Industry experience: get your case reassessed

Teachers affected by DET's decision to remove incremental credit for previous industry experience should get their case reassessed, writes JOHN DIXON.

Federation has continued to take up the issue of the Department of Education and Training's (DET's) unilateral decision to remove incremental credit for previous industry experience for those teachers employed or re-employed after day 1, term 1, 2005. The union has always opposed this change.

Federation Senior Officers have raised the matter directly with the Director-General and Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt.

DET's decision to remove this provision is not only short-sighted, it is an act of vandalism by DET officials who don't understand the more than 60 year history of incremental credit for service outside of direct teaching experience. This at a time of increased numbers of new teachers with considerable years of prior relevant industry experience coming into the profession, and the increased competition from private schools, especially in teacher-shortage areas.

Over a number of years Federation sought changes to some of the procedures that related to the way incremental credit was calculated. The changes sought were:

• The removal of 'negative increments' for breaks in service -- this provision particularly disadvantaged women and those returning to the teaching provision after pursuing other career options.
• The combination of temporary/casual service of less than 203 days when gaining permanent employment to add to the individual's incremental progression for salary purposes.
• The recognition of part-time and permanent part-time service in areas other than teaching for industry service credit.

Federation was successful in having the first two changes accepted by DET as necessary reforms. The union was unsuccessful in having part-time industry experience credited pro-rata towards incremental progression. In fact, as mentioned above, DET removed the provisions for full-time industry experience after the age of 21 from counting towards a teacher's incremental level.

Federation made it clear to DET that the union opposed such a move "as it would compromise existing and future recruitment strategies with respect to mature-age recruits".

The union has now taken to the Minister some examples of individual teachers who have been severely disadvantaged by this new policy, such as individuals with more than 20 years in the hospitality industry now teaching tourism and hospitality in high schools, a beginning teacher who was a solicitor for 15 years now teaching legal studies, and so on.

It was pointed out to the Minister that if these same people had been employed as TAFE teachers, under her portfolio they would have had their "relevant industry experience" counted towards their starting incremental salary. Federation also pointed out that these teachers would be over $10,000 better off with private school employers who would recognise their industry experience in determining salary levels.

The Minister has asked DET to re-look at individual cases on the grounds of relevant industry experience to their teaching subject or area. Federation is encouraging all those teachers affected by the new procedures for previous industry experience since the beginning of this year to contact the DET and ask that their cases be reassessed, especially if their industry experience has some relevance to their teaching.

Members should write to The General Manager, Industrial Relations and Employment Services, Department of Education and Training, GPO Box 33 Sydney 2001 seeking a review of their case. Members are encouraged to send copies of their requests to the Federation so the union can continue to pursue the matter -- to have the policy changed or overturned.

John Dixon is the Assistant General Secretary (Communications and Administration).

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June 2005 contents