FAQ

All students are required to complete a work placement. FTTA can organise a placement for you however as we have many students to find placements for, you may not end up in your ideal location. Students may approach a local workplace of their preference and ask if a place is available. Many students have someone in their circle of friends, family and acquaintances who may be able to assist. FTTA will then ensure the workplace is suitable and discuss the requirements with the school or child care centre. More information is provided after enrolment.

You may do a placement in a school where your child attends, however it is standard practice to not be in the same room. Generally, it is not recommended that you complete a placement in the same child care service although this is allowable under certain circumstances.

The Certificate III is the entry level qualification. It covers all of the basic topics of working as a teacher assistant. The Certificate IV is a higher level and more specialized course which covers most of the topics in the Certificate III as well as having a heavier emphasis on working with children with special needs or in special programs. Teacher assistants who work with special needs may be paid a higher salary.

Yes – you can request the hardcopy of your course materials (excluding RPL enrolments) and complete your assessments with pen and paper. Note that all students will need access to a computer on a regular basis in order to complete learning and assessment activities such as viewing lectures.

There are strict rules set down by the government that determines who is eligible for subsidized fees. You can read the information provided under the fee’s tab of each course or speak to an FTTA student adviser about your situation. Students must live in Queensland. Generally speaking, students cannot have completed a qualification at the same or higher level as the qualification being applied for.

Unfortunately, FTTA do not currently enrol students who are in Australia on a student visa.

There are no exams, essays or tests. Most assessments are short answer or activity based. Some courses have projects such as posters, portfolios and other hands-on activities. Rarely do students fail or not complete a course unless they decide to withdraw.

Each case is different however RPL typically requires several years’ experience in the same role as the course being applied for as well as other learning such as PDs or courses. RPL is most commonly undertaken as an assessment only pathway, meaning students simply complete the course assessments, and skip the learning part which makes up about 80% of the course time. It is best to email FTTA with as many details as possible so that we can reply with accurate advice.

FTTA trainers offer exceptional support to all students. All students can email trainers at any time. Students can also call their trainers directly to discuss issues and ask questions or even pop in for a chat. With a graduation rate of well over 80%, FTTA's support is exceptional and gets results.

Student are allocated a set time (enrolment period) to complete their course, however most students finish in a shorter period. The average completion time is 9 months. It all depends on life experience, training, study time per week etc. Most of our students have experience with caring roles (such as children) and lots of life and work experience. These transferrable skills and experiences provide a solid basis for adult learners to begin a new career.

Classes are available in some areas such as Perth (Cockburn) and Brisbane. See the calendar available under each course for further details or contact a student adviser. Classes fill up fast, so it is best to enrol as soon as possible.

Students can attend a series of workshops while enrolled with FTTA (subject to availability). These workshops typically run for one day per week for ten weeks. Sometimes FTTA run classes over longer periods. Most of your study is completed outside of these workshops. Each workshop aims to introduce students to the course topic. Students are expected to undertake study outside of these classes.

Students enrol in distance courses to maximise flexibility due to being time poor, having family or other commitments or due to living too far from the class location. Distance students follow a structured and supported program with ongoing regular contact from their trainer. Students complete set learning tasks followed by the assessments. All students attend a placement and are visited by their trainer/assessor.

The majority of students who enroll haven’t been in a classroom or studied for many years. Our trainers are experienced and skilled practitioners who are there to help you every step of the way. We specialise in providing training and assessment services to busy adult learners. The average student age is 37 - so we understand the pressures and stresses that come with studying and learning later in life.

Payments are made by Direct Debit using Commonwealth Banks DD system and are automatically deducted every month. Generally, payments cannot be deferred or stopped until the course fee is paid, except in cases of severe financial hardship such as terminal illness and homelessness.

The combo programs allow students to complete two similar qualifications at the same time. Students must complete all of the requirements of both qualifications, however as there are significant overlaps, the time required is reduced substantially.

As classes are limited in numbers and generally fill up quickly, places are only provided to students who are able to attend all workshops.