Supporting students
The IEU is with teachers every step of the way, including as students. Your union is your professional voice and is there to support you throughout your career.
Stand with us for better pay and conditions, to improve our industry, and to know that you’ve got help and advice at hand when you need it!
Training
On campus
The IEU works with student teachers in their transition process from studying to entering the profession. As well as free student membership, we offer several presentations to universities on a range of relevant topics at no cost. The purpose of these sessions is primarily to inform students of their employment rights so they have a thorough understanding of their entitlements and responsibilities upon entering a challenging profession.
The types of workshops we run for you include, but are not limited to:
Placement Ready
Going through any issues that can arise during placement and how the union can assist student members in the case of concerns. We cover expected professional conduct and provide tips for nailing placements from experienced teachers.
Working in the non-government sector
This session provides an overview of the non-government education sector and how it differs from the government sector. We deliver a breakdown of the different types of non-government schools, their employment conditions for graduate teachers, and how to navigate employment in faith-based and independent schools.
Duty of Care & Reportable Conduct
This session looks more closely at legal liability for teachers, in particular negligence (duty of care) and reportable conduct, and informs students of their rights if a complaint is made against them.
Employment Rights 101
A session on union history and the employment rights that unions have won in Australia. We also go over the differences between the National Employment Standards (NES), Awards, and Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs). This is crucial for teachers wishing to understand their pay and conditions.
This list is not exhaustive and we are able to combine workshops or cater to cohorts’ particular needs. We often with the Australian Education Union (AEU) who provide a government school perspective.
We are also available to attend O-Week events and career expos, either with a stall or preferably a short speaking time.
Benefits of IEU student membership
How can we help on placement?
If you encounter issues with your mentor, staff, students or parents, we can offer you free legal advice and support.
You can contact us if you have any questions about your legal responsibilities. For example, you are not legally allowed to be alone with students on your placement.
We run legal liability sessions
What else does the IEU do?
We give teachers a collective professional voice.
We negotiate improvements to wages and conditions for staff across schools in Victoria.
We provide expert free legal advice and support for members.
We advocate for improved access to well-resourced education for all Australians.
We successfully represent and assist thousands of members with individual workplace issues (including injury, discrimination, redundancy, VIT registration issues, workload issues and much more).
What about other student benefits?
Student membership with both unions is FREE!
Our annual conference is designed specifically for final year teachers and helps prepares you for your teaching career.
Our 'PD in the Pub' series provides you with skills you can use right away.
You will be kept up-to-date about upcoming events and be informed about any issues affecting the education sector.
You get exclusive access to discounts and advantages such as Union Shopper, Australian Unions, Bank First and Teachers Health.
Connect online with other student members through our Facebook group
This group is an online community space for preservice teachers in Victoria. It is a space to discuss the issues you’re facing at university or on placement, share resources and gain support and advice from each other.