How to find an early childhood education mentor

Moving from provisional to full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) is an important step in a teacher's career.

As part of the process, early childhood provisionally registered teachers (PRTs) must work with a mentor to help guide them through the VIT’s Inquiry process.

Planning ahead

At the conclusion of a PRT’s Inquiry process, a workplace recommendation panel must be conducted to assess whether the PRT is performing at the Proficient Teacher level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).

The VIT’s Workplace Recommendation Panel guide explains that the panel must include:

1. a panel chair that is a fully registered early childhood teacher (ECT)
2. a fully registered ECT or teacher who has participated in a VIT teacher mentoring program, such as the Effective Mentoring Program (EMP)
3. another fully registered ECT or teacher colleague nominated by the PRT because they know the PRT’s work.

To ensure a PRT can form a panel, and that they are supported by a mentor that understands the Inquiry process and how best to demonstrate proficiency against the APST, PRTs are strongly encouraged to aim to find a mentor that has completed EMP training.

Tips for finding an EMP-trained mentor

Depending on your early childhood setting type and location, you may find the following suggestions helpful when trying to connect with an EMP-trained mentor:

• ask your manager to support an experienced ECT at your service to undertake the EMP training
• contact one of the EMP-trained mentors from the Mentor map featured on this page
• if your service does not employ an EMP-trained mentor, your employer/manager could approach a nearby service to see if they have an experienced teacher available to mentor you
• if your approved provider operates multiple services, they may be able to connect you with an experienced, EMP-trained mentor that works at another service they operate
• become a member of relevant Victorian early childhood sector social media pages and advertise that you are looking for an EMP-trained mentor
• if you cannot find someone located within a reasonable distance to you, consider working with someone virtually, using video, emails, phone calls, etc
• ask your employer/manager to liaise with contacts at the service’s feeder schools or contact other local primary schools to see if any of the teachers have completed EMP training (NB: while a school teacher can be your mentor, as noted in the VIT’s Workplace Recommendation Panel guide, they cannot chair your workplace recommendation panel)
• contact your professional networks to ask if they can recommend any EMP-trained mentors
• ask the department’s early childhood specialist staff in your local Early Childhood Improvement Branch if they know of a trained mentor that can assist you. You can find their contact details on this webpage
• contact Gowrie Victoria and see if you are eligible to be assigned a mentor through the PRT Mentor Program (further details below).

Engaging an EMP-trained mentor

The Kindergarten Funding Guide specifies that approved providers must “ensure that provisionally registered early childhood teachers are supported by a trained VIT registered teacher-mentor to achieve Proficient Teacher level and full registration within the 2-year timeframe”.

If a PRT’s employer received funding to support them through the Early Childhood Provisionally Registered Teacher (PRT) Grants Program, they must use this funding to support the PRT to move to full registration with the VIT. It is the responsibility of the grant recipient (i.e., the employer of the PRT) to work with the PRT to determine how best to use this funding to support the process of transitioning to full teacher registration.

Once a mentor has been found, it is important that the PRT, their employer, the mentor and the mentor’s employer discuss expectations and consider costs (such as backfill and time release) that may be incurred during the Inquiry process and how they may be covered by the approved provider that employs the PRT.

The department does not engage in or coordinate these arrangements, however approved providers must abide by the auditing and reporting expectations outlined in the Kindergarten Funding Guide.

Mentor map

This map lists over 60 mentors who may be able to guide you through the process to become fully registered with the VIT.

All of these mentors have completed EMP training in the last 3 years and the map is updated regularly to ensure the details are accurate.

Search the map for a mentor in your area and contact them to check their availability.

PRT Mentor Program

Free access to a mentor

The department has partnered with Gowrie Victoria to provide free mentoring support for PRTs to move to full teacher registration with the VIT.

Two intakes are available in 2025.

Cohort 1 - Enrolments are now open for this program to commence in February/March 2025. Places are limited.

Cohort 2 – Will commence in July/August 2025.

Who can access the program

PRTs working in a Victorian funded kindergarten service.

Eligibility is prioritised for PRTs that:

• are located regionally (outside of metropolitan Melbourne)
• have been unable to access a mentor
• have been a PRT for more than 2 years.

Support provided

• Mentors from Gowrie Victoria work with PRTs to support them through the process of moving from provisional to full teacher registration with the VIT.
• The level and type of support provided by the Gowrie Victoria mentors is tailored for each PRT. This may include virtual or in-person mentoring support.
• The program takes approximately 3 - 5 months to complete and includes 3 onsite observation and reflection sessions.
• The Gowrie Victoria mentors support the PRTs in identified areas of development, assist in gathering evidence of professional practice and with the completion of the Inquiry Project.

How to apply

To request access to a mentor, contact Gowrie Victoria at mentoring@gowrievictoria.org.au or visit Gowrie Victoria. Places are limited.

More information

For more information about how to progress to full registration with the VIT, visit the VIT’s moving to full registration information hub.

For information about other professional development and training programs available, visit the Training and support for early childhood professionals webpage.