Australia’s most popular teacher assistant courses are available in Queensland from the leader in nationally recognised teacher aide training. Our research-based, practical, best practice teacher aide courses are available from $50 (co-contribution concession fee) for residents of Queensland thanks to funding from the Queensland government. Available by class in Brisbane and by distance in almost all areas including but not limited to Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast.
Both the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support (the introductory teacher assistant course), and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support (the advanced course for those seeking to work in special needs) is available with government subsidies ($50 concession and $100 standard – nothing more to pay!).
To become an invaluable and essential member of your school community, enrol with the leader in teacher assistant training in Australia and learn vital skills, strategies and techniques that you will only study at Fast Track Training Australia.
Click on any of the links below for details about our popular, government funded, research-based teacher assistant courses,
If you’re reading this, you undoubtedly have questions about studying and working as a teacher assistant in Brisbane or another area around Queensland. This article answers many of the common questions that we received each and every day about teacher assistant courses in Queensland. This includes the cost of a teacher assistant course in Queensland, which qualification schools are expecting you to hold, the best process for finding work, when to start looking for work, the types of jobs available in schools, what life is like as a teacher assistant in Queensland, and many other hints and tips that we think you should know.
If you don’t have time to read this whole article, here is some important points that we think you should know before enrolling in a teacher assistant course in Queensland:
Could this be you? Study best practice teaching and learning techniques such as cooperative learning, small group work and metacognitive skills – only at FTTA.
We strongly recommend reading one or two of the following detailed articles (after reading this article of course!). Written by our expert trainers, learn everything there is to know about teacher assistant courses whether you are in Brisbane, Cairns, the Gold Coast or somewhere in between:
The CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support with FTTA will teach you best practice behaviour management skills which will make you an invaluable member of your classroom.
Have you been thinking about becoming a teacher assistant for some time? Have you always wondered if you’d make a good teacher assistant? With government subsidises for the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support in Brisbane and all areas of Queensland, now is the time to get your teacher assistant career in QLD up and running.
This nationally recognised teacher assistant course is the introductory course that will give you all the skills and knowledge that you need to effectively contribute to students’ learning and development, and to support the logistical and operational needs of the classroom. Students enrolled in FTTA’s research-based, best practice teacher aide course can expect to study four key areas that will make them an invaluable, essential and highly productive member of the local school community.
These 4 key areas include:
Note that the list above outlines some of the strategies that you will learn in FTTA’s best practice teacher assistant courses such as the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support or the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support. As each provider sets their courses up very differently, you are unlikely to study the above in any other course – even a nationally recognised one!
FTTA student finishes the last assessment for her placement by demonstrating use of effective, best practice strategies in a numeracy activity.
For those wanting an edge in the job market, this is the government subsidised Queensland teacher assistant course that is right for you. The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support covers everything that you study in the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support. In addition, however, the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support is known as the special need’s teacher assistant course meaning you will learn how to support and work with students with a range of disabilities, disorders and other issues including complex multiple disabilities and comorbidities.
This course is ideal for students who intend on working with students with disabilities and disorders including in special needs schools and centres. There is an emphasis on Autism, learning disorders and difficulties; Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia; as well as other more common physical and neurological issues that you will come across in a school environment. We recommend this teacher assistant course over the lower level teacher assistant course as schools in Brisbane and other areas around Queensland prefer the higher level qualification for obvious reasons: more skills, more strategies, better understanding particularly of disabilities and disorders and finally it shows you have the capabilities to provide a high level of service to your clients (students, teachers, parents etc.).
Unfortunately, some people in Queensland will not be eligible for a government subsidised teacher assistant course with FTTA. This is often due to one or more government rules such as visa status or if the applicant has completed (or is enrolled in) another qualification. For those in Queensland seeking to become a teacher assistant and who fall into this category, we offer the Teacher Aide Combo at a value for money price with interest free payment plans so everyone in Queensland can study to become a teacher assistant. This program saves over $1500 when compared to enrolling in two separate courses.
The teacher aide combo merges the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support into one streamlined and easy to follow program. There is only 1 placement of 100 hours to complete. There is only 1 set of theory assessments – the course takes not much more time than a single qualification.
As the overlap between the two nationally recognised teacher assistant courses is quite extensive, the Teacher Aide Combo saves you time, money and the stress of completing two separate courses. This is why the Teacher Aide Combo is our most popular course particularly for those in Queensland and who are not eligible for government funding. As with all of our courses, the Teacher Aide Combo is available across Queensland including but not limited to:
Which teacher assistant course you should choose depends on a range of factors. We recommend contacting and speaking to our expert student advisers who can give advice and guidance based on your situation. However, generally speaking we advise the following:
There is not much of a difference in terms of difficulty or duration between the three programs. While the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support and the Teacher Aide Combo cover more complex topics, we find that the great majority of students have no issues studying at this level (it is not a difficult or technical course such as the likes of accounting, engineering or IT).
Some students however, such as those who are learning English or who believe they have poor study habits, may be advised to consider the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support as a bridge to completing the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support at a later date.
Studying online shouldn’t mean you go at it alone! Enrol with a provider with an 80%+ completion rate, live webinars, and face to face support.
For those that can’t make it to class (in Brisbane), our research-based, best practice teacher assistant courses are available across Queensland from Cairns to the Gold Coast and everywhere in between. Government subsidised from $50, easy to use, accessible 24/7, structured, flexible and high quality: everything you have come to expect in a world-class online teacher assistant course.
A high-quality online course will give you the pedagogical skills and knowledge that you need to be one of the best teacher assistants your teacher has ever seen. What do we think a world-class online teacher assistant course looks like? Firstly, it needs to be designed by expert andragologists (someone who is an expert instruction designer specialising in adult learning). Next, you need the best technology. From there, your provider should offer:
These are just some of the elements that make a world class online teacher assistant courses and why our completion rate is over 80% - more than 3x the national average according to the National Centre for Vocational Education and Training. Give your career a head start and enrol in Australia’s most popular teacher assistant course from anywhere in Queensland with government subsidised fees from $50.
Could this be you? An FTTA student completes her placement by implementing a series of best practice teaching strategies – her teacher was very impressed!
You may have heard that all nationally recognised teacher assistant courses in Queensland require a placement in a local school. We get many questions about the placement on a daily basis; few students enrol without asking a couple of questions about the placement such as where they can do it, if they can go to a school where their kids attend and how long it takes to complete. The placement is an invaluable and essential part of your course and it is required for both the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support as well as the Teacher Aide Combo (which doesn’t require two placements).
The purpose of the placement is for students to put into practice the skills, strategies and techniques that they have been studying in their course so far. This includes behaviour management, teaching and learning strategies, logistical tasks, following procedures and policies, working with students with disabilities and disorders, and supporting literacy and numeracy in both one-on-one and small group situations. We visit every student in the workplace to help them perfect their professional practice and to provide advice and guidance to help you improve.
As there are plenty of schools in Queensland, it’s generally is easy to find a school in order to complete this vital and exciting part of your teacher assistant course. However, students should be aware that they may not be able to complete the placement at their ideal school. While we can try to accommodate all preferences, it is up to the school as to who they accept (and we are competing with university students who often take precedent). The exception to this is when students ask their friends and family (who work at a school) or enquire to the school directly. This is the preferred method as it means students can complete their hours in a school where they already have an existing relationship.
An important note to finish this section: Many students end up working (paid work) where they do their placement. This is not guaranteed or automatic, however. It happens when a student uses their 100-hours to perfect their practice and become a vital, essential and necessary support mechanism that the teacher ‘cannot live without’. Many students also end up working casual or relief afterwards (sometimes during) their placement which is how most teacher assistants in Queensland begin their careers (schools like to try the teacher assistant out first which is achieved by hiring them on a casual or ‘relief’ basis as it is called in the industry).
What does all this mean? Put in simple and succinct terms, it means enrolling with a reputable provider who will teach you industry best practice skills is absolutely essential. Yes, there are other teacher assistant courses in Queensland, but if you don’t learn from expert providers and trainers, your career may not get off the ground. Ensure that your provider is able to show you a list of teaching and learning strategies they will help you to master. Ask what you will learn in terms of behaviour management strategies and ensure that their content was written by local experts who have worked in schools (the majority of providers use learner guides written overseas or by professional authors who are not teachers or teacher assistants). In other words, choose your provider very carefully!
So, you have decided to become a teacher assistant and you intend on enrolling in a teacher assistant course such as the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support. But is that all you have to do? Surely there is more to it than that? For some lucky people, jobs land in their lap and reading this section will be a waste of time. For others, a systematic approach will maximise your chances of finding work as a teacher assistant in a Queensland School and will help you to keep your cool should it not go your way initially.
A quick but very important note: The quality of your teacher assistant course will potentially determine whether you get offered work (such as after your placement) and how long it takes you to find work. Many schools hire staff on a casual basis to test them out – if you haven’t learnt best practice skills and techniques, you may not be asked back for a second go. In other words, choose your provider carefully because even those who were seemingly born to do this work, need a good grounding in best practice – something you won’t get in your ‘average’ teacher assistant course.
Back to the process of becoming a teacher assistant in one of Queensland’s many schools. We typically advise a process that looks something like this (although it won’t suite everyone and every situation so take it with a grain of salt – a guide only to get you started):
Some additional tips for finding work as a teacher assistant in Queensland:
A happy FTTA student in her classroom after finishing her course. FTTA students study industry best practice skills and are sought-after by schools.
Many people worry about whether they will be able to get a job as a teacher assistant in Queensland after they have completed their national recognised teacher assistant course. While we cannot guarantee that anyone will get a job, and we cannot say how long it will take to get a job, here are some facts according to the Queensland Department of Education:
To put this into perspective Coles employed 22,241 staff in Queensland in 2017 including casuals. So, what does this mean for me? It means there are plenty of opportunities for qualified teacher assistants in QLD - positions become available regularly. In fact, some schools employ more teacher aides than they do teachers (such as some special need’s schools where students require one-on-one support for the duration of the day).
Source: Workforce Profile, Department of Education, Annual Report
Finally, we should spend a short moment looking at the types of schools in Queensland. You will then be able to further narrow your search (not recommended however) if there are schools where you do not want to work as a teacher assistant. You will learn all about the different types of schools, roles and tasks that are expected of teacher assistants in each throughout your nationally recognised teacher assistant course.
Note that some courses are more focused on certain types of schools such as the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support which emphasises working in special need’s schools and with students with special needs in inclusive mainstream classrooms. Once you have completed your teacher assistant course, you may find work in a:
Quick note: don’t be too fussy to begin with – get your career up and running by accepting any work that comes your way. Then, once you have beefed out your resume and proved yourself to be a high performing teacher assistant, you can apply to work in almost any school in Queensland!
Ensure that your provider visits you in the workplace and has experienced trainers who were former teachers or teacher assistants.
Once you have read all of the above and have made some decisions (goals, timeline, mode, course, preferred workplace etc.) you are ready to begin researching and choosing a provider. If you are thinking about enrolling in the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support, you have quite a few options. The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support is more specialised however and far fewer providers are registered to deliver this higher-level nationally recognised teacher assistant course.
Here are our top 10 tips for choosing a provider in Queensland for an education support course (or any other course in the future):
A government subsidised teacher aide course in Queensland is currently $50 for concession holders and $100 for non-concession holders. This is the co-contribution fee for subsidised courses in Queensland and there is nothing else to pay thanks to funding provided by the Queensland Government. High school aged students pay no fee if they graduated the year before. For students who are not eligible for government funding, we offer the Teacher Aide Combo at a $1500 discount to completing 2 separate courses.
Teacher aides across Queensland earn $31 per hour on average (between $27-35 per hour on average) depending on experience, qualifications, the school and the position. This is about $200 per day or $1000 per week for most teacher aides as many do not work a 38-hour roster. Casual teacher aides can expect to earn an added 25% however they are not eligible for annual leave or sick pay.
To become a teacher’s aide in Queensland you will first need to enrol, complete and graduate from a nationally recognised teacher aide course. Your two main choices are the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support or the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support. Of course, you will need a good resume, clearance and have a suitable attitude and demeanour as well as enjoy working with children.
It takes most people about 6 months or 26 weeks to complete a nationally recognised education support course including the 100-hour placement in a local school. A unit-by-unit course will take twice this time. Those with experience with kids (including raising them), are expected to complete much faster. Those fresh from high school or who are learning English may take 800-1200 hours depending on how their chosen provider structures their courses.
The CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support is the introductory teacher aide course that provides students with the essential and fundamental skills and knowledge to work in a mainstream school. Students learn how to support learning, development, behaviour and the logistical needs of the teacher and their students. Students are also introduced to the basics of working with students with additional needs.
The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support prepares students for work in both mainstream and special need’s schools including roles and responsibilities that require a higher level of independence from the teacher. Students learn best practice techniques for supporting the needs of students with disabilities, disorders, complex needs and comorbidities. At the end of this course, graduates will be able to effectively support students with complex needs in their learning, development and behaviour.
With so many options, choices and recommendations, where to from here? First, take the time to think about whether this industry is for you. Second, decide on which course you want to undertake: the introductory CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support, or the special need’s teacher assistant course: the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support.
Third, ensure that you enrol in a teacher assistant course in Queensland that teaches best practice, research-based strategies and techniques – your workplace performance, usefulness, effectiveness and employability depend on it. Finally, set your goals: where do you want to work, where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time? Do you want to work full-time, part-time or casual? We have given you the information and tools to answer these questions – the rest is up to you – good luck!
To learn more about any of our online or class-based teacher assistant courses from Brisbane and other areas of Queensland, please read our detailed articles here, or contact our friendly student advisers – if we don’t know the answers to your questions – no one will.
Happy training!
Adam Green is an advisor to government, a registered teacher, an instructional designer and a #1 best selling author. He is completing a Doctor of Education and was previously head of department for one of the country’s largest SAER (students at educational risk) schools. Adam is managing director of FTTA, an accredited training provider for thousands of teacher aides every year.
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to check his article for accuracy, information may be outdated, inaccurate or not relevant to you and your location/employer/contract. It is not intended as legal or professional advice. Users should seek expert advice such as by contacting the relevant education department, should make their own enquiries, and should not rely on any of the information provided.
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With more than 5000 graduates, FTTA is the go-to provider for teacher's aide courses. 1 in 2 students choose to study the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support with FTTA.
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