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Career Start

Policy

This policy supports implementation of the Career Start program in Victorian government schools.

Summary

  • Career Start supports early career teachers to successfully transition into the classroom. Program supports include:
    • a reduction in face-to-face teaching
    • time with a dedicated mentor to accelerate the development of their teaching practice
    • opportunities to network and learn with other early career teachers via local learning alliances
    • professional learning designed to develop their professional identity, wellbeing and practice through termly workshops.
  • Career Start mentor teachers are supported through:
    • time release from face-to-face teaching to engage in extended practice-focused mentoring with their graduates – schools can refer to the guidance chapter on Time release for early career and mentor teachers for further details
    • one-on-one support from Learning Alliance Leaders to build their mentoring skills.

Details

Career Start is a structured program for early career teachers which aims to improve their experience as they are inducted into the profession. The program supports professional identity and belonging, networking and wellbeing. Additionally, it focusses on supporting alignment of teaching practice to the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0.

Career Start accelerates the development of early career teachers in their first year, and significantly increases their retention, strengthening both teacher practice and workforce sustainability. Mentor teachers also benefit from the program, gaining leadership skills and staying in the profession longer.

Career Start ran a successful pilot from 2021 to 2023, then expanded in 2025.

Career Start is available in all Victorian government schools in these 13 areas:

  • Barwon
  • Brimbank Melton
  • Central Highlands
  • Goulburn
  • Hume Merri-bek
  • Inner Gippsland
  • Mallee
  • North Eastern Melbourne
  • Outer Eastern Melbourne
  • Outer Gippsland
  • Ovens-Murray
  • Southern Melbourne
  • Western Melbourne.

Career Start is not currently available outside of the 13 listed areas.

Eligibility

Eligible early career teachers will complete the program once only. The eligibility period closes on 30 April 2027.

Automatic eligibility – no nomination required

Early career teachers will automatically participate in the Career Start program in 2027 if they:

  • commenced their first year of classroom teaching as a provisionally registered teacher within the Victorian government school system on or after 1 June 2026
  • are employed at the classification of Classroom Teacher Range 1, Level 1 (CT1-1)
  • are employed in a Victorian government school within the participating areas.

The department will use a combination of eduPay data and advice from school leaders to identify teachers who meet the automatic eligibility criteria.

Principals can enrol teachers via the new Career Start InductED portal. Principals will be notified when enrolment is open by a school update article at the beginning of the 2027 school year. Principals are required to confirm any eligible participants, or identify those who meet the Additional eligibility criteria.

Principals must notify early career teachers that they have been enrolled in the program and outline the entitlements for which they are funded.

If a teacher is not identified via eduPay, principals can use the InductED portal to request participation by exception. Each case will be reviewed by the Career Start regional manager for approval. Contact your Career Start regional manager by email (details below) if you need support.

Early career teachers who gain employment following the 30 April 2027 cut-off will be automatically eligible to participate in the following program year.

Additional eligibility – nomination required

Principals may nominate early career teachers to participate in the 2027 Career Start program if they:

  • commenced their first year of classroom teaching as a provisionally registered teacher within the Victorian government school system on or after 1 June 2026
  • are within CT1–2 to CT1–4 classification
  • are not an internationally or nationally experienced teacher
  • are employed in a Victorian government school within the participating areas.

Principals must be able to confirm:

  • the reasons the early career teacher has been nominated
  • that the early career teacher is expected to benefit from Career Start supports
  • that they and their mentor will be supported to engage in all elements of the Career Start program.

Early career teachers can be nominated for additional eligibility, through the InductED portal or by contacting the Career Start regional manager (details below).

Pre-service teachers with Permission to Teach (General)

Principals may nominate pre-service teachers with Permission to Teach (General) to participate in the Career Start program from the beginning of the year if they:

Please note that:

  • Pre-service teachers with Permission to Teach (General) who participate in Career Start in 2027 will not be eligible for participation in the program for any following years.
  • Applicable schools are expected to assign a mentor to the pre-service teacher with Permission to Teach (General) for the year. This includes facilitating the additional time release for them and their mentor, as well as attendance at workshops and learning alliance meetings.
  • If the pre-service teacher working with Permission to Teach (General) and their mentor are not fully participating in the Career Start program, their funding may be reviewed and withdrawn.

A pre-service teacher working with Permission to Teach (General) can be nominated for eligibility via the InductED portal, or by contacting your Career Start regional manager (details below).

Contact

For further information on the Career Start program please contact the Career Start Unit at Career.Start@education.vic.gov.au

To discuss eligibility further, please contact your Career Start regional manager:

Department policy supporting implementation of the Career Start program

Updated

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