Professional learning programs: Vocational and applied learning

Professional learning programs funded by the Victorian Government as part of the senior secondary schooling pathway reforms.

On this page

Senior secondary pathways reform
View transcript

A great senior secondary education requires a highly skilled and world-class workforce, including teachers, trainers, and other staff in schools to support vocational and applied learning.

The Department of Education is supporting teachers, trainers, and school staff to develop their expertise in vocational and applied learning.

VDSS Workforce Gateway pilot

The VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS) Workforce Gateway is a digital platform for accessing and recording professional learning. The Gateway helps VDSS teachers and trainers to maintain their currency requirements as both VET educators and industry professionals.

Pilot participants will be provided access to:

  • a wide range of professional learning opportunities to develop and refresh existing skills and knowledge
  • industry activities that are reviewed by industry experts
  • guidance on maintaining and demonstrating vocational competency and currency
  • a self-assessment tool, linked to a capability framework
  • VDSS specific communities of practice.

To be eligible to participate in the Gateway pilot, applicants must be:

  • delivering VET to school students in Victoria
  • employed by a Victorian government, independent or Catholic school (as a registered secondary school teacher or a VET trainer with Permission to Teach VET); or RTO (as a RTO teacher or trainer); and
  • delivering any VET certificate/s* from the list of VCE VET programs.

*Depending on the availability of relevant industry experts, some pilot participants may have a modified version of the pilot program.

To be part of the Gateway pilot, simply fill out this form before 5 pm, Monday 20 January 2025. The pilot will run from 29 January until 4 April 2025.

Applicants will require principal or supervisor approval to be considered for the pilot. This will be requested during the application process.

The Gateway pilot will be delivered in partnership with Chisholm Institute. The digital platform has been adapted from Chisholm’s Educator Passport to better suit the needs of those delivering VET to school students.

TAE Grant Fund 2024-25

The TAE Grant Fund is available to schools in 2024 to support school staff with vocational competency in one of the core VET certificates(opens in a new window) to become qualified to teach VET.

Under the TAE Grant Fund 2024, schools can claim reimbursement for up to $1,500 in Skill Set course fees and up to 5 days of casual relief teaching costs not exceeding $2,500. Funds can be claimed per eligible teacher.

Funding for qualified teachers

The TAE Grant Fund will provide funding for qualified teachers completing core skill sets from the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122).

As of 1 March 2024, secondary school teachers with vocational competency no longer need to complete a full TAE40122 to become qualified VET trainers(opens in a new window).

Secondary school teachers can now qualify to teach VET by completing one of the following 2 core Skill Sets:

  • TAESS00019 Assessor Skill Set (3 units), or
  • TAESS00024 VET Delivered to School Students Teacher Enhancement Skill Set (5 units).

Funding for staff without a teaching qualification

Those without a secondary school teaching qualification will still need to complete a full TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (Cert IV TAE) to become a qualified VET trainer. All non-teaching staff wishing to become a VET trainer should complete a Cert IV TAE via the Free TAFE initiative(opens in a new window).

Time release may be available for non-teaching staff to support them to complete the Cert IV TAE if required.

Please contact the Workforce Unit a Vocational.Workforce@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window) to discuss.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the TAE Grant Fund 2024 school staff must:

  • have vocational competency and intend to deliver Units of Competency or a certificate from the VET Core Offering(opens in a new window)
  • be employed in a Victorian government school (either ongoing or fixed term and in either a full-time or part-time capacity)
  • have their principal’s endorsement
  • be willing and able to complete the Skill Set with the intention of delivering VET in a Victorian government secondary school, and
  • be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident.

In addition, the school must be able to demonstrate that the teacher undertaking the Skill Set will:

  • fill an existing workforce gap
  • expand a school or cluster’s VET offering, or
  • provide future delivery certainty by building VET trainer succession planning.

Reimbursement process for schools

Schools can claim reimbursement for costs incurred between 1 January 2024 and 30 April 2025. Costs will only be reimbursed once the teacher has completed the course.

Schools do not need to seek pre-approval to purchase and enrol a staff member in a course, provided they meet the above eligibility criteria.

The next reimbursement period is in Term 2, 2025. Schools will need to submit:

  • an invoice for the total sum
  • evidence of:
    • completion of the course
    • payment of the course fees to an accredited Registered Training Organisation, and
    • payment of casual relief teaching costs (if applicable).

Schools will receive further information on expressing an intention to claim reimbursement in Term 1, 2025.

VET Trainer Career Pathway (WorkSafe) Pilot

The Department of Education is leading an innovative industry attraction pilot in collaboration with WorkSafe Victoria.

The VET Trainer Career Pathway (WorkSafe) Pilot supports industry professionals recovering from a work-related injury to start new exciting careers as VET trainers in Victorian schools.

At the end of this 9-month program, candidates will be qualified to deliver their VET subject in Victorian schools, TAFEs or private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). Candidates will also have specialist knowledge and skills to support the learning needs of school-aged students.

The program has 5 key components:

  1. Completion of a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (Cert IV TAE) – the nationally recognised qualification to deliver VET in schools, private RTOs and TAFEs
  2. Supplementary professional learning – completion of a bespoke Supplementary Professional Learning program designed to increase the likelihood of long-term success in the classroom, boost early career VET trainer confidence, and supplement gaps within the Cert IV TAE related to applied learning pedagogy and the school environment.
  3. Additional supports – accessing additional supports candidates may need to support their return to study under WorkSafe Victoria’s Return To Work and New Employer Services programs.
  4. Completion of an in-school placement and mentoring program over one to two terms with an experienced VET mentor.
  5. Support to apply for VET trainer roles and Permission to Teach from the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).

Preparation for the 2025 VET Trainer Career Pathway Pilot will begin in Term 4 2024.

For more information on the Return to Work and New Employer Services Schemes please visit WorkSafe Victoria’s Return to Work page(opens in a new window).

VCAA professional learning

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) delivers professional learning to support the delivery of VCE Vocational Major and VPC.

This includes self-guided on-demand courses and Communities of Practice.

Visit the VCAA website(opens in a new window) to learn more.

Further information

For further information about the opportunities listed above please, contact the Senior Secondary Pathways Reform Taskforce’s Workforce team by email: vocational.workforce@education.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window)

Education

Updated

Back to top