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Overview
The Career Start Pilot is a structured pilot program for graduate teachers which aims to improve the experience of graduate teachers as they are inducted into the profession.
Three cohort intakes of graduate teachers (2021, 2022 and 2023) will be provided with additional time release and support, as will their mentors. In Cohort 1 and Cohort 2, each graduate teacher will participate in the pilot for two years. In 2023, Cohort 2023 will participate in a one-year induction program.
Career Start provides time-release, professional development opportunities and a range of additional supports to graduate teachers and their mentors to accelerate graduate teaching and learning as they enter the profession.
The Career Start pilot is being delivered in primary, specialist and P-9/P-12 schools across Inner Gippsland, North Eastern Melbourne and Western Melbourne.
This program is one of four areas within the Excellence in Teacher Education (ETE) reforms which is dedicated to the ongoing development of graduate teachers.
Information for graduate teachers
Benefits
The program will help accelerate the development of graduate teacher professional practice in
- transitioning from Initial Teacher Education (ITE) to the classroom
- building professional practice excellence
- establishing and developing professional identity
- developing teaching career pathways.
Participating graduate teachers will receive a reduction in face-to-face teaching duties to support their learning.
Graduate teachers will work more closely with a mentor to engage in:
- peer observation and team teaching
- curriculum and assessment planning
- classroom management
- assessing students and analysing assessment data
- preparing for and meeting with parent/carers
- managing health and wellbeing.
During their time participating in the Career Start pilot, graduate teachers will benefit from a range of targeted supports that will improve their experience in the first years of their teaching career, including:
- Wellbeing supports
- Area-based teams
- Connections with other graduate teachers involved in the pilot
- Graduate teacher conferences
Graduate Teacher Capability Framework
The Graduate Teacher Capability Framework (GTCF) communicates specific areas of focus for graduate teachers developing their professional practice. Each focus area identifies key skills and knowledge which contribute to a successful induction journey in the first years of teaching.
How the Career Start pilot is delivered
Participating graduate teachers will have access to additional support and resources through a professional development package. The package will cover a diverse range of topics including:
- building relationships
- surviving and thriving
- behaviour management
- parents as partners
- effective feedback
- being organised and prepared
- data literacy
- curriculum and assessment
- diversity and inclusion
- differentiation.
Participants will engage in workshops, webinars, and online modules, and will meet regularly with other graduate teachers and their mentors in their area. Additional support is provided to rural and regional teachers in Inner Gippsland to help build the unique knowledge and skills required for working in regional and rural communities.
More information
To find out more about the Career Start pilot, please visit the Policy Advisory or contact us at graduate.induction@education.vic.gov.au.
Reviewed 06 November 2022