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The following information is provided to enable you to get the most from your work experience placement.
What Is Work Experience?
Work experience involves secondary school students in short-term placements that broaden their experience and understanding of the world of work and career opportunities in general. Students observe different aspects of work and may assist with tasks allocated by their supervisor. Work experience is not the same as work placement. Work placement allows students to acquire skills and knowledge in an industry setting as part of an accredited vocational training program.
What Are The Benefits Of Work Experience For Students?
Work experience provides students with the opportunity to:
- Examine and assess initial career choices and career opportunities and assist them in their course and career decision making
- Develop contacts with potential employers and increase understanding of recruitment practices in the workplace
- Be exposed to the real world of work, to develop work-related competencies and enhance opportunities for part-time and casual employment
- Increase understanding of the relevance of the school curriculum in relation to preparing young people for work
- Increase motivation to continue study and/or undertake further training
- Fulfil tertiary institution pre-requisites that require experience in the area of intended study
- Improve understanding of the work environment and employers expectations
- Find out more about work-related issues such as the impact of technological changes on work, workplace relations, and rights and responsibilities of employers and employees
- Develop an awareness of appropriate attitudes and behaviours for paid work
- Increase self understanding, maturity, independence and self confidence, especially in the workplace
What Are The Benefits For Employers?
Work experience enables employers to:
- Build closer relations with schools and the local community
- promote their enterprises and industry as a career to young people
- assess the capabilities of work experience students for potential casual, part-time or full-time work
- enhance the skills of existing employees by being involved in supervising students.
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Occupational Health & Safety
Employers should comply with occupational health and safety requirements and standards under Victorian law. The employer or supervisor should provide the student with appropriate training and instruction in respect to occupational health and safety. This training should relate to the tasks to be undertaken during the work experience.
Students must complete safe@work  on-line training prior to arrangement of placement.
Accidents
In the event of an accident and the student is injured, the employer must contact the parent/guardian as well as the teacher in charge of work experience as soon as possible. The employer also needs to fulfil their obligations required by the occupational health and safety requirements and standards under Victorian law.
Anti-Discrimination
Anti-discrimination requirements under Victorian law (Equal Opportunity Act 1995) apply to students as if they are employees. There should be an adequate level of supervision to ensure the students safety and welfare in a non-discriminatory and harassment free working environment.
Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities may undertake extended work experience. Extensions to the length of the work experience program will only be granted if it is determined that the student needs extra days to achieve the skills and benefits required in the educational program he/she is undertaking.
Work Experience Arrangement Forms
All sections of the Work Experience Arrangement Form must be completed and signed before the work experience commences. The student should receive a complete signed copy of the Work Experience Arrangement Form and so should the employer.
When Can Students Do Work Experience?
Work experience is only to be undertaken during the school year. This includes the first, second and third term holidays, but not the holidays at the end of the year. Under the legislation, students can undertake work experience:
- For a maximum of ten days per term or forty days per year
- With the same employer for specified periods during the year
- During normal working hours.
Work Experience Activities
The student should be provided with a meaningful and varied program and given the opportunity to:
- See and experience as many aspects of the workplace as is practicable
- Gather relevant information required to complete tasks or work requirements set by the school.
You should contact the Work Placement Coordinator, Karen Green if any problems or queries arise prior to or during the placement. During the term holidays, employers and students will be provided with alternative contact details.
Attendance
If a student is absent without notification, the employer should contact the teacher in charge of work experience straight away. Students must inform the employer and the school if they are going to be absent from the workplace or if they are going to be late.
Evaluation
You and your employer will be contacted, either in person or by phone, at least once during the period of the placement to monitor the placement progress.
At the end of the placement, an evaluation form, supplied to the employer, must be completed and forwarded to the College. It would be beneficial if you and the supervisor have discussed the value of the work experience and your performance prior to the completion of the form.
It would be beneficial if the student and the supervisor have discussed the value of the work experience and the students performance prior to the completion of such a form.
Payment
The minimum rate of payment to you on work experience is $5 a day. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has agreed to the following arrangements under the New Tax System for students undertaking work experience.
- Employers are exempted from issuing group certificates for students who are paid the minimum of $5 a day.
- If students are under eighteen years of age and the payment made is less than $120 per week, the employer will not be obligated to: make any withholding, collect a tax file number declaration, issue payment summaries; and report payment details to the ATO.
- If students are eighteen years and over and the payment made to the student is $10 or less per day, the employer will not be obligated to: make any withholding, collect a tax file number declaration, issue payment summaries; and report payment details to the ATO.
Where the placement is with a Commonwealth department or body established under a Commonwealth Act, an educational, charitable or community welfare organisation not conducted for profit, the $5 per day payment will not be made.
Further Information
Rhonda Pithie
Kerry Weymouth
Work Placement Coordinator's
Bendigo Senior Secondary College
Rosalind Park
PO Box 545
BENDIGO 3552
Phone: 5443 1222
Fax: 5441 4548
For further information, or to offer a placement opportunity, please contact Karen Green in the BSSC School-to-Work office.
Additional Work Experience Information
Pathways and VET Strategy, Department of Education and Training on telephone 9637 2198, or at the following website: http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/voced
General inquiries on education can also be directed to Education Line, telephone 1800 809 834.
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