Career Development

At the University of Newcastle we recognise that people are our greatest asset. We are committed to providing meaningful and relevant learning and development opportunities to equip our staff to meet challenges in our sector and become a world class institution. We provide an environment where staff can continuously develop as individuals, teams and leaders. We aim to provide blended learning opportunities to development staff capabilities and support the requirements of the role and career development aspirations.

Our career development opportunities are underpinned by the following three strategic frameworks:

Plan your development

We are dedicated to excellence in our people. We have committed to collaborating with our staff to empower them to develop and fulfil their potential by having meaningful career conversations.

Foundations for Inspiring People

Foundations for Inspiring People is a holistic framework that provides measures of quality across all three domains of academic work - research, teaching and engagement.

Everyone as a leader

At the University of Newcastle every staff member is a leader and it is important that everyone, right from the executive down to those without any management responsibilities, step up and show leadership qualities in their everyday work.

Building Capability the 70:20:10 way

Our career development opportunities are built on the 70:20:10 model of learning which espouses that learning is most effective when supported through a combination of Experience on-the-job, Exposure to others and through formal Education.

Formal training and qualifications can help reinforce skills, develop your capability and provide opportunities to build on your career. Opportunities for training courses and qualifications should be identified through the PRD process, require manager approval, and should be aligned with the Performance Expectations Framework and the Leadership Framework. LinkedIn Learning can also assist with identifying what type of training fits your needs best, from a face-to-face training course through to various online formats.

Training courses

The combination of face-to-face programs with e-learning resources and toolkits provide you with unique blended learning opportunities.

Looking to upskill or reskill?

We have introduced a number of short courses to help you build new skills and set you on a path to employment or further study.
Restart your future with our Undergraduate Certificates or Graduate Certificates.

Open online courses

Courses are free to study, however students have the option of purchasing a certificate to verify their participation.
Open courses are a great way to sample a range of study and research areas from across the university.

Don't forget that self-directed reading is also an important part of development, and LinkedIn Learning online resource provides you with over 1000 developmental resources across a diverse range of topics.

External courses and programs

If you can't find what you're looking for internally you might find an external course or program that supports your PRD development goals. Your manager may identify a suitable program or you could do an internet search to see what is available that aligns with your goals.

The University of Newcastle is a corporate member of the following organisations, which enables staff to access external training and development programs at reduced rates:

Please note that these external courses are not centrally funded.

Study/examination leave

The University may grant study leave and/or examination leave and/or reimbursement of study fees for study leading to a formal qualification relevant and appropriate to the staff member's current or likely future duties and responsibilities at the University, and of benefit to the University.
Click here for more information >>

Your colleagues and industry leaders provide a wealth of knowledge and experience that can help further your career. If you want to step up in your career you should be constantly looking at opportunities to learn from others. Opportunities can be identified as part of your development plan in the PRD process or you can organise them independently.

Examples include:

  • Professional Staff Mentor Program –The benefits of the program are to increase staff engagement and job satisfaction. Interested in being a Mentor or a Mentee? Click here for the details.
  • Coaching – supporting our staff by providing an qualified and experienced person, called a coach to support you in achieving a specific personal or professional goal. If you are interested in becoming or acquiring a coach please contact the OD team.
  • Job shadowing – work closely with someone else to learn new aspects related to your job or the University.
    Tip: include in your development discussion with your manager.
  • Manager/colleague advice – ask your manager or colleague for career tips and advice including observation and feedback of how you perform in your role. 360 feedback is also available on request, please discuss with your manager.
  • Professional bodies and associations – joining a relevant professional association can help you to gain information and contacts that will help you in your career.
  • Professional activities – take on the responsibility to represent an area, benchmark externally, research best practice or identify improvements.
  • Networks – use your contacts within and outside the University to discuss ideas, share experiences and learnings.
  • Conferences – meet with people from other organisations to focus on and discuss issues and points of interest.
  • Communities of practice – join a community of practice in an area of interest to help with collective learning and sharing of ideas.

Looking for opportunities to build on your experience is a valuable career development tool. Most career development experiences can be organised through your manager or supervisor, usually through your performance and development discussions as part of the PRD process.

Some activities to grow your experience are:

  • Secondments – temporarily work in another faculty or unit within the University or externally, usually for six months to a year. Check job vacancies on Yammer careers and HR Online.
  • Acting – act for a short period in a higher or different position. Tip: Talk to your manager if a staff member is going on leave.
  • Stretch assignments – take on tasks that require new or different skills to what you usually use.
  • Special projects – take on projects in addition to your normal workload.
  • Working groups – join a working group on a project in a related or completely new area.
  • Sideway move - to obtain skills needed to apply for higher level roles.
  • Volunteer activities - external to the University.

Discover - online learning platform

Our existing career development opportunities are on Discover. We are continuously developing new learning opportunities aligned to the University's frameworks outlined above. Blended 70:20:10 solutions are available on Discover as soon as they are developed. Courses can be booked directly through Discover.


Leadership Development Programs

A range of courses are available, as part of the Leadership Development area:

  1. Journey to leadership - Lunch & Learn sessions: Hear the stories of staff on their journey to leadership positions
  2. Conflict Resolution for Managers
  3. Women in Leadership (WIL)
  4. Live Learn Lead - Leadership Pathway
  5. Courageous conversations
  6. Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

Jobs at the University of Newcastle

Current vacancies

We have a range of academic and professional roles available in diverse fields across the institution.

View vacancies >>