Charles Sturt University is celebrating more than 950 future teachers to coincide with this year’s Teacher's Aide Appreciation Week.

Running from Monday 2 September to Friday 6 September, Teacher’s Aide Appreciation Week acknowledges the hard work and dedication of those playing a crucial role in classrooms across Australia.

Charles Sturt is helping teachers’ aides take the next step in their career through the Grow Your Own (GYO) Programs and Collaborative Teacher’s Aide Pathway (CTAP), training a total of 955 enrolled students to fill critical teacher shortages, particularly in regional locations.

Associate Professor in the Charles Sturt School of Education Dr Libbey Murray said this week was a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the important role of school support staff.

“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated students in our GYO and CTAP programs who are making significant strides in their journey to becoming exceptional teachers,” Dr Murray said.

“These programs play a pivotal role in shaping the future of education across Australia.

“We are honoured to celebrate their achievements by mailing out appreciation packs and look forward to their continued contributions to the teaching profession.”

Charles Sturt oversees two NSW Department of Education programs, including the GYO Teacher Training Program, which currently has more than 280 [ME1] students enrolled, and the GYO Local Teacher Pipeline Program, which launched in February this year and already has 45 students enrolled to become Secondary teachers.

The CTAP program has more than 630 students enrolled across Australia, who work in school support roles while studying to become qualified Primary and Secondary teachers.

Current GYO Program student Ms Melissa Hayes works at Parkes East Public School and said the opportunity to study part-time while working full-time has been essential to her success.

“Being able to connect my knowledge learned via study with my practical experience is very helpful, too,” Ms Hayes said.

“It’s such a rewarding career, I love it when my students have their ‘aha moments’.

“Providing a safe space for them to learn allows for growth in self-confidence, helping them to realise their true potential on so many different levels.”

Fellow Parkes East Public School staff member and CTAP student Ms Christa Radley said the flexible study options also made a world of difference for her.

“Flexible study options have made it possible for me to study in my time and at home,” she said.

Ms Radley said her career pathway was extremely fulfilling and looks forward to reaping even further rewards beyond graduation.

“I love working with the students in the special education unit, it gives me great joy to see their faces when they are learning,” she said.

A key point of success of the GYO and CTAP programs are the targeted support teams, catering to students of all ages and abilities.

Dr Murray said the high level of support has led to extremely high retention rates in both programs, exceeding the national average for teacher education.

“With an average age of around 39, our students are not only experienced but dedicated to becoming the best teachers they can be,” she said.

“They see great classrooms and work with a range of different teachers and children every day, giving them hands-on experience in schools while they upskill to become qualified teachers.

“The success of these programs is a testament to the commitment and passion of our school support staff and the robust support provided by our dedicated team at Charles Sturt University.”