Partnership to tackle teacher shortages

Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL) has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology to address the pressing issue of teacher shortages through an innovative initial teacher education program specifically for current Education Support staff within the Diocese of Sale.

The program is structured as a sponsored study initiative, with DOSCEL contributing a third of the fees, participants' respective school contributing a third of the fees, and students contributing the remaining third. The course, which is an accredited Bachelor of Education (Primary) program attracted significant interest. Following a rigorous application process, 29 participants are gearing up to commence their studies in 2025.

The three-year accelerated program offers significant benefits to students, schools, and the Diocese including;

·         An employment-based model, which will see students employed within schools at the beginning of year 3

·         An applied learning pedagogical design, encouraging students to take their workplace experiences and link it to their university studies

·         Religious education accreditation included as part of the program design

·         A balance of online and face-to-face delivery with a focus on care, connection, and community.

Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited (DOSCEL) oversees and supports 45 Catholic schools within the Diocese of Sale, which stretches from Melbourne’s outer southeastern suburbs, and Gippsland, reaching as far as Orbost in the east.

A Welcome and Induction event was held for the inaugural participants where they were greeted by Mr Paul Velten - Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale, Mrs Debra Punton - DOSCEL Deputy Director/Catholic Identity Learning and Teaching, and Professor Sivanes Phillipson - Chair of Education Swinburne University.

Mr Paul Velten, Director of Catholic Education, expressed his enthusiasm for the new initiative:

“This collaboration between Swinburne University of Technology and Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited not only addresses teacher shortages but also invests in the professional development of our dedicated support staff. We are excited to empower these individuals to take the next step in their careers and become influential educators within our Catholic schools.”

Professor Sivanes Phillipson - Chair of Education Swinburne University of Technology echoed Mr Velten’s sentiment:

“Together with Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited, Swinburne University of Technology sees this initiative as an innovative way of responding to the teacher workforce crisis. This initiative offers a high-quality and bespoke teacher education program designed to value the experiences and prior learning of the Catholic support staff and positioning them to be highly skilled teachers committed to Catholic education through an employment-based design.”

“Swinburne is attuned to barriers for mid-career people to access teacher education. Programs such as this, designed by the Department of Education at Swinburne, recognise the realities of balancing work, study and family, and position students to be connected to lecturers and peers in a supportive and growth-oriented manner. This partnership developed between DOSCEL and Swinburne is an exciting new chapter in high-quality teacher education.”

Media Inquiries:

DOSCEL Media and Communications team: 0437 563 469