Initiatives that will improve how the education sector recruits, trains, and places high quality teachers will be implemented where they are needed most, in a strategy set out by the NSW Government.
The NSW Teacher Supply Strategy will add another approximately 3,700 teachers to the public education system in NSW by creating new opportunities and pathways to attract people to one of the most rewarding professions.
The strategy consists of three main pillars:
- Grow overall supply of teachers
- Encourage more teachers to upskill
- Provide targeted support in areas of need
The strategy will also invest $14 million in an overseas and interstate recruitment drive, $15 million in a mid-career transition program, and $44 million in a variety of scholarships.
Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Sarah Mitchell said a ‘one size fits all approach’ overlooks the needs of the modern workforce, and the needs of aspiring teachers or teachers already in NSW’s classrooms.
“The nature of work in schools has changed, people’s expectations of work have changed and people themselves have changed, however our approach to attracting, developing and retaining teachers has remained largely unchanged,” Ms Mitchell said. “That’s why this strategy is needed.”