Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award

MA000075 covers employers throughout Australia in the post-secondary education industry, and their employees in the listed classifications. That generally includes private colleges, registered training organisations and VET providers, and English-language (ELICOS) colleges. It does not cover secondary schools or universities, which fall under their own instruments. Confirm coverage against the award and the Fair Work Ombudsman, as some roles or providers may sit under a different award.

The award runs three main streams. Academic teachers are graded across Levels A, B and C. Teachers and tutor/instructors sit on a numbered ladder of levels. General (non-teaching) staff are graded across numbered levels reflecting skill and responsibility. Classify each worker by the duties and qualifications they actually have, then read the current rate for that stream and level from the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than assuming a figure.

Always take current rates from the Fair Work Pay Calculator or the MA000075 pay guide rather than memory or an old spreadsheet. Rates differ by stream (academic teacher, teacher and tutor/instructor, or general staff), by level, and by employment type. They are reviewed each year and rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July, so any figure has a use-by date. Valont keeps these rates current as part of award-compliant payroll for education providers.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading, which is commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. Casual teaching and general staff also have a minimum engagement for each time they are required to work. Treat 25% as a guide only, and confirm the exact loading, the minimum engagement, and any casual conversion rules for this award from the Fair Work source before running pay.

The award allows teaching staff to be engaged sessionally for defined periods rather than on a continuous full-time basis, with specific rules about how that engagement and its hours are treated. Sessional, casual and full-time arrangements are paid differently, so it matters which one applies. Record the basis of each engagement clearly, and confirm the current sessional rules and rates for this award using the Fair Work source before you commit to a pay arrangement.

MA000075 includes a first aid allowance for qualified staff who are required to administer first aid, a clothing and footwear (and laundry) allowance, a meal allowance for general staff working unscheduled overtime, a living-away-from-home allowance, travel time and fares, a transport allowance for shiftworkers, and a per-kilometre vehicle allowance. Because several are paid per day, per shift or per kilometre, they are easy to miss. Identify which apply to each role and confirm current amounts using the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Where staff work ordinary hours on a Saturday or Sunday, the award applies weekend penalties on top of the ordinary rate, and shiftworkers have their own weekend provisions. As a general guide, weekend penalties across awards commonly run around 25% on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, but what actually applies depends on the employee's classification, employment type and whether they are a shiftworker. Confirm what MA000075 provides for the relevant day and worker against the Fair Work source.

Public holiday entitlements flow from the National Employment Standards and the award. As a guide, public holiday work across awards can attract penalties of up to 150%, but the award's own provisions determine what actually applies to a given shift and employment type. Many providers do not teach on public holidays, but where staff do work, always verify the public holiday rate, and any entitlement for those who do not work the day, for this award using the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Overtime generally applies to authorised hours worked beyond the ordinary daily or weekly hours, with the award setting one rate for the first hours of overtime and a higher rate after that. Eligibility can differ between streams and levels, and a meal allowance can apply to unscheduled overtime beyond a set length. Identify which hours count as overtime for each worker, and confirm the applicable overtime rates and any eligibility limits for this award via the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Staff engaged as shiftworkers on afternoon or night shifts, including permanent night shift, receive shift penalties on their ordinary hours under the award, with weekend shifts attracting a higher loading again. Casual shiftworkers receive the shift penalty in addition to their casual loading. Identify which staff are genuinely shiftworkers under the award's definition, and confirm the current shift penalty rates for this award using the Fair Work source rather than assuming a figure.

Part-time employees work fewer than 38 ordinary hours a week on a reasonably predictable, agreed basis, and receive the same entitlements as full-timers on a pro-rata footing. Their agreed hours and days should be recorded in writing, and work outside those agreed hours can attract overtime. Confirm the current part-time conditions, including any minimum engagement and the rules for varying agreed hours, for this award from the Fair Work source before rostering.

Modern award minimum rates increase following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. Apply increases from the correct pay period, not the calendar date, and pull the new figures for each classification and allowance from the Fair Work source so your payroll stays compliant.

The risks with MA000075 sit in the detail: the right stream and level, sessional and casual teaching engagements, shift, weekend, public holiday and overtime loadings, the various allowances, and figures refreshed every July. The safest approach is to anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for education providers, mapping staff to the correct classifications, allowances and penalties so figures stay current and accurate.