Career Start- Transforming the First Years of the Teaching Career
If you have employed a graduate teacher for 2025, they are likely to be supported by Career Start.
Career Start - supporting graduate teachers in the first year of their career
The first year of teaching can be challenging for graduate teachers as they navigate life in schools. Career Start is a structured program which works with your school to support graduates as they are inducted into the teaching profession.
Career Start provides time release, mentoring, professional development opportunities and a range of additional supports to graduate teachers and their mentors to accelerate the development of graduate teachers’ professional practice and support their wellbeing.
Graduate teachers have shared how Career Start supports increased feelings of preparedness for the classroom, confidence, and wellbeing, and reduced workload-related stress. Participating in the program has led to more graduates continuing into their second year of teaching.
Career Start also supports mid- and late-career teachers. We’ll ask you to nominate a mentor teacher for your graduates and our Learning Alliance Leaders (experienced teachers) will develop their skills through professional learning, tailored support and guidance.
Eligibility
Graduate teachers will automatically participate in the Career Start program in 2025 if they:
- commenced their first year of classroom teaching as a provisionally registered teacher within the Victorian government school system on or after 7 June 2024
- are employed at the classification of Classroom Teacher Range 1.1 (CT1.1)
- are employed in a Victorian government school within the participating areas.
Under the expanded eligibility criteria, Principals will be able to nominate first year provisionally registered teachers that are not classified as a CT1.1 if they are:
- a provisionally registered teacher in their first year of classroom teaching within the Victorian government school system on or after 7 June 2024
- within CT1.1-1.4 classification
- not an internationally or nationally experienced teacher
- and the Principal can confirm that the graduate will benefit from the program and will be given the time and support to participate
Time Release
Graduate teachers participating in the Career Start program in 2025 will receive time release from their face-to-face teaching duties.
Next steps
If you are in a Career Start area and have eligible graduate teachers, the Career Start team will be in touch early in Term 1, 2025 asking you to confirm your participants and their mentor teachers. We’ll then provide further information on how the program works, upcoming workshops and details of your designated Learning Alliance Leader.
Contact
For further information on the Career Start program please visit our website or email us at: career.start@education.vic.gov.au
To find out more about Career Start in your region, or to discuss eligibility of other graduate teachers further, please contact your Career Start Regional Manager:
North-East Victoria Region: Robyn Woolley, Robyn.Woolley@education.vic.gov.au
North-West Victoria Region: Helen Schilling, Helen.Schilling@education.vic.gov.au
South-East Victoria Region: Ben Plant, Ben.Plant@education.vic.gov.au
South-West Victoria Region: Nadia Tkaczuk, Nadia.Tkaczuk@education.vic.gov.au
