Professional Development for Support Staff

Schools benefit when their support staff undertake professional learning and development (PLD) in their area of work.

The Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreementopen_in_new (SSSCA) supports this by containing specific provisions that require schools to work with their support staff to identify suitable professional development and fund it appropriately.

Determining what PLD is undertaken

At least every 12 months, and if possible, aligned with the annual performance review/appraisal process, you and the employee will work together to identify and agree on appropriate professional development.

Factors to consider when identifying and agreeing are the interests of the employee, opportunities to develop the employee’s career, and the strategic needs of the school.

Sometimes, the most appropriate PLD is during term breaks or outside usual working hours. This means you may also need to genuinely consider the employee’s external responsibilities and commitments. Note that a minimum of four weeks’ notice of any such PLD needs to be given to the employee.

The board can require an employee to do up to five days’ worth of PLD each year, but further amounts can be done with mutual agreement.

Employees can also apply to the board directly to have their attendance at a particular course approved and costs reimbursed if you cannot agree on a specific instance of PLD. Such approval will be at the discretion of the school board based on the factors described above.

Your school board can contact our Advisory and Support Centre for further advice.

Expenses

After determining what PLD is to be taken, schools are required by the SSSCA to cover course costs/registration fees and reasonable expenses (such as accommodation if they are staying overnight and meals) incurred while the employee attends that PLD.

If an employee uses their own vehicle for travel to and from PLD or as part of the PLD itself, they are also entitled to the motor vehicle allowance for each kilometre travelled (as detailed in clause 5.1 of the SSSCA).

Pay

In addition to being able to claim expenses, full-time employees are paid as usual when PLD falls on a weekday.

Where the PLD (including reasonable travel time) exceeds the normal hours a part-time employee would have worked on that otherwise working weekday, the additional hours are paid as normal up to a maximum of eight hours (in addition to being able to claim expenses).

When PLD occurs outside of work hours, during a term break, or on a day not normally worked by a part-time employee, the employee is paid for the time spent at the course and reasonable travel time as normal up to a maximum of eight hours (in addition to being able to claim expenses).

Templates, resources, and references

Click on the link(s) below to access this topic’s templates, resources, and references.

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Collective Agreement

• Support Staff in Schools’ Collective Agreementopen_in_new

  • Clause 5.1 – Motor vehicle allowance