About the Department

Mentoring Program for Early Childhood Teachers

News bulletin: 31 January 2012

Kindergarten teacher Rose Torre and children

Applications are now open for the second intake of the Professional Mentoring for Early Childhood Teachers Program.

The program offers beginning or professionally isolated early childhood teachers the opportunity to have an experienced mentor to help them build their professional knowledge, skills and practice.

The program, which is a Department initiative that is delivered by Deakin and Victoria universities, includes mentor training, shared learning days, structured visits to the mentee’s workplace and additional telephone, email and online support.

Kindergarten teacher Rose Torre who commenced the program in September last year said there were many benefits to having a mentor.

‘It’s great having support from someone in the industry that you can share knowledge with and gain new ideas from.’

The program is the first of its kind for early childhood educators and will be used to inform potential future mentoring programs in the sector. 

The targeted outcomes of the program support one of the key aims of the National Quality Framework which took effect on 1 January this year. The framework will help providers to improve their services in the areas that impact on a child’s development and assist families to decide which service is best for their child.

Applications are now open for the program for both mentors and mentees, which commences in late February for mentors and March for mentees and will conclude in December 2012. Applications close on Wednesday 22 February.

To apply or for more information, see: 

Pictured right: Kindergarten teacher Rose Torre with two children.