But many are rightly concerned that this could result in cut corners, with schools to pay the price of new professionals that aren't up to scratch.

New research led by University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) School of Education senior lecturer Dr Ellen Larsen is aiming to ensure that its fast-tracked teaching pathways won’t compromise on education quality.

Alongside colleagues Associate Professor Mia O’Brien, Dr Lisa Ryan and Dr Katie Cawte, Larsen says the team’s research project will investigate the experiences of preservice teachers learning to teach, whilst also being paid to teach in Queensland classrooms.

“We have a number of pathways now where we have preservice teachers who are still studying to be teachers, but they’re also employed and working as teachers in schools,” Larsen says.

“Our research is making sure that our preservice teachers are still experiencing high quality and equitable teacher preparation and learning while they’re undertaking these pathways.”

Larsen says UniSQ is in a unique position to investigate the experiences of these practising preservice teachers because it is one of the only universities to offer all three different teaching pathways available to preservice teachers in the state.

The three pathways include Queensland Government internship initiatives Trade to Teach and Turn to Teaching, as well as opportunities to undertake the popular Permission to Teach, which allows a school to employ a preservice teacher if they are unable to recruit a fully-qualified teacher.

“Australia is experiencing an escalating teacher shortage and one way of addressing that issue is to draw on these eager and passionate preservice teachers who are keen to get out and into classrooms,” Larsen says.

“But because all these opportunities for preservice teachers have escalated really quickly, we’re still learning how to support them in the best way possible.”

The researcher says it is an ongoing process of transformation as ITE providers strive for excellence in preparing teachers of the future.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the Queensland Department of Education and the range of stakeholders involved in this work who are all committed to quality teacher education,” she says.

With the 18-month project funded by a Queensland Government Education Horizon grant, Larsen says she hopes to share some initial findings by the end of 2024.

Former high-flying architect, Deirdre Dennys, meanwhile, is a great example of the value and success of the state’s Permission to Teach program.

Having enjoyed a hugely successful and lucrative career outside of the classroom, in 2020 Dennys began studying a Master of Learning and Teaching part-time, and still has three subjects left to finish the program.

Despite this, with her Permission to Teach granted in 2021, the mature-age teacher has thrived at her school, Parklands Christian College in Brisbane, to the extent that last month she was awarded the Design and Technology Teachers Association (DATTA) Teacher of the Year 2024 award.