Career Start

Time release for graduate and mentor teachers

Graduate teachers and mentors receive time release from face-to-face teaching to engage in Career Start activities, including practice-focused mentoring, learning alliances and professional learning.

As part of school workforce planning, schools should consider how they can best facilitate the time release for their graduate and mentor teachers. Career Start funding is provided to employ teachers to cover the year-long reduction in graduate and mentor teachers’ duties, and ad hoc use of casual relief teachers should be avoided. This will ensure the time release is regular and scheduled, and minimises disruption to teaching continuity in the classroom.

Schools will receive additional funds via the Student Resource Package to facilitate the reduction in face-to-face teaching duties. The time reduction for graduate teachers will be funded at a rate equivalent to a Range 2, Level 4 classroom teacher. Similarly, the time reduction for mentor teachers will be funded at a rate equivalent to a Range 2, Level 6 classroom teacher.

Career Start graduate teachers

Graduate teachers in primary and special schools receive 1.95 hour weekly reduction in face-to-face teaching time. This is in addition to the 5% weekly reduction in scheduled duties per the Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) 2022.

Graduate teachers in secondary schools receive a 1.575 hour weekly reduction in face-to-face teaching time. This is in addition to the 5% weekly reduction in scheduled duties per the Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) 2022.

This provides Career Start graduate teachers with a maximum face-to-face teaching time of:

• 18 hours per week for primary and special school teachers
• 16 hours per week for secondary school teachers.

A pro-rata time allowance applies to graduate teachers employed on a part-time basis.

Career Start mentor teachers

Mentor teachers benefit from being involved in Career Start with access to dedicated time release and professional learning focussed on evidence-based best practice. Career Start mentorship is an opportunity to develop leadership capabilities and provides a pathway to middle leadership for experienced teachers.

Mentor teachers receive a 1 hour weekly reduction in face-to-face teaching duties. Mentors supporting more than one Career Start graduate teacher will receive the 1 hour weekly reduction for each graduate they mentor.