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Foundation Educator Program
Transform your industry expertise into a teaching career with TAFE Queensland’s Foundation Educator Program. You’ll be employed and paid as a Foundation Educator while completing your fully funded Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) within 12 months.
During the program, Foundation Educators receive mentorship from experienced teachers and gain practical classroom experience in a supervised environment. This comprehensive support system ensures that new recruits develop the necessary skills and confidence to become effective educators.
What's involved
Being a Foundation Educator with TAFE Queensland involves a unique and supportive pathway to becoming a qualified teacher. Here are some key aspects:
- Training and qualification: You will complete the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) within 12 months, fully funded by TAFE Queensland.
- Mentorship: You'll receive guidance and mentorship from experienced teachers, helping you develop your teaching skills in a supervised environment.
- Practical experience: As you progress through your training, your responsibilities in the classroom will increase, allowing you to gain hands-on experience.
- Paid employment: You'll be employed and paid as a Foundation Educator while completing your training.
- Career transition: After completing your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) you can transition to teaching or tutoring positions within TAFE Queensland.
Joining TAFE Queensland as a Foundation Educator provides a clear pathway to achieving your teaching career aspirations, and providing you with practical, hands-on experience in vocational education.
Frequently asked questions
Successful applicants will:
- hold vocational qualifications and competencies to at least the level of training being delivered and assessed
- be able to demonstrate proven experience working in the relevant trade industry
- be willing and able to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122)
No. Foundation Educator positions are earn and learn opportunities. Successful applicants will complete Certificate IV Training and Assessment (TAE40122) qualification on the job with full fee support from TAFE Queensland.
The base salary for a Foundation Educator is $2,546 per fortnight, plus employer superannuation and leave loading. In addition to the base fortnightly rate of pay, there are other incentives available to appointees (see below).
Upon successful completion of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122), you become eligible to be appointed to teaching roles with a higher salary ranging between $3,562–$4,033 per fortnight (negotiable upon appointment).
Remote Area Incentive Scheme
Successful appointees to the roles in certain regional and remote locations are also eligible for payments of up to $25,000 per annum for working in these locations. The type and amount of these incentives is paid at the discretion of the delegated officer and are negotiable upon appointment.
Competitive Remuneration Allowance
Depending on the skills and experience you bring to the role, TAFE Queensland may choose to seek approval to offer a Competitive Remuneration Allowance on top of the base wage for a Foundation Educator. The amount of the allowance and approval to offer is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Foundation Educators can be employed on either a full-time or part-time basis.
A full-time Foundation Educator works 36.25 hours per week. Included in this is 4.25 hours of study development time for you to complete your study and any assessments required as part of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122).
Each week, you’ll have 4.25 hours of study development time for you to complete your study and any assessments required as part of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122).
In addition, Foundation Educators have five weeks per year of professional development time to complete any necessary course work and assessments.
The Foundation Educator role is a transition position to help experienced tradespeople enter the Vocational Education and Training (VET) profession. Once you complete your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122), you can move into a permanent teaching role.
Please refer to the TAE Pathway document for further information.
Yes. Maintaining industry currency is important to ensure our students are being taught by those with active engagement in current practices and processes.
Many of our teachers continue part-time work in the field, either in their own business or through a trade contractor. If you do wish to maintain employment outside of TAFE Queensland, you’ll need to declare the secondary employment to the appropriate delegate to ensure there’s no conflict of interest.
In addition to study development time and professional development time, you will be assigned a mentor who will help you gain hands-on teaching experience and guide you through your training to becoming a fully qualified teacher.
TAFE Queensland also has a professional learning network for Foundation Educators which meets on a regular basis.
Once you've completed your Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122), you may be offered ongoing permanent or fixed-term temporary employment as a teacher or tutor within the relevant faculty – either at the campus where you’ve been working or at another campus where vacancies are available.
- Generous employer superannuation contributions of 12.75%
- Flexible work arrangements
- Salary packaging (employer superannuation contributions, novated leases, etc.)
- Purchased leave options
- Paid professional development
- Corporate health insurance discounts (Bupa, Westfund)
- IT equipment discounts through Lenovo, Dell, Apple, etc.
- Free parking
Please refer to the TAFE Queensland Award – State 2016 and the TAFE Queensland Educators Certified Agreement 2023 or the contact officers listed in the job ad.
