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Guidelines for Procedure - Work Experience Placements

Models of work experience

Several models of work experience may be adopted in schools to meet different needs. These models can include:

Structured work placement
- provides learning opportunities that are part of a VET in schools program and take place in a workplace or simulated workplace and are structured, monitored, regulated and assessed;
- are negotiated between teacher, student and work experience provider prior to placement to identify specific tasks for student; and
- allow students to gain knowledge and demonstrate application of that knowledge in the workplace.
Work sampling
- provides students with opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge, skills and attitudes required in a workplace;
- gives students an opportunity to test personal vocational preferences through performing tasks in a workplace.
Work shadowing
- provides students with opportunity to learn actively about people at work and examine work role they perform; and
- gain access to occupational areas that may not be suited to work sampling (e.g. lawyer, dentist, chemist) with a focus on role of worker(s) being shadowed rather than performance of work tasks or investigation of workplace.
Research work experience
- requires a student or group of students to assume the role of researchers in workplace investigating a topic of enquiry decided upon by teacher, student and work experience provider;
- links one or more school subjects with the experience of work; and
- requires students to seek assistance from teacher and work experience provider to develop appropriate research skills that can form the basis of ongoing work in the classroom.

The requirements of this procedure are applicable to any of those models.

A Vocational Placement (which gives the student practical training and experience that is required under, and is an assessable part of, the student's course) is not a form of Work Experience and is to be considered under the relevant policies of the Department of Employment and Training at http://www.training.qld.gov.au/partners/training_packages_and_courses/vocational_placement/index.html .

Management

Schools need to make appropriate provision for the fact that the demands of an effective work experience program extend beyond the period in which students are placed with providers. All programs require time throughout the whole school year to cover such aspects as:

liaison with employers and interested community organisations which might offer to be work experience providers;
selection of work experience providers;
preparation and follow up programs, including individual interviews with students and work experience providers;
placement of students;
involvement of parents;
maintenance of an adequate record system;
staff visits to work experience providers;
evaluation of programs; and
program publicity.

It may be necessary to dedicate additional resources to support work experience, such as:

readily available telephone for work experience coordination;
computer with appropriate record keeping software;
administration assistance; and
office supplies.

Insurance

Education Queensland maintains insurance cover for students of State schools (and those engaged in approved home education) on approved work experience arrangements. There are separate arrangements covering public liability (Queensland Government Insurance Fund (QGIF) Policy No. B030101) and Workers' Compensation cover (WorkCover Queensland Policy No. SAA070676519).

The contract of public liability insurance with QGIF indemnifies both students and work experience providers in the following situations:

The policy indemnifies the work experience provider against liability in the event where the student is injured while on the premises of the work experience provider, or at another location, while carrying out work experience duties on behalf of the work experience provider.
The policy indemnifies the student against liability if the work experience provider or an employee is injured, or the student damages property.
The policy indemnifies the work experience provider and the student where injury or damage to the property of a third party arises out of the work experience.

The cover is provided subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, which specifically exclude the following activities:

driving of any watercraft exceeding 8 metres in length;
the repair, service, refuelling, maintenance, possession, operation, use or legal control of any aircraft by the insured agency, except for the participation in repair, service, maintenance by work experience students of the Insured Agency, who must be under the direct supervision of a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer or Australian Defence Force equivalent at all times;
air traffic control;
the driving of any vehicle on a public road or thoroughfare or any airport runway or tarmac;
activities associated with railway track laying, track upgrading or track maintenance;
construction or maintenance of railway locomotives or railway stock;
underground mining;
the use, handling and storage of explosive devices;
oil and/or gas fields and refineries;
abseiling;
rock and/or mountain climbing;
white water rafting and canoeing;
bungee jumping and its associated activities; and
underwater diving using either scuba or snorkelling equipment, where the student is not participating in an activity fully supervised by an appropriately qualified instructor.

The contract of workers' compensation insurance with WorkCover Queensland covers injuries resulting in medical expenses, permanent impairment or death, occurring at the work experience location or another location where the work experience is provided, or while travelling directly between their home or school and the site where the placement is provided. For the purposes of this insurance, the student's educational establishment is the 'responsible body'. This means that in the event of a claim, the school is responsible for completing the Employer's Report form required by WorkCover.

Transport of Students

Students travelling to and from work experience placements may be entitled to concessional fares. Arrangements for Queensland Rail and Brisbane City Council Buses are outlined below. Arrangements for concession for school students travelling to and from work experience placements with bus companies other than the Brisbane City Council need to be negotiated at a local school level.

Students travelling to and from work experience placements by train are entitled to student concessional fares on presentation of a Student Identification Card issued by the school.

Students travelling to and from work experience placements on Brisbane City Council buses are entitled to half fare concession on all buses excluding tours and special services. Students pre-purchase the correct concession ticket for their journey from a Brisbane Ticket Agent. Students may use this ticket on all services, including full fare services in peak hour, on presentation of their Student Identification Card to the operator.

Safety of Students

In relation to harassment and unlawful discrimination, school personnel can play a supportive role in assisting students with strategies and advice concerning approaching the alleged harasser(s) or the work experience provider to attempt a personal resolution and/or forwarding a complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Commission.

There are specific actions students may take in response to harassment.

The Principal may:

consider withdrawing student from placement;
contact work experience provider to advise of student's withdrawal, if this is to happen;
inform relevant parties of concerns regarding this workplace as an appropriate placement for students;
inform student of existence of Anti-Discrimination Commission which has power to investigate complaint; and
seek advice from Education Queensland equity rights officer

Responsibility of investigating complaints of sexual harassment made by students on work experience belongs with work experience provider, or Anti-Discrimination Commission if a complaint is lodged there.

Once a report has been made, school is not required to take further action, beyond requirement to exercise a duty of care and to withdraw student from placement.

Monitoring of health and safety performance of work experience provider may be achieved through:

Workplace visits;
Specific inquiries addressed to workplace provider, manager and/or supervisor; and
Debriefing students

Interstate/Territory Work Experience

Ministerial agreements exist between Queensland and New South Wales and Northern Territory (Ministerial Agreement between Qld and NT for the Operation of Work Experience Across the States' Borders and Ministerial Agreement between Qld and New South Wales for the Operation of Work Experience Across the States' Borders). Those agreements aim to balance needs of students with needs of supervisory personnel while ensuring that work experience arrangements of host state and/or territory are not adversely affected by placements from outside its borders.

Procedures for claims by Queensland students on interstate or Territory placement against the liability Insurance policy and workers' compensation are the same as for Queensland based claims.

Queensland schools may receive requests for support with work experience placements from New South Wales and Northern Territory. The interstate home school work experience coordinator negotiates placement of student with the intended work experience provider.

Home school is responsible for completion of their relevant state or territory Work Experience Agreement which is sent to intended host Queensland school at least three weeks prior to the expected placement. If supervision is to be provided by host Queensland school this will be indicated. Copies of documentation of interstate placements should be retained in the Queensland school for twelve months.

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