So you’ve finally made it. After years of study, months of practical placements and perhaps a few weeks of wondering which shoes to wear on your first day, you’re a qualified teacher. Now the real challenge begins!

To help you to be the best teacher you can be in the first two years of your career, the Department of Education (DoE) provides a range of allocations via the Graduate Teacher Induction Program.

It’s important you check that you’ve received your allocations, as they can go astray. If you’re not sure what you’re entitled to, don’t worry – we’re here to help.

For those of you who have signed a contract that is six months or longer, you will be able to access the following allocations:

A start up allowance of $1600 pro-rata, paid to you via payroll at the start of your first and second years of teaching. Keep an eye on your first few pay slips, and if you don’t see this come in, check in with your Manager of Corporate Services (MCS) for advice.

Eight days additional non-contact time provided to you during your first year of teaching. This might be timetabled as roughly one hour per week, or as two full days each term, with the timing of these days negotiated between you and your principal or line manager. This is essentially additional DOTT time, where you are onsite working on your planning, behaviour follow ups, report writing or other non-teaching tasks.

Eight days of relief funding paid to your school to release you to attend Graduate Modules. If you attend your Graduate Modules in the holidays or online, this funding should be paid to you as Paid Time Off in Lieu (PTOIL). Remember to check in with your principal or line manager before enrolling in your first Graduate module on the DoE’s Professional Learning Information System (PLIS).

$150 curriculum materials allowance for you to use for classroom resources. Some graduates buy textbooks, classroom resources, or even a bluetooth speaker. These materials then belong to you, and you can take them with you if you move to another school. Before purchasing, it’s really important that you check with your MCS that what you want to buy is appropriate, as well as the preferred method of reimbursement or payment.

A contingency allowance to cover costs incurred while attending Graduate Modules 1 and 2, including travel and accommodation costs for regional graduates. It’s important to discuss using the contingency allowance with your principal or MCS prior to attending your module. The amount paid to the school varies, starting at $115.91 for graduates in the Perth metro area.

Graduate entitlements are an example of a working condition that your union campaigned for and won.

For more information on your entitlements, visit the Know Your Rights website at sstuwa.org.au/kyr and check out the New Educator rights and entitlements sheet.

If you’re still not sure, get in touch with Member Assist on 9210 6060, 1800 106 683 or memberassist@sstuwa.org.au

Keep an eye out for the next edition of Western Teacher, where we’ll expand on this brief overview of your graduate entitlements to look more closely at the range of supports available to you as a graduate teacher.