Recruitment in Schools

Advertising vacancies

To maximise employment opportunities, advertised vacancies are open to all qualified applicants both within and external to the teaching service.

State-wide classroom teacher vacancies will be available through the Job Opportunities Pool in Recruitment Online. Alternatively, schools can continue to advertise individual vacancies through Recruitment Online. Schools will continue to advertise all other vacancies through Recruitment Online.

All vacancies must be filled in accordance with the department’s selection procedures set out in this Guide and comply with the relevant Ministerial Orders. Selection to advertised positions is determined solely on the basis of merit, assessed in relation to the selection criteria of the position to be filled.

A principal may choose one of the following pathways to seek applicants and candidates to be considered for either ongoing or a fixed term classroom teacher vacancy:

• The vacancy is advertised for a minimum of 14 days and applicants apply for the role through Recruitment Online, including submitting a written response to the key selection criteria for the position;

OR

• The vacancy is posted in the Job Opportunities Pool in Recruitment Online for a minimum of 3 days. Candidates for the vacancy are matched based on their profile in the Job Opportunities Pool on Recruitment Online. This does not require a written response to the key selection criteria and will need to be covered during the interview and referee checks. The summary report containing possible candidates is available to the principal in Recruitment Online.

Once applicants or candidates have been identified using one of the above methods, the selection panel is required to shortlist applicants or candidates using a merit-based process based on the person’s suitability for the role.

School staffing policy seeks to balance the obligation to select staff through open merit-based processes with the legitimate expectations of employees with priority status (those who are excess to workplace requirements, have compassionate transfer status or are disability retirement benefits pensioners found fit for employment) to be placed into a suitable position.

An employee with priority status who is an applicant for an advertised vacancy, or is matched through the Teacher Recruitment Initiative process, at or below their current classification level and salary range must be interviewed and considered on merit against other applicants in accordance with the selection procedures set out in this Guide.

All applicants and candidates must be assessed against the key selection criteria and qualification requirements for a particular position. This can occur using the written responses (if submitted), during interview and referee checks.

The recruitment pathways above cannot be conducted concurrently for the same vacancy at the same time and must be undertaken as separate and distinct processes. At the conclusion of one of the recruitment pathways above, a separate process may be undertaken for the same vacancy if there was no suitable candidate identified as part of the initial recruitment process.

The department is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion in our workforce. Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of all recruitment and selection practices. School recruiters are encouraged to think broadly about the benefits of a workforce with diverse skills and perspectives, which represents the community that we serve. Thinking about this at the beginning of a recruitment process will enable consideration of whether to target some groups in the recruitment process – for example Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicants, or applicants with disability. It will also assist in being mindful of using inclusive language in job advertisements and position descriptions, to encourage a diverse range of applicants and avoid any stereotyping.

Fair and inclusive recruitment practices are critical to achieving diverse and representative workplaces. This includes making sure vacancies attract the best applicants from all diversity groups. It also means using consistent, fair and equitable selection practices to recruit a diverse workforce. Unconscious bias can play a major factor in recruitment decision-making. It is important to be aware of common unconscious biases and stereotyping found in recruitment processes. To assist with this, school recruiters and selection panel members are encouraged to complete the department’s Inclusive recruitment e-learn module in LearnED (login to eduPay required).

A special measure is a lawful way to give an employee or candidate from an under-represented group substantive equality in the recruitment process. For example, by defining who can apply for a role to increase the number of employees from a specific group of people or prioritise a group of people in the selection process.

Advice regarding the process for advertising and recruiting the role as a special measures role can be accessed on the Victorian Public Sector Commission’s (VPSC’s) Guide to hiring with special measures in the public sector. Special measures are recognised in the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

Short-term vacancies

A short-term vacancy in the teaching service is a vacancy of 6 weeks or less or up to 1 school term (inclusive of the school vacation period for classroom teacher vacancies) to replace an employee who is absent on long service leave.

A person must not be re-employed fixed term in a short-term vacancy in the same school for a period beyond 6 weeks (or 1 school term if replacing an employee who is absent on long service leave) without the position being advertised.

A principal can determine that a short-term vacancy be filled by:

1. the temporary administrative transfer of an ongoing employee from another school with the agreement of the principal of that school, or
2. contacting Schools Recruitment Unit to ascertain if an employee with priority status is available to fill the vacancy,
3. advertising the position through Recruitment Online and identifying, through the merit selection process, a suitable applicant, or
4. employing a person on a fixed term basis, or
5. employing a person on a casual basis, for up to 6 weeks

Temporary administrative transfers to short-term vacancies will be voluntary and arranged between individual principals and employees. Employees who accept a temporary administrative transfer to a short-term vacancy in another school will return to their original school at the expiration of the short-term vacancy. The receiving school principal should ensure that the terms of any temporary administrative transfer to a short-term vacancy are communicated to the employee and the principal of the base school prior to the employee commencing in the position.

Schools Recruitment Unit will need to be contacted to give effect to the principal’s decision under (a), (b) or (d) above.

Long-term vacancies

With the exception of short-term vacancies, teaching service vacancies must be advertised using Recruitment Online. Alternatively, a principal may fill the vacancy without advertisement through the administrative transfer of an ongoing employee with priority status. Principals may seek the assistance of principals of neighbouring schools or the Schools Recruitment Unit to identify a suitable ongoing employee with priority status.

Principals may include the following statement in job advertisements:

‘Applicants seeking part time employment are encouraged to apply. Requests for part time employment will be considered as part of the employment process’.

Part-time employment arrangements can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis as part of the employment process.

Where a position is advertised in anticipation of an employee’s cessation and the employee applies for the position before their cessation has taken effect (for example a cessation at age 54 and 11 months), the vacancy must be withdrawn and can only be readvertised after the effective date of the employee’s cessation. Where the employee is an applicant for another position, the selection process may continue for that position. If the employee is the preferred applicant for the other position, the offer of employment is to be delayed until after their cessation has taken effect.

Assistant principal, leading teacher and learning specialist vacancies

Principals may advertise an assistant principal vacancy at range 1, 2, 3 or 4. As there is only 1 level of both leading teacher and learning specialist these positions are advertised as 'leading teacher' or 'learning specialist' respectively.

Assistant principal, leading teacher and learning specialist positions are tenured for periods of up to 5 years. Successful applicants will be employed on an ongoing basis with tenure in the position for the period as advertised.

At the completion of the period of tenure, the principal will determine whether any assistant principal, leading teacher, learning specialist tenure is to be renewed or the position abolished or advertised in accordance with Departmental policy. Where tenure is not renewed, the employee will continue to be an ongoing employee at the school.

Classroom teacher vacancies

Principals may advertise a teacher vacancy as 'classroom teacher' or 'classroom teacher range 2' and may specify particular subjects areas (subject tags). 'Classroom teacher range 1' positions are not able to be advertised except as part of the teacher graduate recruitment program (refer below).

All primary school vacancies are regarded as generalist teacher vacancies. Subject tags are indications of preferred additional areas of expertise but cannot be the basis for not selecting an excess teacher or teacher eligible for compassionate transfer except in the case of a languages tag.

At the secondary level, subject tags should reflect the actual timetabled allotment of the position but should not be so restrictive as to breach merit-based selection requirements. A teacher who does not satisfy the qualification requirement of a particular subject tag may be selected for a position provided the principal is satisfied that the teacher can demonstrate experience in the subject area.

Where a teaching position is advertised and a suitable qualified person who has current provisional or full registration status approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) is not available, a person who does not satisfy the requirements for full or provisional registration status but does have permission to teach approved by the VIT may be employed as a paraprofessional on a fixed term basis for the period of the vacancy or a maximum period not exceeding 3 years subject to any restrictions imposed by the VIT.

When filling parental absence vacancies, the position will be advertised for 7 years and the replacement teacher will be employed for 7 years or until the teacher being replaced returns to duty or their period of fixed term employment expires whichever is the earlier. Where the teacher absent on leave associated with a parental absence returns to duty or the teacher’s period of fixed term employment expires, the replacement teacher’s employment may cease prior to the expiration of the 7 years on the teacher being provided with not less than 12 weeks’ notice of termination.

Where the teacher on parental absence is ongoing and does not return to duty, the replacement teacher will be offered ongoing employment (subject to a probationary period of up to 12 months) except where the replacement teacher does not satisfy the requirements for provisional or full registration.

Where an ongoing teacher is temporarily transferred into a parental absence vacancy and remains in that vacancy for more than 12 months, the teacher will be permanently transferred to that school.

Teacher Graduate Recruitment program

The Teacher Graduate Recruitment program assists recent teaching graduates to find a position in a Victorian government school. The program actively supports the employment of teacher graduates in government schools by identifying vacancies for teachers who have completed their course requirements and graduated in the last 4 years.

The Teacher Graduate Recruitment program enables principals to advertise a defined number of vacancies each year. In primary, P–12, specialist schools and secondary colleges, funded vacancies of up to 2.0 FTE per year may be designated as Teacher Graduate Recruitment vacancies. An additional 2.0 FTE funded vacancies per year may be designated as Teacher Graduate Recruitment in all primary, P–12 or specialist schools where the Student Resource Package (SRP) exceeds $2 million and in all secondary colleges where the SRP exceeds $5 million.

Where the SRP of a school exceeds $8 million, an additional 4.0 FTE vacancies per year may be designated as Teacher Graduate Recruitment vacancies.

Teacher Graduate Recruitment vacancies must be advertised on an ongoing basis and accordingly may be subject to a probation period. In addition to teacher graduate recruitment vacancies, graduate teachers are eligible to applying for all vacancies including classroom teacher vacancies.

To be eligible to apply for a position advertised through the Teacher Graduate Recruitment program, a teacher must:

• have completed their course requirements and graduated in the last 4 years, and
• not be employed as a teacher by the Department at the time the advertised position is to commence.

The successful applicant for a position advertised through the Teacher Graduate Recruitment program will be employed as a 'classroom teacher' with salary determined in accordance with commencement salary policy.

Special settings and visiting teachers

Where the view is formed that a teacher vacancy in a special setting (or a visiting teacher position) which requires an approved special education qualification, may not attract applications from teachers with that qualification, then the following advice may be included in the job opening when the teacher vacancy is created on Recruitment Online:

‘Teachers who do not have an approved special education qualification but do have current provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching may apply. Preference will be given to applicants who have an approved special education qualification'.

Where the vacancy was advertised as an ongoing position and an external applicant who does not have an approved special education qualification is selected, that person can only be offered fixed term employment for a period not exceeding 3 years.

Paraprofessional class

Paraprofessional vacancies cannot be advertised. The employment of a paraprofessional can only occur when it has been established that there is no suitable registered teacher available to fill the teaching vacancy and the VIT has granted that person permission to teach.

However, where the principal forms a view that a vacancy, which requires particular expertise, may not attract applications from registered teachers then the following advice may be included in the job opening when the teacher vacancy is created on Recruitment Online:

'People who have professional expertise in the area but do not have current provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching may apply. Preference will be given to applicants with teacher training. Applicants who are not eligible for provisional or full registration will be required to obtain permission to teach from the VIT prior to commencing employment'.

Where the vacancy was advertised as an ongoing position and an external applicant who only has permission to teach is selected that person can only be offered fixed term employment as a paraprofessional for a period not exceeding 3 years.

A paraprofessional employed in response to a 'classroom teacher' vacancy will be offered employment at either salary range 1 or 2. A paraprofessional employed in response to a 'leading teacher' or ‘learning specialist’ vacancy will be offered employment at either range 3 or 4. The range is determined by the principal having regard to the role and responsibilities the paraprofessional will undertake.

Education support class vacancies

Principals may advertise education support class positions at level 1 range 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 or level 2.

The level 1, range 1 classification is a training grade for employees participating in formal trainee or cadetship programs or other similar public sector wide entry level employment programs.

An education support class position may be advertised that requires the successful applicant to undertake duties for all or part of the 30 days additional paid leave. In this case the successful applicant for that position is required to attend for duty consistent with the advertised position and will be paid a leave purchase allowance. The number of days or hours for which attendance is a requirement of the position should be included in the Job Opening under 'Role'.

When filling positions specifically linked to Student Support Funding the position will be advertised as ongoing with 12 weeks’ notice of termination where the funding or comparable funding reduces or ceases in the first 7 years of the person’s employment.

When filling parental absence vacancies the position will be advertised for 7 years and the replacement employee will be employed for 7 years or until the employee being replaced returns to duty or their period of fixed term employment expires whichever is the earlier. Where the employee absent on leave associated with a parental absence returns to duty or the employee’s period of fixed term employment expires, the replacement employee’s employment may cease prior to the expiration of the 7 years on the employee being provided with not less than 12 weeks’ notice of termination.

Where the employee on parental absence is an ongoing employee and does not return to duty, the replacement employee will be offered ongoing employment (subject to a probationary period of up to 6 months).

Where an ongoing employee is temporarily transferred into a parental absence vacancy and remains in that vacancy for more than 12 months the employee will be permanently transferred to that school.