How TAFE Can Help You Get Your Dream Teaching Job

Studying teaching doesn’t have to start at university. Instead, you can choose a TAFE pathway that will help you land a fulfilling job in education.

From early childhood education through to education support, TAFE offers a wide range of accessible and flexible education courses, like certificate IVs and diplomas. These can lead you to multiple career pathways or further university-level study. With no ATAR prerequisites, people from all walks of life are eligible to start studying.

Online study methods allow you to complete a teaching qualification while still keeping up your responsibilities, like work, family and hobbies. Coupled with FEE-HELP schemes and reasonable entry requirements, a TAFE education course is a great way to step into your teaching career. 

VET teaching courses that lead to exciting careers include:

Degrees that a TAFE course can lead into:

This course focuses on developing the knowledge and skills required to support children with disabilities and learning difficulties in a classroom situation. You’ll learn core skills, such as:

A Certificate IV in Education Support can lead to positions such as:

A certificate IV is a great way to jump into the education industry quickly, while still feeling equipped for the job’s challenges. This course pathway is perfect if you’re passionate about fostering and supporting children to become more well-rounded, independent learners, despite learning challenges. 

Some people turn their education training into a two-year process, choosing to complete a Certificate IV in their first year, which then feeds straight into a Diploma of Education for their second year. These two qualifications form a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that will see you thrive in both education support and teacher roles. 

A diploma qualification goes more in-depth into learning frameworks, teaching strategies and workplace development. You’ll develop critical knowledge, such as:

A Diploma of Education allows you to move into a more senior early childhood teaching role, including:

This qualification is the right choice for people who know they want to build an early childhood educator career. You will guide and encourage healthy learning and development for children during their critical younger years.

A diploma qualification can also lead into a degree, enabling you to become a fully qualified early childhood teacher.

TAFE education courses, such as a Diploma of Education, can also be used as a direct pathway to a university teaching degree. This is an excellent option for someone who knows they want to become a fully qualified teacher but isn’t eligible for entry into a degree just yet. 

Some VET providers offer diploma courses that are explicitly linked to a university stream, allowing successful graduates to move seamlessly into a bachelor’s degree. Some commonly linked qualification streams include:

This course will take you through the critical skills required of an early childhood teacher, including:

These courses also require you to complete four practical work placement units, which will see you actively engage your learnings in a supportive educational environment. 

A bachelor of early childhood education allows you to start a career as a fully qualified early childhood or kindergarten teacher. These roles can lead to specialist positions — or even directorships for those who thrive in management and leadership. 

If you’re passionate about enhancing a child’s learning throughout their critical early years, this qualification is for you. It’s suitable for both newly interested students or for people with experience in education support or childcare. 

This qualification ensures you’re capable of embarking on a career within the primary education sector as a:

Primary education is a great route for people who wish to work with younger children (aged five to twelve) and guide them through important cognitive, emotional and intellectual milestones before they embark on their senior schooling. 

This course prepares you to move into a specialist teaching career in physical and health education, with career options including:

This course will elevate your teaching knowledge and skills, focusing on people management, leadership and a specialist discipline of interest. Alternatively, you can also choose to complete a generalist Master of Education, which allows you to choose multiple specialist units across various disciplines. 

A Master of Education allows you to move forward into a position of leadership within education institutions, including:

If you’re ready to take the next step in your teaching career, a Master of Education can get you there. This qualification can lead to leadership positions that oversee greater curriculum and culture changes within education systems across Australia.

You don’t have to be fully qualified for a University degree to start your journey to becoming a teacher. TAFE teaching courses are designed to be diverse and easily accessible. They can lead to education support roles or further study to become a fully qualified teacher. 

Jump into a career in education and find your perfect teaching course fit below.