Wage Boost For TAFE SA Employees Step Closer
The State Government has reached an in-principle agreement with the leadership of the Australian Education Union (AEU) on a new enterprise agreement for the teaching staff at TAFE SA who are helping drive our state’s economic prosperity.
The TAFE SA Educational Staff Enterprise Agreement 2025 would provide an overall wage rise of 13 per cent over four years, with 4 per cent from April this year, 3 per cent in April 2027, 3 per cent in April 2028 and 3 per cent in April 2028.
This will benefit more than 1,300 staff across the state.
Other highlights of the offer include staff being paid penalty rates rather than TOIL for working outside ordinary hours, which puts more money directly in the pockets of educators.
The agreement also delivers the right to disconnect, so employees aren’t expected to engage in work-related communication like phone calls or emails outside of work-hours. This is similar to what teachers secured in their most recent agreement.
The TAFE agreement will also make paid primary carer leave more accessible to parents.
These wages and conditions will ensure we continue to attract the best trainers from the industry to teach the next generation of tradies and students.
It comes at an important time for our State, as we continue to ramp up training so more South Australians have access to the skills they need for secure, well-paid jobs – building the homes we need, delivering AUKUS, educating three-year-olds at preschool, and delivering renewable energy projects.
Our public TAFE is crucial to ensuring every South Australian shares in the opportunities our government is investing in.
Under the offer there will also be expanded hours of operation for lecturers for 7am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 5pm on Saturdays. This expansion would take effect from the start of Semester 2 in 2026.
The expanded hours will allow more flexibility for those looking to study and train at TAFE SA outside of traditional hours – ensuring TAFE SA can best meet South Australia’s skills needs.
The offer will now be put to AEU TAFE SA members for endorsement, before going to all employees by way of a ballot in the coming weeks.
This in-principle agreement builds on many other enterprise agreements successfully negotiated in recent months including ambulance officers, firefighters, allied health workers, doctors, aged care workers, disability services workers, early childhood educators, hospital orderlies and sterilisation technicians, and SA Water staff.
As put by Kyam Maher
After months of good faith negotiations between the State Government and the Australian Education Union, the Government is pleased to announce it has reached an in-principle agreement for a new enterprise agreement for TAFE SA educators.
These workers play an important role in educating, training and upskilling South Australian workers and this offer recognises that important work.
The Government has made clear we are committed to seeing workers get a wage increaser over and above the rate of inflation, and this latest offer is another demonstration of that.
As put by Blair Boyer
Under this offer we are delivering real wage increases and improved working conditions for our TAFE educators who ensure we have the next generation of tradies, early childhood educators, nurses and community services workers we need.
At the same time, we will see expanded hours of operation which is an important initiative in breaking down barriers to education and training by making courses more accessible to people outside of the traditional hours of operation.
There have been more than 20,600 Fee-Free TAFE enrolments over the past three years, and it’s the TAFE SA workforce who deliver this lifechanging economic opportunity for South Australians – that’s why we’re backing them with higher pay and better working conditions.
As put by Rebecca Brooks, TAFE Divisional Council (AEUSA workplace representative body) Chair
This proposed agreement is a major win for TAFE staff and a clear recognition of the vital work we do.
It delivers a 13 per cent pay increase over the life of the agreement, bringing us in line with other state government agencies and marking a significant improvement from the inadequate outcome of 2020.
We’ve secured fairer overtime arrangements, with time in lieu for scheduled work after 6pm now converted to monetary compensation—so staff see the benefit directly in their pay, not in leave they can’t take because of heavy workloads.
Importantly, our conditions have not only been maintained—they’ve been improved. Preserving leave entitlements was a top priority for members, and we’ve achieved that.
We’ve also introduced stronger protections for work-life balance through a clear right to disconnect, responding to growing workload pressures.
On top of that, parental and carer leave provisions have been enhanced, ensuring TAFE staff have the support they need.
Finally, union delegate rights have been strengthened, giving staff a stronger local voice and better representation in the workplace.
This is an offer—not a final agreement. In the coming weeks, our members will have their say and vote on this proposal.