Education Officer
As a part-time Army Education Officer, you’ll work on professional development programs and provide advice and resources. Your work will ensure the Army’s learning, education and training (LET) systems, processes and outcomes meet the current and future needs of its workforce.
What you'll do
You’ll work in a range of Defence training establishments that will offer variety and challenges you won’t find in a regular education environment.
For example, you could find yourself supporting instructors and learners in one of the dynamic Defence training establishments across Australia or developing education and learning systems policies in Canberra.
Your duties will depend on your rank, experience and qualifications and may include:
- development of Defence instructors
- improvement of Defence learning interventions, programs and outcomes
- development of transferable skills to increase the employability of Defence personnel
- designing evidence-based learning products and online learning
- assurance and evaluation of Defence’s syllabi and learning products to meet command, system and quality requirements
- development of Defence’s learning systems practitioner workforce
- providing technical advice on the governance, assurance and application of Army and Defence learning doctrine, policies, procedures and innovations
- providing learning technology advice
- leading learning product development teams
- designing curriculum
- conducting Australian familiarisation and English training for foreign students
- conducting performance and learning analysis to support future capability requirements
- directing service and enterprise-level education and learning systems organisations.
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career as an officer. As you progress, the Army will provide you with leadership, management, and specialist skills training to develop your ability to effectively manage your teams. You’ll also be provided with training opportunities to further develop your role-related expertise. This world-class training will strengthen your skillset and enable you to become an influential leader in the Army.
As an officer in the Army, you may also undertake a posting to an Any Officer role during your career, such as instructor/training roles and staff officer roles. This experience helps you broaden your skill set and prepare for more senior roles.
The Army Reserve has units located all across Australia and offers you the flexibility to serve where you live. You could be posted to a University Regiment or a Defence Training Centre. There are training locations in cities, small towns and regional areas. Even if there isn’t a unit close to you there may be other ways to serve. You’ll have a Careers Coach who you can ask about your options.
It’s provided me with a lot of good life skills: communication, leadership, confidence.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. For Reserve service, the maximum age to apply is 60 years, with a Compulsory Retirement Age (CRA) of 65. Candidates who wish to enlist into the Reserves beyond the age of 61 years will need further assessment to ensure they can complete all pre-requisite training in their chosen field prior to reaching CRA.
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
As a minimum requirement, you’ll have completed an initial teacher education qualification and meet the requirements for full teacher registration in at least one Australian state or territory at the time of application.
Initial teacher education programs include:
- Bachelor of Education
- Dual / combined degree e.g. Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education
- Postgraduate degree e.g. Graduate Diploma of Education, Master of Teaching or Master of Education (for those with an undergraduate degree outside the education area).
The Army may consider teaching and curriculum design experience other than that listed above, on a case-by-case basis and depending on service need.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
There is no minimum number of years required in the ADF Reserve as service is voluntary. You can volunteer until the Defence Reserve retirement age of 65, subject to the requirements and your suitability for further service.
Reserve service is flexible and can fit around your family, life and work responsibilities. In your first year, you can choose to serve between a minimum of 20 and up to 150 days, which includes Initial Employment and Military Training. After that, you can choose to serve 20 to 150 days each year, with the potential to extend to 200 days. On training completion, you can serve from as little as one night a week, one weekend a month, or in consecutive weeks - in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Course: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Course: Regimental Officer Basic Course (ROBC)
Duration: 3 weeks
Location: Simpson Barracks, Melbourne, Vic
This training will follow your Initial Military Training and will prepare you for your initial duties as a Lieutenant Education Officer. ROBC is run once annually.