Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives

Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now Program (Reference 155)

Program description

The Aspiring Koorie Teachers (AKT) Now program is an employment-based training initiative to increase Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ employment with ‘host’ Victorian government schools. The program is part of the Victorian Government’s Workforce Attraction and Retention Strategy. AKT Now aims to increase the number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff working in Victorian government schools (‘AKT Now employees’) by combining paid employment with structured education pathways.

The AKT Now program funding supports AKT Now employees to complete qualifications while working as Education Support (ES) staff or in Pre-Service Teacher (PST) roles. The program has 2 learning pathways:

• Higher Education stream: For Initial Teacher Education students in the later stages of their undergraduate or postgraduate studies to become fully qualified teachers.
• Vocational Education and Training (VET) stream: For students enrolled in a Certificate IV in School-Based Education Support, gaining practical experience in schools.

The AKT Now program provides salary subsidies to eligible Victorian government schools that are approved to be AKT Now ‘host schools’. All Victorian government schools can determine host school eligibility through submitting an expression of interest: AKT Now host schools. This program provides approved host schools opportunity to recruit Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff with skills, knowledge and lived experience that strengthens the diversity of their workforce and enriches the educational environments that support student learning.

Accountability

AKT Now host schools are required to support AKT Now employees in line with program guidelines. This includes ensuring that employment and study arrangements align with agreed program structures, supporting study leave, and providing flexible working arrangements where possible.

AKT Now host schools are required to report to Koorie Outcomes Division on their AKT Now employment arrangements in line with AKT Now program guidelines. This includes notifying Koorie Outcomes Division of the commencement and completion dates of relevant employment contracts, which provides the basis for salary subsidy calculation.

Funding

Through the SRP, host schools receive AKT Now program funds as a partial subsidy of the salary paid to AKT Now employees (including related on-costs). Under the program’s guidelines, the salary subsidy is applied to the entire duration of an employment contract.

The salary subsidy covers 50% of employee salary (and 50% of related on-costs). Calculation of the subsidy is determined on an employment contract at 0.8 FTE of the relevant Award rate for Education Support roles. In calendar year 2025, the basis for calculation is from current Award rates for entry-level positions.

Eligibility and funding

Schools may not apply directly for AKT Now funding. Instead, approved host schools are determined through an expression of interest process and subsequent review by the Koorie Outcomes Division.

Approved host schools will appoint AKT Now employees through usual merit-based processes. Vacancies will be advertised through the School Jobs VIC portal. Eligibility for AKT Now employment is for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who:

• are employed by a host school through a merit-based recruitment process
• are employed by the school to meet existing vacancy and/or staff resourcing needs
• are a resident of Victoria (or eligible border community)
• are enrolled in either a Certificate IV in School-Based Education Support or the later years of an Initial Teacher Education course
• are undertaking a minimum of 50% equivalent full-time study load (as per program requirements)
• hold a current Working with Children Check.

Participating host schools cannot seek salary subsidies for existing employees from the AKT Now program.

Participating host schools can receive salary subsidies for as many eligible AKT Now candidates as they employ. Changes in employment status may affect the period applicable for salary subsidies. Such changes in employment status must be notified to the Koorie Outcomes Division immediately they become known, to maintain accurate records of candidate employment. The reporting is through the AKT Now program’s reporting framework.

Funds provided to eligible host schools for AKT Now salary subsidies are supplied each term through SRP credit allocation.

Employment arrangements

Candidates are employed on a 0.8 FTE basis, where a usual employed week would comprise employment at usual school hours for the five days from Monday to Friday.

• The employment contract would commence from a date of employment determined by the appointing host school, and concludes not later than 26 February 2027. (AKT Now program funding concludes in the 2026–27 financial year).
• During academic semesters, AKT Now employees work 2 days per week in their host school and dedicate the remaining three days per week to their studies.
• During non-study periods, candidates work five days per week, as arranged with their employer.
• The salary subsidy model applies consistently throughout the entire employment contract, and this means it applies across both study and non-study periods.

Use of AKT Now funding

Participating host schools use the AKT Now salary subsidies and on-costs to support the employment of AKT Now employees. The salary subsidies to host schools aim to support First Nations candidates as they progress through their studies and transition to full-time work arrangements. Host schools are expected to champion the completion of studies by their employees.

For further enquiries or assistance, please contact the AKT Now team at: marrung@education.vic.gov.au