Special Needs Teacher Career and Immigration options for Australia

Profile Title: Special Needs Teacher Career and Immigration options for Australia

Alternative Title:Not Defined

ANZSCO Code: 241511 | Unit Code: 2415

Skill Level: Level 1 | Work Experience: 5 Years

Assessing Bodies: Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)

Skill Occupation List (SOL): MLT

Specialization: Behaviour Support Teacher, Remedial Teacher, Teacher of Gifted Students

Profile Description: Teaches academic and living skills to primary, middle or intermediate, and secondary school students with particular learning difficulties using various techniques, and promotes students social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. Registration or licensing is required.

Job Duties:

• assessing students abilities and limitations with regard to intellectual, physical, social and emotional disabilities, exceptional intellectual gifts, or specific problems of language and culture
• planning, organising and implementing special programs to provide remedial or advanced tuition
• administering various forms of assessment and interpreting the results
• teaching basic academic subjects, and practical and self-help skills to hearing and sight impaired students
• devising instructional materials, methods and aids to assist in training and rehabilitation
• advising, instructing and counselling parents and teachers on the availability and use of special techniques
• stimulating and developing interests, abilities, manual skills and coordination
• conferring with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons for special needs students
• preparing and maintaining student data and other records and submitting reports

Skill Level Description: In Australia and New Zealand: Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a Bachelor Degree or higher qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1). Registration or licensing is required.

Available Visa Options (As on February 2024):

• 186 - Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)
• 189 - Skilled Independent (subclass 189) - Points-Tested
• 190 - Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)
• 407 - Training visa (subclass 407)
• 485 - Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) - Graduate Work
• 489 - Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) - Family sponsored
• 489 - Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) - State or Territory nominated
• 482 - Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) – Medium Term Stream
• 187 - Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme (subclass 187)
• 494 - Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) (subclass 494) - Employer sponsored stream
• 491 - Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491) State or Territory nominated
• 491 - Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491) Family Sponsored

Registration or Licensing: required

Industries: Special Education Teachers are mainly employed in: Education and Training; Health Care and Social Assistance; and Public Administration and Safety

Education Profile: The most common level of educational attainment for Special Education Teachers is Post Graduate/ Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate (45.3 per cent).

Job Opening: Over the five years to November 2019, the number of job openings for Special Education Teachers is expected to be average (between 10,001 and 25,000). Job openings count both employment growth and turnover (defined as workers leaving their occupation for other employment or leaving the workforce).

Age Group: The main age group is 45-54 years (24.7 per cent) and the median age is 49 years (compared to 40 years for all occupations).

Gender: The female share of Special Education Teachers is 89.7 per cent and 67.7 per cent of Special Education Teachers work full time. Average weekly hours for full time workers are 39.3 (compared to 40.2 for all occupations).

Earning: In August 2014 (latest available data) weekly earnings full-time before tax (and not including employer superannuation) were $1,506 (compared to earnings for all occupations of $1,200).

Employment: Employment for this occupation rose very strongly (in percentage terms) in the past five years and rose very strongly in the long-term (ten years). Looking forward, employment for Special Education Teachers to November 2020 is expected to grow very strongly.