Explore career options in specialised educational study areas
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles your studies in early childhood education and care, autism or special needs education may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Further studies in specialised educational areas can open up a variety of career opportunities in the education, health, government policy and other service provisions sectors.
The Graduate Certificate in Autism will equip educators and other health, government policy, social work and service provision professionals with specialised knowledge in providing for the needs of autistic learners including the planning and delivery of support or interventions.
The Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care is designed to provide qualified registered teachers the opportunity to teach in pre-school settings (1-5 years) as well as specialise in the early years of school (5-8 years) to enhance their development as a professional.
The Graduate Certificate in Special Education offers an evidence-based approach to equip those who wish to work with students with special needs in a school setting with the essential specialist knowledge and to better support the learning and behaviour of students with special needs.
Career fields
- Government (local/state/federal)
- Non-government organisations
- Primary and secondary schools (public and private)
- Health care and social assistance
- Administrative and support services
- Public administration and safety
- Educational research, policy, or consultancy
- Training settings in industry and government
- Education and training
Employment roles
- Early childhood teacher in long day care and kindergartens
- Primary school teacher*
- Specialist teacher*
- School or curriculum leader or consultant
- Teacher’s aide
- Project coordinator
- Allied health professionals
- Forensic disability worker/clinician
- Residential care officer
- Special education teacher*
- Inclusion teacher*
- Support teacher
- Specialist needs teacher*
- Teacher of the hearing impaired*
- Teacher of the sight impaired*
*Denotes roles likely to require professional teacher registration through Queensland College of Teachers or equivalent professional bodies interstate/overseas.
Occupation snapshot
Employed
61,200
Annual growth
2,700
Weekly earnings
$1,660
Part-time share
44%
This data is based on the occupation profile for early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers, retrieved from the Government's website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
Notable alumnus: Ahmed Athif
Ahmed Athif, Griffith University's 2021 Outstanding International Alumnus, is a special needs learning pioneer from the Maldives. As a teacher, he recognized the lack of support for children with learning difficulties and worked to influence public policy. His impact extends through initiatives, mapping exercises, and contributions to inclusive education in the Maldives.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.