Workforce Support and Initiatives for Schools

Attraction

The department’s attraction initiatives provide new pathways and supports to become a classroom teacher and consider employment in regional and rural locations.

Know someone interested in/currently studying teaching? Here are supports they can access

Teach the Future Fellowships - supporting undergraduate secondary or specialist school teaching degree participants in 2026

There are 200 fellowships available in 2026.

These fellowships offer $10,000 across a 4-year (or part-time equivalent) initial teacher education (ITE) program for eligible applicants. The fellowship will also provide non-financial supports like networking opportunities and mentoring to help you get a head start in your teaching career.

For further information on eligibility and the application process please refer to: Teach the Future Fellowships.

Secondary Teaching Scholarships – supporting secondary teaching degree students with their HELP fees

Scholarships were available to students who enrolled in accredited Victorian secondary school teaching degrees in 2024 and 2025. Scholarships supported the cost of studying and living, and include further payments if students work in Victorian government secondary or specialist school settings after they graduate. The total scholarship payments available for students who complete their studies successfully and then work in Victorian government secondary or specialist school settings for 2 years seek to match the standard student (HELP) fees for a Commonwealth Supported Place in an initial teacher education degree.

Scholarships available to students enrolled in accredited Victorian secondary school teaching degrees are presently closed.

Further information

For further information, refer to: Scholarships for secondary teaching degrees.

Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow – supporting aspiring teachers to change careers through innovative and accelerated employment-based teaching degrees

Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow programs fast-track up to 1,200 student teachers into classrooms through innovative employment-based teaching degrees. These programs offer Victorian government schools a valuable opportunity to address their staffing needs and invest in their future workforce with teaching paraprofessionals while they complete their teaching degrees.

Working in partnership with 8 initial teacher education (ITE) providers, students will be supported by a university mentor and a school-based mentor from their host school and receive a department-funded scholarship while they study for 18 to 24 months.

Further information

For further information about the Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow programs:

• refer to the Teach the Future website
• contact the program team: teach.today.teach.tomorrow@education.vic.gov.au

Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now - supporting future First Nations teachers through employment-based studies

Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now offers Victorian government schools an opportunity to address their staffing needs and invest in their future workforce with First Nations pre-service teachers (PSTs) and/or Education Support (ES) trainees who are completing their Certificate IV training and teaching degrees.

Working in partnership with VET and ITE providers, eligible First Nations PSTs and/or ES trainees can be hired as education support class employees and will receive department-subsidised remuneration through schools while they study for 12 to 24 months. These participants will be supported by cultural mentors, university mentors and school-based mentors.

Further information

For further information relating to the Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now program:

• refer to the:
  • Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now webpage
  • Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now Host School FAQs
  • Host School Expression of Interest form
  • Teach the Future website
• contact the program team: AKTN@education.vic.gov.au

Pre-service teacher Placement Grants Program – encouraging pre-service teacher placements at schools through ITE providers

Support is available to pre-service teachers completing a teaching placement in eligible regional, remote or specialist Victorian government schools. Under the Pre-service Teacher Placement Grant (PPG) Program, pre-service teachers completing placements at eligible schools are supported with a per-day allowance that can be used to cover costs associated with undertaking placements in these schools, such as accommodation, travel, and meal costs. Grants are available for placements completed at eligible schools between 28 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Grant payments vary based on eligible areas:

• $150 per day for mainstream campuses in small rural towns and remote communities
• $100 per day for mainstream campuses in medium rural towns
• $200 per day for specialist school campuses in small rural towns and remote communities
• $150 per day for specialist school campuses in medium rural towns
• $100 per day for specialist school campuses in metropolitan areas.

Further information

For further information about the eligibility criteria for the PPG program, refer to: Pre-service teacher Placement Grant Program.

To express interest in completing a placement in an eligible school, pre-service teachers should contact their placement coordinator.

Building a pipeline of future recruits

Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow – supporting aspiring teachers to change careers through innovative and accelerated employment-based teaching degrees

Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow programs will fast-track up to 1,200 student teachers into classrooms through innovative employment-based teaching degrees. These programs offer Victorian government schools a valuable opportunity to address their staffing needs and invest in their future workforce with teaching paraprofessionals while they complete their teaching degrees.

Working in partnership with the 8 initial teacher education (ITE) providers, students will be supported by a university mentor and a school-based mentor from their host school and receive a department-funded scholarship while they study for 18 to 24 months.

Further information

For further information about the Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow program refer to the

• Teach Today and Teach Tomorrow webpage
• Teach the Future website
• contact the program team: teach.today.teach.tomorrow@education.vic.gov.au

Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now - supporting future First Nations teachers through employment-based studies

Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now offers Victorian government schools an opportunity to address their staffing needs and invest in their future workforce with First Nations pre-service teachers (PSTs) and/or Education Support (ES) trainees who are completing their Certificate IV training and teaching degrees.

Working in partnership with VET and ITE providers, eligible First Nations PSTs and/or ES trainees can be hired as education support class employees and will receive department-subsidised remuneration through schools while they study for 12 to 24 months. These participants will be supported by cultural mentors, university mentors and school-based mentors.

Further information

• Refer to the Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now webpage
• Refer to the Aspiring Koorie Teachers Now Host School FAQs
• Refer to the Host School Expression of Interest form
• Refer to the Teach the Future website
• Contact the program team: AKTN@education.vic.gov.au

Placements Plus – partnering with Victorian ITE providers to build the quality of pre-service teacher placements

The Placements Plus programs are department-funded partnerships between ITE providers and target mainstream and specialist Victorian government schools in rural, regional and growth areas.

The Placements Plus initiative aims to build and strengthen partnerships between Victorian ITE providers and participating Victorian government schools to improve the quality of pre-service teacher (PST) placements. Participating PSTs receive comprehensive and wraparound placement supports tailored to the context of the host-school environment, including professional learning and supports to strengthen peer, school, and community connections, including engagement with First Peoples. Tailored supports are also provided to participating host-schools, such as additional professional learning for supervising and mentor teachers.

Further information

Further information on the 2026 Placements Plus initiative is available at: Pre-service teacher huband Initial teacher education reforms.

Engage a third or final year Pre-Service Teacher with Permission to Teach – schools can engage third year PST’s to provide support in their schools with Permission to Teach

Many Victorian government schools are employing pre-service teachers with PTT (General) to help meet their staffing needs. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets out the parameters and guidelines with respect to pre-service teachers working in Victorian government schools with PTT (General).

The MOU provides a framework for schools and initial teacher education providers to support pre-service teachers who are working in schools with PTT (General) to meet their employment obligations and the academic requirements of their initial teacher education degree, including their pre-service teacher placement requirements.

Further information

Further Information can be found at Pre-service Teachers Working with Permission to Teach

For information about employment of PSTs with PTT (General) contact:

Schools Recruitment Unit
Phone: 1800 641 943

For information about the policy contact:

Reform of Initial Teacher Education
Email: ite@education.vic.gov.au

Pre-service teacher Placement Grants Program – encourage pre-service teacher placements at schools through ITE providers

Support is available to pre-service teachers completing a teaching placement in eligible regional, remote or specialist Victorian government schools. Under the Pre-Service Teacher Placement Grant (PPG) Program, pre-service teachers completing placements at eligible schools are supported with a per-day allowance that can be used to cover costs associated with undertaking placements in these schools, such as accommodation, travel, and meal costs. Grants are available for placements completed at eligible schools between 28 January 2026 and 31 December 2026. Grant payments vary based on eligible areas:

• $150 per day for mainstream campuses in small rural towns and remote communities
• $100 per day for mainstream campuses in medium rural towns
• $200 per day for specialist school campuses in small rural towns and remote communities
• $150 per day for specialist school campuses in medium rural towns
• $100 per day for specialist school campuses in metropolitan areas.

Further information

For further information about the eligibility criteria for the PPG program, refer to: Pre-Service Teacher Placement Grants Program.

To express interest in completing a placement in an eligible school, pre-service teachers should contact their placement coordinator.

Teach Rural Program – host pre-service teachers as part of this department and Country Education Partnership program

The department funded Teach Rural Program involves Country Education Partnership coordinating and supporting groups of pre-service teachers to undertake placements in clusters of rural and regional Victorian government schools, with a suite of supports including fully subsidised accommodation.

Further information

More information on the program is available at: Rural and Regional Pre-service Teacher Placements and Teach rural.

Teacher Financial Incentives – incentives available to support rural, regional and remote schools with attracting excellent teachers to fill hard-to-staff positions

The Victorian Government is providing a funding boost to attract excellent teachers to fill hard-to-staff positions in rural, regional and remote government schools and support those teachers to relocate, and settle into their new roles.

Eligible schools may be eligible to advertise a position with an incentive of up to $50,000 (pre-tax) to attract suitably qualified teachers with further funding available to support eligible teachers to relocate.

Further information

To find out more on how schools can express their interest or for further information, refer to the Targeted initiative to attract more teachers website or email School Recruitments – Financial Incentives at SR.Financial.Incentives@education.vic.gov.au