Australian education is at a turning point. Schools are determined to provide quality learning and support for every student, yet ongoing teacher shortages place extra demands on principals, teachers and support staff. Teaching assistants are a critical resource in classrooms, with over 74,000 professionals helping teachers and students every day. Despite their dedication, many teaching assistants face barriers to formal training and a clear path for career growth. 

Principals are looking for ways to decrease the teaching shortage, build a stronger workforce and support every classroom. At the same time, teaching assistants want opportunities to develop their skills, gain a national qualification and grow their career – without needing to step away from their current role. When schools and staff are empowered with the right guidance and resources, everyone benefits: students, teachers and teaching assistants themselves. 

Across Australia, school leaders face the challenge of filling teaching vacancies and reducing teacher workloads, all while maintaining strong learning outcomes for students. The 2025 Australian Teacher Workforce Data Report shows that teacher shortages remain a pressing issue in every state and territory. Larger class sizes and stretched resources impact students and staff – particularly in regional and remote areas, where recruitment is much more difficult. 

Teaching assistants truly make a difference. Their efforts keep classrooms running smoothly by supporting learning, providing extra guidance for students, preparing resources and giving teachers the capacity to focus on planning and high-impact teaching. However, only about a quarter have qualifications beyond Year 12. Too many teaching assistants are ready for more but lack access to accredited teaching assistant certification or a practical, clear career pathway.

Well-trained, confident teaching assistants are essential for classroom success. Their contributions go beyond daily support – they help improve student outcomes, foster a positive school environment and provide steady assistance to both students and teachers. 

Key challenges often include: 

• limited access to teaching assistant qualifications or nationally recognised certification 

• gaps in practical, teaching assistant training online or flexible learning opportunities 

• unclear teaching assistant career pathway and evolving job requirements 

• difficulty finding the right teaching assistant certificate courses that suit different life stages or regions. 

Teaching assistants want the chance to fast-track their careers, raise their salary and make a bigger difference in their school community – all while working and maintaining other commitments. Regional, remote and Indigenous teaching assistants especially value the freedom to upskill in their own community through an accessible program. 

Building Skills That Lift Schools 

With the right professional learning in place, schools can unlock the full potential of teaching assistants. This benefits everyone: 

For Principals: 

• Decrease teacher shortages by creating a pipeline of skilled, credentialed support staff. 

• Strengthen access to future quality teachers from within your own team. 

• Build teaching support capacity to free up teachers and improve school outcomes. 

• Credential and upskill your workforce with a national qualification. 

• Ensure cohesive, explicit instruction across classrooms. 

For Teaching Assistants: 

• Fast-track your career and become a credentialed teaching assistant, recognised nationally. 

• Gain a national qualification in education support while working. 

• Raise your salary in line with your award. 

• Make a greater impact in the classroom as a confident, explicit teaching paraprofessional. 

• Learn ‘on the job’ and practice new skills in real classrooms every day. 

• Enjoy flexible, online learning with live support and structured check-ins. 

The Impact of Explicit Teaching 

Students thrive with structured, explicit instruction. Research from the NSW Department of Education shows that when everyone – from classroom teachers to teaching assistants – follows the same evidence-based strategies, learning becomes more effective and consistent. 

Teacher assistant professional development focused on explicit teaching ensures teaching assistants support students in line with school goals and are ready to step into more active instructional roles. 

Creating Real Career Pathways for Teaching Assistants 

Many teaching assistants want a meaningful career in education. Yet too often, navigating teaching assistant qualifications or finding a flexible teaching assistant course is challenging. Questions commonly asked are: 

• Which teaching assistant certificate courses fit my experience and needs? 

• Can I study teaching assistant course online or work towards my qualification while working? 

• What are the job requirements to progress or become a classroom teacher? 

• Is there a way to learn at home and fast-track my journey towards teaching? 

Making career progression clear – and accessible – is vital. The right pathway enables teaching assistants to complete their qualification from home, study while working and achieve a teaching assistant qualification recognised nationally. This approach is especially valuable for those in remote, regional, or Indigenous communities, offering a practical way to upskill without leaving home.

The new comprehensive professional learning program for Teaching Assistants. 

Good to Great Schools Australia now offers the Mastery Teaching Support Foundation Course, a comprehensive, free professional learning program that’s designed for real schools and teaching assistants. Here’s what sets it apart: 

What the Program Offers 

• Short, manageable lessons: Structured into bite-sized information segments, with regular check-ins and completion tests to reinforce learning. 

• On-the-job practice: 100 hours of supervised work placement in your school, guided by feedback and coaching from a supervisor. 

• National qualification: Attain a Certificate IV in School-Based Education Support, with up to 95 per cent Recognition of Prior Learning, so your existing skills count. 

• Flexible learning options: Study teaching assistant course online, onsite, or at home, at your own pace. 

• Comprehensive support: Live onboarding, ongoing online help and additional tuition support provided as needed to keep your progress on track. 

Unique Advantages 

• Fast-track your career: Up to 25 per cent credit towards a teaching degree for participants wanting to progress to a teacher role – study as you go and fast-track to a teacher’s salary. 

• Accessible for all: Designed for metro, regional and remote participants. No travel required – learn in your own community. 

• A supported pathway for Indigenous teaching assistants: Recognise experience, gain skills and earn a qualification that builds a higher income in education. 

Whether you want a part time teaching assistant course, to study teaching assistant course at home, or are looking to fast track becoming a qualified teaching assistant, this program provides a practical answer. 

More Than a Course 

As a principal, this program helps you build a sustainable workforce, support staff with contemporary teaching assistant job requirements and create consistency through evidence-based instruction. For teaching assistants, the course instils confidence, enables you to have more impact and provides a nationally recognised credential for your current and future roles. 

Other benefits include: 

• free and ready-to-use: assessments and learning modules designed for classrooms 

• resources developed to reduce staff workload and save time 

• high quality, evidence-based content informed by research and best practice instructional strategies 

• an all-in-one professional learning solution for teachers and support staff. 

Build for Today, Invest in the Future 

By investing in upskilling teaching assistants, Australian schools can reduce teacher shortages, boost student learning and offer fulfilling career pathways. The Mastery Teaching Support Foundation Course is your partner on this journey, offering flexible, supported, and practical training that helps participants and schools achieve more. 

Start Your Next Step 

Whether you’re a principal seeking to strengthen your school, or a teaching assistant ready to take your next step, the Foundation Course helps you reach your goals – delivering skills, support and career progression in a flexible, accessible format. 

Enrol in GGSA’s Mastery Teaching Support Foundation Course today and start building your teaching assistant career pathway.

Julie Grantham brings more than 40 years of experience in education as a teacher, principal and senior public servant, including three years as Director-General of the Queensland Department of Education. 

During her leadership, Queensland’s state school results consistently improved and teaching and learning practices were strengthened through the introduction of world-class benchmarking. 

Julie also led major reforms requiring every Queensland school to define and implement evidence-based pedagogical practices tailored to their context.

Today, as Director of Schools at Good to Great Schools Australia, Julie works with schools and education systems to design and deliver programs that ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. Be sure to catch Julie each week as she hosts the Good to Great Schools Webinars. For more information, click the link below.