teacher

education officer

counselor

early childhood teacher

service coordinator

TAFE NSW

The restructure of One TAFE......yes it had to happen. But,  procedures and common sense are at polar ends of the spectrum. There is a distinct lack of understanding between what looks good on paper and what actually works. 
TAFE still continue to waste money and resources on senseless meetings that evolve into nothing. They admit things aren’t right, but fail to act on it and do anything about it. 
Job classifications, pay scales and conditions appear to have been pulled out of a lucky dip. Some roles are overloaded with work and responsibility, while others on higher classifications appear to be very light on with work and have no responsibilities. Instead they are  busy helping others, doing lower pay scale roles, just to remain busy and functional at work. This isn’t their fault, they simply don’t have enough work in there job description  to keep them busy.  Again, it probably looked good on paper, but it simply isn’t working. When is this senseless waste of money going to stop. It has been going on now for over 12 months. Either reclassify these roles or give these higher paid roles some work and responsibility.
For me, I’ve hit rock bottom. You can only be a punching bag for so long before you snap. I don’t believe we are supported well enough. Paid for 35hrs but working in excess of 45hrs+ each week isn’t exactly a dream job. My health has taken a hit and my body literally aches all over. I struggle each day at work mentally to concentrate. 15-20years I have been with TAFE. I have never hated going to work so much as I do right now.

Early start - checking all staff were present - rooms unlocked.

Check phone messages - check emails - respond to same.

All students have different personalities as do all staff.  Clashes will occur which leads to the use of conflict and negotiation skills.  They are a primary component - equally as important as my teaching/management skills.

There were always informal meetings and agenda items were discussed for the fortnightly auditable, formal meeting.

The teaching staff I managed were very professional and dedicated to their job.  Most times we were all pulling in the same direction and when we weren't a meeting was called to discuss the issue/s and find a solution that would suit all involved.

The hardest part of the job was keeping myself and the staff abreast with the increasing technology within a limited budget.

The most enjoyable part of the job was watching the student grow with the knowledge necessary for them to participate in the next phase of their life.

TAFE NSW is a training organisation and yet they have no respect for their trainers. Most admin jobs are ongoing permanent, but 75%  of teachers are only casual- even after 10+ years. This allows unskilled managers to constantly hold teachers over a barrel and teachers comply with unethical and unreasonable demands in order to keep their insecure jobs.  The environment is competitive and negative, with everyone clambering over each other for the very few ongoing contracts on offer. There is very little funding  and teachers have to spend their own money on teaching resources to do a good job. Technology in the classroom is old and substandard, impacting the students' learning experience. 
The biggest problem is the centralised management, which leaves unskilled middle management in the regions without any oversight to make terrible decisions and treat staff badly without any recourse. I was so happy and relieved to find a job elsewhere.


Most days I would start work by answering student phone calls for the Teachers, that may or may not started work for the day & check any emails that maybe in our in box.

I learned about how to appropriately speak to Students that may have a disability that may require some help in their course they are studying & the appropriate Teacher/Consultant to refer them to.

My manager & Head Teachers were very supportive & were very quick at returning a call to a student that may have needed some help from us.

I met some of my best friends while working at TAFE. While it was busy & could be intense & had it's challenges - it was a very rewarding job.

The hardest part of the job, was having to hear the sad stories from some of the students, with regards to their person challenges - that you might only be able to help by taking the time to listen.

Being able to help someone who was distressed when they called you, be happy with the outcome & tell you how grateful they are for the assistance.

There are 3 stages of recruitment: formal written application,a panel  interview with a technical test and finally the successful candidate has to find a head teacher for employment. After all that perhaps there's casual employment at the whim of head teacher. I've actually been dismissed from a long term casual position when a new head teacher arrived and "tested" my reaction to her intentional provocation. 

The recruitment process is wasteful and bureaucratic. Many Head teachers don't have the skills or the moral fibre to be given the right to deny successful  candidates a  teaching position. I hope that TAFE does not receive government contracts. It would be a misuse of taxpayer funding. Smaller private colleges are more flexible and efficient.

Working for TAFE NSW had it's pros and cons... depending which section you worked in there are sometimes more times more pros or more cons... Great work life balance if you have a family, you're finished by 4pm and if you have a supportive flexible manager then there is a lot of give and take and you are fortunate enough to work in an adult team environment. However if you work in a section with a 'micro manager' than you still get work like balance but without the flexibility, and you are constantly on edge. TAFE is good as long as you are not looking for career advancement, you get pigeonholed very easily and there is little to no career advancement, nor job stability. 

I was fortunate to have a great manager, great team and work in a progressive adult learning environment. - I enjoyed my 3 years working at TAFE NSW.

They are toxic, manipulative and it's really unpleasant to work for. 
They can not keep staff, if you look at the staff photos everyone is new, no one stays and I've had several staff members tell me it's a horrible environment and they only stay as they are too old to get other positions else where.
The hardest part of this job is the people you work with they are toxic and will lie behind your back to any and everyone. Other people aren't suprised when I mention this as it's a government agency and apparently they are all like this. 
It's great to have on your resume but that is it.
The pay is terrible and they keep you on as a contract so they don't have to pay you sick leave or a decent wage.
Honestly the most enjoyable part was when I found another job and quit.

Great place to work. The staff are friendly, co-operative and the organization provides opportunities to further develop one's skills base.

Work is determined by one's location within the State therefore, reliant upon demand by clients. Never-the-less, when opportunities do present they are offered to the person designated within an area or, if the person is unavailable, it is then offered to the closest person available.

I have found TAFE to be a warm workplace, have never noticed any adverse political difficulties and  have developed a sound professional standing with the administrative and managerial staff.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The pay is higher than all other clusters in the NSW public sector

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The organisation is slow to change and there is little business acumen in the leadership. People have been at TAFE NSW for a long time preventing any real innovation. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
On paper great; in reality, it’s toxic with close-knit groups that block change 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Lots of meetings. Lots of talking. Lots of documents. Gatekeepers and bureaucracy. Very little action. You can stay at TAFE forever as long as you fit the  mould.

A typical session can occur online or in-person, in which we speak with our corresponding students and guide them with any struggles they have with everyday English, culture or other everyday activities like booking a medical appointment. Volunteering with TAFE has taught me about communication with people with different cultural backgrounds and patience. The most enjoyable part of the work is helping people learn from their grammatical and pronunciation-related mistakes and the most difficult part is helping with topics of Australian culture that I'm less familiar with due to a lack of experience. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 1 salary reported	$97,102 per year
Education officer 1 salary reported	$75,333 per year
Counselor 15 salaries reported	$100,862 per year
Early childhood teacher 2 salaries reported	$71,592 per year
Service coordinator 7 salaries reported	$77,807 per year

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