Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives

Career Start – Transforming the First Years of the Teaching Career (Reference 132)

Career Start is a structured program for graduate teachers which aims to improve their induction experience into the profession. It provides new graduate teachers and their mentors with additional time and support to focus on preparation, learning from others, targeted professional learning and networking opportunities through area-based alliances.

In 2024, Career Start is being delivered in all government schools in 5 areas:

• Inner Gippsland
• North Eastern Melbourne
• Outer Eastern Melbourne
• Southern Melbourne
• Western Melbourne.

Graduate teachers with a Level 1, Range 1 (CT1-1) classification will be provided with additional time release and support, as will their school-designated mentors. Each graduate teacher will participate in the program for one year.

The key component of the program is a reduction in face-to-face teaching time for graduate teachers and their mentors. Schools will be funded to employ additional classroom teachers to counteract this reduction and ensure continuity of teaching and learning.

Eligibility in 2024

Graduate teachers will participate in the Career Start program in 2024 if they commenced their first period of employment as a classroom teacher at CT 1-1 between 1 July 2023 and 7 June 2024 (both inclusive) at a Victorian government school within the Inner Gippsland, North Eastern Melbourne, Outer Eastern Melbourne, Southern Melbourne or Western Melbourne areas.

Rates and calculation

Career Start is funded to support schools in employing additional classroom teachers to counteract the reduction in teaching time provided to graduate teachers and their mentors. These teachers will be responsible for the teaching duties that graduate teachers and mentors will no longer be able to undertake.

The annual level of funding will be calculated based on the number of CT1-1 graduates engaged in Victorian schools recorded on eduPay. It will be calculated in Term 1 and confirmed in Term 2 via the Student Resource Package (SRP).

Schools will receive funding calculated from the first day of the term that the graduate begins employment. Graduates may commence in Career Start up until the revised SRP cycle cut-off date of 7 June 2024.

Formula for components

FTE of career start graduates × [(graduate time release × (salaries + oncosts) + mentor time release × (salaries + oncosts))] × [days/365]

Funds for both Component A and Component B will be transferred to schools through the Student Resource Package (SRP) as a targeted initiative in the Confirmed Cycle and updated in the Revised Cycle to reflect changes in school staffing. Funding is allocated as credit.

Component A: Funding for Term 1 time release

Primary, Specialist and P–12 schools

• Time release for graduates funded at 9.3% of a CT2-4 salary + 16.9% school oncosts
• Time release for mentors funded at 4.8% of a CT2-6 salary + 16.9% school oncosts

[Total FTE of Career Start graduates] × [0.093 × ($102,162 + $17,265) + (0.048 × ($114,591 + 19,365)] × (0.21)

or

In 2024: [Total FTE of Career Start graduate teacher participants] × $3,689.41

Secondary schools

• Time release for graduates funded at 8.5% of a CT2-4 salary + 16.9% school oncosts
• Time release for mentors funded at 5.4% of a CT2-6 salary + 16.9% school oncosts

[Total FTE of Career Start graduates] × [0.085 × ($102,162 + $17,265) + (0.054 × ($114,591 + 19,365)] × (0.21)

or

In 2024: [Total FTE of Career Start graduate teacher participants] × $3,657.50

Component B: Funding for Terms 2 to 4 time release

Note: the below formulae account for the increase in teacher salaries at 1 July 2024 by calculating one term (0.21) of the payment using 2023–24 salaries, and 2 terms (0.5) of the payment using 2024–25 salaries.

Primary, Specialist & P–9/12 schools

[Total FTE of Career Start graduates] × [((0.093 × ($102,162 + $17,265)) + (0.048 × ($114,591 + 19,365))) × (0.21)] + [((0.093 × ($103,184 + $17,438) + (0.048 × ($115,737+ 19,559)) × (0.5))]

or

In 2024: [Total FTE of graduate teacher participants] × $12,497.54

Secondary schools

[Total FTE of Career Start graduates] × [((0.085 × ($102,162 + $17,265)) + (0.054 × ($114,591+ 19,365))) × (0.21)] + [((0.085 × ($103,184 + $17,438) + (0.054 × ($115,737 + 19,559)) × (0.5))]

or

In 2024: [Total FTE of graduate teacher participants] × $12,593.85

Total 2024 Career Start funding = Component A + Component B

Further information

For further information contact graduate.induction@education.vic.gov.au or visit Career Start – transforming the first years of the teaching career.