Melbourne Polytechnic
6 months
Become a qualified teacher's aide or education support worker with practical skills to help students with special needs in classroom settings. This 6-month course combines theoretical learning with 100 hours of workplace placement, preparing you for an in-demand career supporting children's literacy, numeracy and wellbeing.
You must be over 18 years old and hold a current Working with Children Check (WWC) and National Police Check. An interview is required before enrolment. You will complete a pre-training review to assess your literacy, numeracy and digital literacy capability. Experience in education settings (paid, voluntary or informal) is valued. You should be patient, resilient and empathetic, with a genuine passion for supporting children's learning and development.
The course covers core competencies including working with diverse people, meeting legal and ethical obligations in education support, and contributing to educational program planning. You will develop skills in supporting literacy and oral language development, numeracy skills, and students with additional learning needs including autism spectrum disorder. The curriculum includes classroom behaviour support, health and safety protocols, first aid in education settings, and child safeguarding. Elective units allow specialisation in areas such as setting up learning environments and identifying at-risk children.
Melbourne Polytechnic is a leading vocational education provider with extensive experience in education and training. The course is delivered by highly experienced teachers who mentor students in essential skills needed for education support roles. The institution offers hands-on learning through school excursions, industry guest speakers, and structured workplace placement. As a nationally recognised training provider, Melbourne Polytechnic ensures graduates meet industry standards and are classroom-ready for immediate employment.
Graduates can pursue careers as teacher's aides in primary, secondary or specialist schools, education assistants in community education settings, or Indigenous language and culture teaching assistants. The role is ideal for parents seeking flexible work aligned with school hours. With further study, you can progress to Certificate IV in Education Support or related education qualifications. Job opportunities for education support workers are expected to increase substantially, with an additional 30,000 positions predicted in the next five years.
Course fee
Start date
You will be redirected to the training provider to enquire directly. Workinitiatives is not the course or training provider. We aggregate and list courses only.