Workforce Support and Initiatives for Schools

Recruitment

The department’s recruitment initiatives seek to reduce administrative burdens, facilitate recruitment efficiencies, and support schools to recruit new teachers.

What support is available to recruit more teachers and who can assist?

Direct vacancy (classroom teacher) – streamlined recruitment process for schools and applicants through the Applicant Pool

A direct vacancy (classroom teacher) simplifies recruitment for schools and applicants by centralising applicants in the Applicant Pool. It provides easier access for teachers seeking roles in Victorian government schools, minimises individual role advertisements, reduces administrative burden, and enables quicker interviews for local vacancies.

A direct vacancy (classroom teacher) is designed to assist school recruiters and teachers by streamlining the recruitment process. There are 2 ways to apply for classroom teaching jobs in Victoria, by:

• submitting interest in the Applicant Pool to be matched with direct vacancies, or
• searching and applying for available vacancies.

Both processes use School Jobs Vic, however, with the direct vacancy, classroom teachers and graduate teachers will benefit from auto-matching to vacancies based on their preferences and will no longer be required to submit a written response to selection criteria. Instead, these criteria will be addressed during the interview stage.

All vacancies must be filled in accordance with the department’s selection procedures (merit based) as set out in the Recruitment in Schools policy and comply with Ministerial Order 1388– Teaching Service (employment conditions, salaries, allowances, selection and conduct) Order 2022.

How a direct vacancy works and its benefits

For Applicants:

• Simplified application process: Applicants register their interest once, attaching a Cover Letter and a CV/Resume, for all classroom and graduate teacher positions in the Applicant Pool, saving the time needed to manage multiple applications.
• Auto-matching: The Applicant Pool will match applicants based on their work preferences, including location, role and subject preferences.
• Flexibility: Applicants receive email notifications when they are matched with vacancies. They will be able to track their applications, withdraw from unsuitable matches and deselect schools as required.
• No written selection criteria responses: Written responses to the selection criteria are no longer required during the application process. Selection criteria is assessed during the interview stage, making the process more efficient.

For School Recruiters:

• Streamlined recruitment: School recruiters will automatically receive matched applicants against their vacancies without the need to advertise locally.
• Flexibility: School recruiters can use both recruitment methods, one after the other, and can manually search and link applicants to direct vacancies (classroom teacher), shortlist, interview, and appoint.
• Reduced vacancy posting time: Vacancies are to remain open for a minimum of 3 days, instead of the usual 14-day period with an advertised vacancy, allowing time to inform internal staff of the job opportunity available at the school.
• Efficient candidate selection: School recruiters can access applications after the initial 3-day match period to shortlist, interview and address selection criteria, and appoint candidates.

For policy advice relating to direct vacancies (classroom teacher) through the Applicant Pool, please refer to the advertising vacancies section of the Recruitment in Schools policy.

For recruiter direct vacancy (classroom teacher) user guides and fact sheets, please refer to the School Jobs Vic help for recruiters (staff login required).

For applicant direct vacancy (classroom teacher) user guides and fact sheets, please refer to the Applicant Help - School Jobs Vic applicant help (staff login required).

International Teacher Recruitment Supports reducing administrative and financial burdens and helping schools recruit international teachers

Schools can access support for the recruitment of international teachers, including access to free advice and support through the Migration Support Service (MSS).

The MSS provides government schools with access to free specialist migration advice on international teacher recruitment, migration, sponsorship, and visa arrangements.

Where schools are seeking to employ and sponsor a visa holder in a teaching position, these supports reduce the cost and administrative burden on schools, and ensures they have the most up to date migration advice and information regarding international recruitment.

The department is providing additional recruitment support to schools experiencing significant staffing challenges.

Additional information, guidance and resources are available to schools in the Employment and Sponsorship of Overseas Workers PAL page.

Further information

• Refer to the Employment and Sponsorship of Overseas Workers policy
• Refer to the Migration support for international recruitment – information for schools
• Contact: swg_policy.initiatives@education.vic.gov.au

Central Workforce Support Service – providing personalised assistance and support to schools

Central Workforce Support Services (CWSS) provides dedicated support to schools facing teacher recruitment challenges by working closely with principals and offering tailored assistance. CWSS services range from candidate sourcing and accessing workforce initiatives designed to attract and retain teachers.

The services provided by CWSS include:

• Comprehensive Recruitment Support: CWSS collaborates with schools to offer full support throughout the recruitment process, simplifying the steps involved in finding suitable candidates.
• Personalised Recruitment and Retention Advice: CWSS provides strategic, tailored advice to meet the specific needs of each school. This guidance is aimed at helping schools effectively attract and retain qualified teachers.
• Proactive Candidate Sourcing: The CWSS team actively sources candidates for both long-term and casual relief teacher (CRT) roles, ensuring schools have a pool of potential candidates ready when needed.
• Access to department recruitment Initiatives: CWSS helps schools tap into a variety of departmental recruitment initiatives aimed at improving teacher attraction, recruitment, and retention, thereby streamlining and enhancing the hiring process.

Further information

For more information contact the Schools Workforce Initiatives and Support on:

• phone: 03 7022 5555
• email: swg_policy.initiatives@education.vic.gov.au

How to attract more teachers to schools?

Graduate Teacher Recruitment Initiative – offers incentives of $5,650 (pre-tax) for eligible graduate teachers taking up a graduate position throughout 2024 and 2025

The Graduate Teacher Recruitment Initiative (GTRI) offers incentives of $5,650 (pre-tax) for eligible graduate teachers taking up a graduate position through to June 30, 2025.

This initiative provides schools with strategic recruitment advice and actively supports the promotion and recruitment of Teacher Graduate Recruitment program vacancies.

To be eligible for employment under this initiative, candidates must:

• be a teaching graduate who has completed all course requirements and graduated within the past 4 years
• not be employed as a teacher by the department at the time the advertised position is to commence
• commit to a minimum one-year employment at a Victorian government school to retain the incentive
• be currently registered (or eligible for registration) with the Victorian Institute of Teaching
• not be a Graduate Teacher Incentive recipient from a previous vacancy.

Schools can advertise between 2.0 and 8.0 FTE graduate positions per year, based on their school type and SRP:

• up to 2.0 FTE in primary, P–12, and specialist schools
• an additional 2.0 FTE for primary, P–12 or specialist schools with SRP over $2 million, and secondary schools with SRP over $5 million
• an additional 4.0 FTE for SRP over $8 million.

Schools who are yet to fill their designated Teacher Graduate Recruitment vacancies can advertise their vacancies with the provision of the $5,650 financial incentive to help attract graduate teacher applicants.

The GTRI process guide can be found on the Resources tab.

The GTRI has established partnerships with various education providers to support the transition of pre-service teaching students and graduates into the teaching workforce. To attract aspiring graduate teachers and promote department graduate employment opportunities, GTRI also conducts engaging online and in-person presentations that inform graduates of available job opportunities, the benefits of employment in a Victorian government school, and guides them through the application process.

Further information

• For more information, refer to the Teacher Graduate Recruitment program requirements under the Advertising vacancies section of the Recruitment in Schools policy
• For more information on recruiting a graduate teacher through this initiative, visit Commence your teaching career at a Victorian government school
• Contact: swg_policy.initiatives@education.vic.gov.au

Use special payments to help attract and retain teachers – provide payments of up to $10,000 to help attract or retain teachers for schools

Schools can offer special payments of up to $10,000 to help attract or retain teachers for their schools. These payments can be paid as a lump sum or on a fortnightly basis.

Special payments may range between $925 and $10,000 per annum (in one or more lump sum payments).

Further information

For more information on using special payments, refer to Special Payments.