New national data underscores mentoring as key to sustaining Australia’s teacher workforce

The latest Australian Teacher Workforce Data (ATWD) report has highlighted the critical role of mentoring and structured induction in supporting early career teachers and ensuring long-term workforce sustainability.

The National Trends: Teacher Workforce Data 2025 report, which draws on surveys from higher education providers, teacher regulatory authorities and teachers across sectors, paints a detailed picture of workforce demographics, employment conditions and the experiences shaping teacher retention.

Teaching is a highly complex profession that demands the rapid application of knowledge and skills in diverse and often challenging environments. For early career teachers, this pressure is amplified by the need to respond effectively to students from their very first lessons.

The ATWD findings show that regular access to experienced mentors and genuine induction programs provides meaningful support during this critical phase, reducing the risk of burnout and attrition.

Teachers who had participated in a structured induction program consistently ranked mentoring as the most beneficial activity, followed by:

• reduced face-to-face teaching loads,
• opportunities to observe experienced colleagues, and
• orientation programs that provide clear expectations and support.

For early childhood teachers, the need for robust mentoring and induction is even more pronounced. The sector’s unique challenges, ranging from workforce shortages to complex regulatory frameworks, compound the pressures on new educators.

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has recommended that funding be allocated to ensure:

• time is specifically allocated for mentoring,
• roles and expectations for both mentors and mentees are clearly defined, and
• professional development for mentors is prioritised.

The Independent Education Union (IEU) continues to advocate for mentoring to be recognised as a cornerstone of national workforce policy. This includes calls for release time, remuneration, and professional learning for mentors to be embedded in industrial agreements.

The report’s findings serve as a timely reminder that investment in mentoring and induction is not an optional extra, but an essential component of a sustainable teacher workforce.

With Australia facing ongoing teacher shortages across both school and early childhood sectors, the evidence is clear: mentored teachers are more supported, more resilient, and more likely to remain in the profession.

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