IEUA NSW/ACT Branch organisers spent a fantastic day at Australian Catholic University’s Ready Steady Teach Conference.
The day included a number of workshops for upcoming teachers covering everything from banking, to different employers, dealing with parents, NESA accreditation and teacher exchange.
The great part of the day was explaining how the IEU is actually the ‘one stop shop’ for all of the above, apart from the banking of course. People don’t always realise how IEU encompasses so many aspects of the independent education sector and provides a myriad of services for its members, especially student teachers.
Membership is free, NESA accredited workshops are free, the teacher exchange program is centrally managed along with ongoing professional, legal and industrial advice on employment with any non government school or early childhood employer. The presentations to the upcoming teachers in the early childhood, primary and secondary sectors provided them with extensive information.
The hour long sessions covered different employers in the non government sector, the 14 different salary scales that apply, as well as sharing a few examples of how the Union assists on a range of practical situations in the workplace, from accessing their RFF in primary schools, their entitlements to release days in the Catholic sector to complete their accreditation and cautionary suggestions about their digital footprint, use of social media and self care.
Teachers in schools who take on practicum students are strongly encouraged to educate the next generation of teachers to join the IEU and to investigate the benefits of membership, which go above and beyond workplace insurance.