Through the School Counsellor in Training Sponsorship program, approved teachers who, within the last five years, have completed a three-year sequence of Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) approved psychology studies with a minimum Grade Point Average of 5.5 are supported by the department to train for two years to become a school counsellor.

School counsellors in training receive:

• full-time teaching salary
• tuition fees paid
• paid accommodation expenses to attend compulsory face-to-face university intensives where overnight accommodation is necessary
• a Master of Professional Psychology (School Counselling) from Charles Sturt University upon successful completion of the course
• a permanent school counsellor position in a NSW public school in an area of workforce need.

To apply, you will need to:

• be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• hold a current NSW driver's licence
• be an approved teacher with the NSW Department of Education for full time employment
• have, within the last five years, completed a three-year sequence of APAC approved psychology studies with a minimum Grade Point Average of 5.5
• meet Charles Sturt University's entry requirements into the Master of Professional Psychology (School Counselling)
• be willing to accept an appointment as a permanent full-time school counsellor in a NSW public school in an agreed location on completion of your studies for a minimum period of two years.

Agreed locations

As part of the application process, you will be asked to select either 'Anywhere in the State' or individual school education areas where you would like to be appointed on completion of your studies.

If you select to be appointed 'Anywhere in the State', you are agreeing to be appointed to a school in one of the following school education areas: Albury, Armidale, Bankstown, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Blacktown, Bondi, Bourke, Broken Hill, Campbelltown, Central Coast, Clarence/Coffs Harbour, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Fairfield, Granville, Griffith, Hornsby, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Liverpool, Maitland, Moree, Mount Druitt, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Northern Beaches, Orange, Parramatta, Penrith, Port Jackson, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Ryde, Shellharbour, St George, Sutherland, Tamworth, Taree, Tweed Heads/Ballina, Wagga Wagga, Windsor or Wollongong.

You may choose to select one school education area from the following list of priority rural or remote areas of workforce need: Bourke, Broken Hill, Deniliquin, Griffith, Moree, Orange, Queanbeyan or Taree.

You could also select a minimum of three or more individual school education areas, from either Sydney metropolitan areas of workforce need and/or rural or remote areas of workforce need.

The metropolitan areas of workforce need are: Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Granville, Liverpool, Mount Druitt, Parramatta, Penrith, Ryde and Windsor.

The rural or remote areas of workforce need are: Albury, Armidale, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Bourke, Broken Hill, Central Coast, Clarence/Coffs Harbour, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Griffith, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Maitland, Moree, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Orange, Port Macquarie, Queanbeyan, Shellharbour, Tamworth, Taree, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong.

Further information

Contact the Employment Programs Team via sponsoredtraining@det.nsw.edu.au or phone 1300 300 634.