

It is noted that your university fee will be payable by you. Mid-Career Transition to Teaching participants will be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). A CSP means your course fees are partially subsidised by the Australian Government and you pay a student contribution amount.

The initial one-off training allowance of $30,000 is paid to successful participants on entry into the program and is aimed to assist with the cost of study including paying your university fees. As this payment is subject to tax, in some instances, the training allowance may not fully cover your total course costs.

Course costs differ between universities. Please review the fees for your preferred university. Support is also available to you through HECS-HELP.

If you decide to leave the program before completing your studies, you will not be eligible for the $30,000 study completion allowance and you will be required to repay the initial $30,000 one-off training allowance paid to you at the start of the program.