eddie scrafton

Hi All

Hoping somebody out there can help me.

I've recently moved to the Sunshine Coast with my wife and little boy. Settling in well and loving the area, had a great Xmas, New Year and Australia Day out here.

My wife has found work very easily but I am having a few more problems.

I'm a lecturer in Business and have worked in both Further Education (A levels & GNVQ's) and Higher Education (HND's, Foundation Degrees and CIM qualifications) back in the UK. I've even done some teaching of GCSE's to year 10 and 11 in Comprehensive as well, so figured I wouldn't have a problem getting work out here. However, things haven't moved as quickly as I'd hoped they would.

Sent off my CV to the Uni in response to a request for expressions of interest in casual lecturers, but there's no guarantee anything will come up in the near future (if at all).

The TAFE was another possbility but it seems like I'd have to do a Cert 4 in Assessment & Workplace Training in order to deliver and mark there. Does anyone know if this is essential to work in a TAFE or just desirable?

And teaching in Comprehensive's out here looks to be incredibly difficult and you are basically owned by Queensland Education (once you've jumped through all of their hoops and been certified) and sent wherever they feel you are needed.

So, I'm now contacting private training providers with spec CV's but not exactly getting a great response from them. And while I'd be happy to work in Blockbuster in the short term (I'm a big movie fan I really want to get back into teaching as soon as possible.

Any teachers/lecturers out there who can pass on any advice? Even better if you are on the Sunshine Coast? Even sharing teaching experiences in Oz vs the UK would be welcomed at this point.

Thanks

joeyballantyne

hey eddie

i work at uni of the sunshine coast now, after working for many different uk uni's mainly in midlands - lecturing and career advising. you're right it is hard but well worth persevering - sometimes it feels like someone has to die before you can get a job in a uni. one of the probs is as soon as a job comes up theres masses of people all over cos they want to live here - hence the uni doesnt have to work too hard to attract applicants. i know usc has advertised recently for lecturers in business, and am sure will do so in again in near future. just keep checking them out mate. the cert iv is not a bad idea if you got the money you can do it in a few days - just check out the sunshine coast daily on a saturday for info on courses or check out somewhere like cadet who run courses. in the meantime keep your eye on these:

http://www.jobs.qld.gov.au/occupatio...ludeSubOrgs=on

http://www.usc.edu.au/University/Employment/

http://www.csit.tafe.qld.gov.au/site...e.asp?strid=68

S J Jackson

Hi Eddie

I too live on the Sunshine Coast and am also a teacher. I worked in Peterborough in a school for 6 years before coming to the Coast. It is a lot more difficult to get into teaching over here than in the UK. As far a TAFEs go I do think that you need to do the Cert in Assessment and Training - when you look at advertised jobs they all seem to ask for that qualification. A friend of mine teaches at the TAFE in Mooloolabah (I think ) so I will ring her later and ask if she has any advice.

I teach Secondary (PE and Maths) and am doing relief/contract work - very quiet this time of year as term just starting up!!
1. Must get teacher registration (I think $60)
2. Must register as a teacher with Local authority and get a letter which states which areas you can do relief work - can`t work or get paid in state schools without this.
3. If you want a permanent position you need to get assessed and given a teaching level (1 being highest - and down to 4 or 5). supposedly when you come out of Uni a level 1 will give you better opportunities?? however as we have not done country service in Woop Woop for 3 years we are mega unlikely to get a permanent job anywhere on the coast in State High Schools.
4. Reckon the best bet would to make yourself available for contracts and hope that a school becomes interested in you. Once you make yourself invaluable to a school they can keep you and apply to make you permanent. You can be assessed at a school that you are teaching at on contract so that is one way of getting your level (sorry can`t remember proper term for this). My brother teaches Special Needs on the Coast and after 2 years on contracts has finally been made permanent.
5. even those lucky enough to get a contract for a full school year will generally be "laid off" 2 weeks before the end of term to prevent Education Queensland from having to pay you any holiday pay - not too fair!!
6. You can go on and on teaching contract or doing relief teaching without ever being assessed if you do not want.
Whole school system here is crappy - teachers on contract change regularly - kids do not get continuation and tend to treat contract/relief teachers badly. Helps to get regular work in a few schools so kids recognise you and assume you work their full time.
7. Private schools are extremely difficult to get work at. You must get involved with the church and get references from someone in the church for many schools on the Coast. I do occasionally get relief days at one on the private schools close by which is good but I think that was luck - being in the right place at the right time!! Once they know you it is easier.
8. there are agencies which many High schools here affiliate to - it will be the agency that rings you for work in the morning rather than the school - some schools still sort out their own relief staff so you may need to find out which schools in your area work through the agencies and register with them (about $30 for the year I think)

Personally I dislike teaching in Australia - I`m looking in other directions but continue to relief teach until I get organised with other things.
Will try to find out more about further ed/TAFE from my mate and will get back to you.

BTW where abouts are you on the Coast??

All the best

Sarah

eddie scrafton

Hi Joey and Sarah

Thanks a lot for your replies, they're both really helpful, if slightly discouraging at the same time.

Sarah, teaching in comprehensive (secondary) was always a back up plan, but thanks for all the info. It confirms some suff that I'd already read up about.

From the sound of it teaching in that area out here in Oz sounds like a lot of hard work and zero fun. It amazes me that the system here seems to actively discourage people from entering the profession, can't imagine that a lot of people would be willing to put up with all the crap you have to go through.

Have to say I didn't feel teaching under 16's was particularly my thing when I did it (far too stressful, especially classroom management in the school I worked in)!! Much prefered teaching adult learners and HE orientated stuff.

To answer your question, we are in a rental property in Buderim at the moment. Getting settled in and then going to look for a plot of land and build (if I get a job with a decent income that is?!) Really like the area and have friends just round the corner from us.

Any info you can get from your friend about TAFE would be greatly appreciated.

Joey, thanks for the info and the links.

Which department of USC do you work in? How did you get in (through and advertised job or di you know people who worked there already?) Which Uni's in the Midlands did you work for? Before coming over here I did some work for the University of Derby as an accredited lecturer on their Foundation Degree in Community Regeneration.

Have you been out here long? Is teaching at the Uni a good experience?

Thanks

Eddie

joeyballantyne

have PM'd you eddie.

BillandAbby

Hi Eddie and All,


I am really interested to find this thread and hope you are still using the forum. My husand and I are having medicals next week and with any luck will be emigrating around Christmas time. We only discovered the forum last week and I am already addicted.

I am a University Lecturer in Management Studies here (North East UK) and our plan was to head out to the Sunshine Coast (fell in love with the area on a trip last year) and pick up some casual lecturing / marking work until a full time post came up. I just wondered whether you have made any progress since your last post and if so have any tips.

What do you think are the chances of getting a job before we go - would Universities interview over the phone do you think?

joeyballantyne

hi guys

i'm at the uni sunshine coast. i'm involved in interviewing for certain jobs but have never interviewed over the phone. one of the probs is that for every job here there are so many applications they really can pick and choose - we have the highest qualified staff cos they all want to come and live here! it is the only uni so keep an eye on www.usc.edu.au and check out 'employment'. also you could email hr at the uni: [email protected] and ask how you make an 'expression of interest'. that way you g et onto the files and they shouldmcontact you when something comes up, however i would say you need to be in the country. in addition you could also check out the tafe's (colleges of FE) as they also advertise for lecturers - the main tafe is 'sunshine cosst tafe' so you can check out their vacs. realistically cos this is the only uni in the area and so many people apply you have to be so in their faces. i gave up a full time perm job to come on a 2 month contract and its turned into perm so i didnt just have to wait for someone to die before i got in! i started off by offering my services to other uni's in brisbane and altho it meant travelling i had a foot in the door, i worked at uni queensland which is fantastic, just not near to where i live now - so check out uni queensland, qut, griffith, uni southern qld as they're all in and around brisbane. good luck with it, if you've got other q's let me know or pm me, cheers

joey

BillandAbby

Thanks Joey. I visited the Sippy Downs Campus last year and had an informal chat with one of the Department Heads - he said the same thing about competition - so I have been trying to press ahead with my research publications this last year so that I am a more attractive candidate.

I can picture the meeting now - sitting in the open air cafe drinking coffee and watching the Kangaroos leap about the campus. A distinctly different experience to queuing for chips and gravy at our student canteen while the driving rain lashes the windows.

I will check out the sites and send in a speculative CV as you suggest but wait until we get the final visa (we estimate July) before starting a major push. I had a couple of meetings in Brisbane too last year (QUT) and would be very happy to work there in the short term just to get the experience (and the income). My husband is after Environmental work and we suspect there may be more of this in Brisbane in any case. Thanks again.

Abby

Andy_Hanrahan

Hi Eddie.

Have sent you a PM

Andy