Some Queensland universities would continue to struggle to find placements for their trainee teachers unless they treated schools as true partners in the process.

That is according to Central Queensland University's Dean of Education and Creative Arts, Professor Jim Mienczakowski, who said some universities were looking interstate or even overseas for placements as options dried up.

Professor Mienczakowski said the tightening of placement options came at a time when more new teachers were needed to replace those leaving the system. He said the age blip factor, as baby boomer teachers retired, would exacerbate the problem in the near future.

"It's hard for the supertanker universities to turn around. Meanwhile, we have been able to exploit our relative lack of tradition to make fundamental changes at least two years before the others have even considered change," he said.

"Universities that have been leaders in innovation now have to recognise that a good deal of change is being lead by schools." Professor Mienczakowski said CQU was proud that its learning management degrees were developed in conjunction with teachers and principals who were still active in schools, ensuring industry currency.

He said that by working in partnership with teacher employer groups, school networks and teachers, CQU could ensure relevant placements for trainee teachers.

The CQU Dean said that research was an important role for academics in University education faculties, but in some cases the balance had shifted too far away from vocational relevance.

"We have ensured that our university academics who have been away from the classroom for some time, have had the chance to work in classrooms again to update their experience," he said.