Calling Australian Teachers!!! Advice needed for UK trained Early Years Teacher!

[Natalie Richardson]

Hi,

 

I'm coming over to QLD on a WHV later this year (Sept) and need advice as to where the best places are to secure Teaching jobs. Although I am Secondary Trained, I have been teaching Primary (specifically Early Years ages 5 and under) since qualifying in 2010. I would like to continue working with this age group and hopefully impress an employer so that they may sponsor me, as would like to stay on a more permanent basis. Any advice would be much appreciated as would new contacts as I'm a single lady with no contacts in Oz currently - brave or mad? Not sure which lol x

[Tickled Pink]

Teaching is a highly saturated market here. Many are already here unemployed or going from one short term contract to another. Unless you have PR or citizenship you will find it really hard to get any work I think. Sponsorship is almost an improbability - there really are too many teachers here already with no visa restrictions that can't find work.

 

Have you registered with the state(s) you want to work in? without registration you won't be able to work anyway...

[Quoll]

Think of a different career perhaps. Too many teachers, not enough positions in the places that people actually want to live and work. If you currently have a permanent position, don't quit whatever you do - take a career break.

[Rossmoyne]

Good advice Quoll.

[Freckleface]

I would be surprised if anyone could employ you without the appropriate qualification even if they wanted to.

[Sammy1]

Hi,

 

I'm coming over to QLD on a WHV later this year (Sept) and need advice as to where the best places are to secure Teaching jobs. Although I am Secondary Trained, I have been teaching Primary (specifically Early Years ages 5 and under) since qualifying in 2010. I would like to continue working with this age group and hopefully impress an employer so that they may sponsor me, as would like to stay on a more permanent basis. Any advice would be much appreciated as would new contacts as I'm a single lady with no contacts in Oz currently - brave or mad? Not sure which lol x

 

Queensland has thousands of unemployed Australian trained teachers. You would be unlikely to secure a position on a WHV, however, relief teaching is an option.

[Tickled Pink]

Queensland has thousands of unemployed Australian trained teachers. You would be unlikely to secure a position on a WHV, however, relief teaching is an option.

 

I've got a friend who can't even find a temp/relief position Sammy, AND they can teach maths! Its just crazy hard teaching wise in QLD at the mo...

[Sammy1]

I've got a friend who can't even find a temp/relief position Sammy, AND they can teach maths! Its just crazy hard teaching wise in QLD at the mo...

 

It absolutely is. I offered up the relief teaching option so that no one could accuse me of being negative.The OP will not be able to teach early years as she is not trained in that area, but relief can be a little more open. I think people just don't realise the situation here.

 

The siutaion is that for primary teachers there are hardlty any jobs. Queensland literally

[Sammy1]

I've got a friend who can't even find a temp/relief position Sammy, AND they can teach maths! Its just crazy hard teaching wise in QLD at the mo...

 

It absolutely is. I offered up the relief teaching option so that no one could accuse me of being negative.

 

The OP will also not be able to teach early years as she is not trained in that area, but relief teaching can be a little more open in regards to that. Unfortunately I think people just don't realise the situation here and it is not just restricted to Queensland..

[Natalie Richardson]

I'm getting onto that - thanks

[Natalie Richardson]

Career breaks not an option in the UK generally unfortunately

[Natalie Richardson]

Teaching is a highly saturated market here. Many are already here unemployed or going from one short term contract to another. Unless you have PR or citizenship you will find it really hard to get any work I think. Sponsorship is almost an improbability - there really are too many teachers here already with no visa restrictions that can't find work.

 

Have you registered with the state(s) you want to work in? without registration you won't be able to work anyway...

 

Getting onto the registration part as we speak... Thanks for the advice.

[Natalie Richardson]

Think of a different career perhaps. Too many teachers, not enough positions in the places that people actually want to live and work. If you currently have a permanent position, don't quit whatever you do - take a career break.

 

Career breaks not an option in the UK unfortunately but am open to changing career...

 

Thanks for the advice

[Sammy1]

Then you need to think seriously and just treat the WHV for what it is, a holiday with some work along the way. You will struggle to secure a position as a teacher when there are so many thousands of unemployed teachers in Queensland.

[Natalie Richardson]

I would be surprised if anyone could employ you without the appropriate qualification even if they wanted to.

 

One of the immigration agencies reckoned that you could teach primary even with my secondary qualification so will have to check with her again on that. Thanks for the heads up.

[Natalie Richardson]

Queensland has thousands of unemployed Australian trained teachers. You would be unlikely to secure a position on a WHV, however, relief teaching is an option.

 

Yeh I'm happy to do supply. Would Nurseries consider me?

[Natalie Richardson]

I've got a friend who can't even find a temp/relief position Sammy, AND they can teach maths! Its just crazy hard teaching wise in QLD at the mo...

 

Not looking promising

[Alaska]

I can't comment on the visa thing and how that will affect you, but generally there seems to be a decent amount of supply work around. I work in a high school in Brisbane and talk to lots of relief teachers who are getting plenty of work.

In QLD we now have an extra year of high school as the Yr 7s just joined (so obviously fewer students in primary), so I would consider this age group.

[Tickled Pink]

I can't comment on the visa thing and how that will affect you, but generally there seems to be a decent amount of supply work around. I work in a high school in Brisbane and talk to lots of relief teachers who are getting plenty of work.

In QLD we now have an extra year of high school as the Yr 7s just joined (so obviously fewer students in primary), so I would consider this age group.

 

Any chance you could PM me with which schools this is? and agencies they are using? I have a friend who has been trying and trying, with no luck at all... I'd love to be able to give some leads to help find work...

[Alaska]

It's just through TRACER which I'm sure your friend would've contacted.

It's often a case of getting that first foot through the door which can be tough I imagine.

[Tickled Pink]

Yeah, I feel for him. He's PR, experienced teacher, seems to be just missing out every time... Its tough to watch...

[Roberta2]

Any idea of the hourly rate of an experienced primary teacher doing relief teaching?

[Rossmoyne]

One of the immigration agencies reckoned that you could teach primary even with my secondary qualification so will have to check with her again on that. Thanks for the heads up.

 

To teach in Australia, whatever state you are in, you need to be registered with the Teachers Registration Board. If you meet all the criteria, they will only register you to teach the year levels that you are qualified to teach. As everyone is telling you, there are so many teachers in Australia who are highly qualified and cannot get work.... so please do not think you will step off the plane into a job as it just won't happen.

[Sammy1]

One of the immigration agencies reckoned that you could teach primary even with my secondary qualification so will have to check with her again on that. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I certainly would not be relying on an immigration agency with regards to that, they are not the ones who will be registering you to teach. You have said that you wish to teach early childhood, age five and under. That age group is not primary and it does require specific early childhood qualifications. You may be able to pick up the odd day of relief with that age group, but that would be all.

[andyjmason]

Hi

I came as a primary trained BEd teacher with ten years experience teaching ages 3-8, this is early years in the UK. Here its 0-8 so i had to do some voluntary work experience with the 0-2 yr olds in a day care setting and get a letter saying I'd done so so that I could get ACECQA registration to teach a funded kinder program. I also had to register with the victorian Institute of Teachers and they went through my qualifications again, followed by the AITSL who verified everything again for my permanent visa. You need to prove through your degree transcript that you meet certain criteria for teaching practice days and age range covered. I came on a student visa and did my Masters in ECE here. There are heaps of jobs in ECE infact because of the new requirement for day care centres to employ teachers to run the kindergarten programs, as the children don't start school until they're 6 here. I got offered a job teaching such a program with no drama at all, but I had already found the hoops and jumped through them. My employer then sponsored my PR when my student visa expired. Long day care isnt a great place to work as a teacher in my experience but its a means to an end. Not sure about other states but here in Vic there are plenty of ECE vacancies, just not in schools. Inbox me for further info, I am surprised how negative this thread is about your hopes! I haven't found it that way at all. Joanne