Recruitment and Selection update
Applications for ongoing metropolitan teacher vacancies closed at 11.30 pm on Sunday
11 September, later was extended to 11.30 pm on Monday 12 September due to overload on the DECS VSP system. DECS HR officers have notified panels that applications submitted on Monday must be accepted.
To date about 700 PATs have been appointed to ongoing positions, with 130 still to be placed. These teachers will be considered first for all consequential vacancies once metropolitan local selection has concluded. The AEU is meeting regularly with DECS and monitoring the process closely. Unplaced PATs will be notified of their appointments early in Term 4. Following this, other teachers in the Permanent Teacher Register will be placed and notified accordingly.
About 800 ongoing vacancies have been advertised. Employable teachers who are appointed to these positions will become permanent. Teachers who have applied for several positions are entitled to delay acceptance of a particular position until the outcome of the others is known. Employable teachers need to be aware that once they have accepted an offer of a position, they will not be considered for others.
Advice for Panellists
Panel Composition
Local Selection panels consist of the Principal (or nominee) and an AEU representative, elected by AEU members at the school. All panellists involved in Local Selection must be trained.
Selection Process
The process is based on consideration of written applications and referee comments. The panel must contact referees for all applicants on the final shortlist. Interviews may be conducted, but are not mandatory. In consultation with shortlisted applicants, interviews can be face-to-face or conducted by telephone or video-conferencing.
The guiding principle is fairness to all applicants.
Referees
Referees can be contacted more than once. Referees must be contacted for all applicants on the final shortlist. Both panellists must be present when referee statements are sought. Key points made by referees must be documented in the panel report. If the panel wishes to contact an unnamed referee, the consent of the applicant must be obtained.
Notification of Outcome
Applicants should be advised if the process is unduly delayed. Notification of the outcome is by e-mail and will include the name of the nominated applicant.
Applicants for positions of longer than 12 months are entitled to lodge a request for an internal review (formerly called an appeal) if they believe a serious irregularity in the process may have affected the outcome. This request must be lodged with the Executive Director, HR and Workforce Development, at decsesmpu@sa.gov.au within seven calendar days of receiving notification of the outcome.
Feedback
Feedback is not available for Local Selection processes due to the large number of applications and very significant workload pressures for panellists. Feedback is available for all Merit Selection processes.
Appropriate TRT backfill should be provided to assist panellists in conducting the process within the given timelines.
Further information regarding Local Selection processes is available for both panellists and applicants on a confidential basis from the AEU Information Unit on 8272 1399 or DECS Ethical Standards and Merit Protection Unit on 8226 1342.