Work experience is an opportunity for students to gain a general introduction to the workplace and learn on-the-job skills, ask questions about the work place and industry, and find our more about career opportunities and training.
The aim is to help students understand and be able to make more informed decisions and opinions about their career aspirations and is usually performed by year 9 and 10 students, with opportunities also afforded to year 11 and 12 students in some circumstances.
Work experience is an important step in the school-to-work transition, as it allows students to understand the workplace environment and requirements prior to commencing a career.
BENEFITS OF WORK EXPERIENCE
For Employers
- Identify talented young individuals in the local area who are looking to start a career in the automotive industry and assess whether they are a good fit for the workplace.
- Provide professional development opportunities to current staff by empowering them to provide high-level training and mentoring to the next generation of the workforce.
- Bring new ideas, perspectives, and personalities to the workplace.
- Strengthen the business’ connection with the local community.
- Enables the business to participate in the education and career development of young people in the community.
Work Experience Resources from the Queensland Government
- For Students
- Real-life experience of a workplace environment.
- Gaining references and networking with professionals in the industry.
- Exposure to industry-standard facilities, equipment and knowledgeable staff.
- Develop skills and confidence and prepare for the transition from school to work.
- Evaluate and assess their students interests and abilities in relation to their career choices.
HOW DOES WORK EXPERIENCE WORK?
The Education (Work Experience) Act 1996 (Qld) states that students must be at least 14 years old and enrolled in a school. This includes children registered for home education. Students undertaking a work experience placement with the Australian Defence Force must be at least 15 years of age at the time of their placement.
The Education (Work Experience) Act 1996 (Qld) also states that a student can only do work experience if they are enrolled in an educational establishment (such as a school). Insurance coverage is based on compliance with this Act. Work experience for year 12 students should be conducted and completed during their school year, and not after as they will no longer be enrolled.
Year 12 students will not be able to undertake work experience placement under their school’s work experience program after they have graduated or completed their enrolment.
The Education (Work Experience) Act 1996 (Qld) states that students must be at least 14 years old and enrolled in a school. This includes children registered for home education. Students undertaking a work experience placement with the Australian Defence Force must be at least 15 years of age at the time of their placement.
The Education (Work Experience) Act 1996 (Qld) also states that a student can only do work experience if they are enrolled in an educational establishment (such as a school). Insurance coverage is based on compliance with this Act. Work experience for year 12 students should be conducted and completed during their school year, and not after as they will no longer be enrolled.
Year 12 students will not be able to undertake work experience placement under their school’s work experience program after they have graduated or completed their enrolment.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS (in accordance with the Queensland Education (Work Experience) Act 1996)
- An educational establishment may deliver work experience for its students, and any work experience arrangements must be put in writing.
- A work experience arrangement may be made for a student only with the approval of the principal of the student’s educational establishment.
- The educational establishment’s Principal may approve the arrangement only if, in the principal’s opinion, the work experience provider is suitable to provide work experience.
- A student must not start any work experience placement until the responsible body (if the student’s education establishment is a State school or a home education place – the chief executive (education) or in any other case, the student’s educational establishment) has entered into a suitable contract of insurance with WorkCover Queensland under the Worker’s Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003.
- A student must not start a work experience placement until the responsible body has entered into a contract of insurance indemnifying the student and the work experience provider or another person, arising from the work experience.
- A student on work experience is taken not to be the employee of the work experience provider and the provider is taken not to be the employer of the student.
- In particular, a law prohibiting employment or regulating working conditions does not apply to work experience.
- However, the following laws still apply to work experience, as if the student were an employee or worker and the work experience provider were an employer:
- The Work Health and Safety Act 2011;
- The Child Employment Act 2006, section 8A; and
- A law that prohibits the employment, or regulates the working conditions, of persons who do not have particular qualifications
- The following conditions apply to work experience:
- The work experience arrangement must be made before the student starts a work experience placement.
- If the student is a minor (under the age of 18), that the parent of the student must provide written consent to the arrangement.
- The work experience placement must finish in the year that it starts.
- The student must not receive work experience for more than 30 days in a year.
- The work experience provider must not provide work experience to more than the permitted number of students at the same time (permitted number of students is equal to the number of full-time employees at the work experience provider, or if special circumstances exist, the number approved by the Chief Executive).
- The work experience provider must not provide work experience to the student at a time other than during the ordinary working hours of the place where the work experience is provider.
- The student must not be paid for work experience.
- A principal may approve, for a student who is a person with a disability, work experience for more than 30 days in a year.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
Work Experience Provider
Principal
Delegated Officers (Teachers/Nominated Officers/Contractors)
Students
Parents
Work Experience Provider
- Understand their responsibilities relating to health and safety under the Work Health and Safety Act 2911 (Qld).
- Provide students with relevant and appropriate training, where required, and direct supervision at all times while undertaking work related activities.
- Ensure the permitted number of students participating in work experience does not exceed the number of full-time employees in the workplace.
- Inform the student of particular safety requirements of the workplace, including personal protective clothing/equipment.
- Explain workplace policies regarding bullying, harassment, and discrimination and codes of conduct, and explain processes for reporting problems and issues.
- Notify the school and work experience coordinator of any incident or accident involving a school student, any action undertaken and damages to property involving the student during the placement.
- Clearly explain work tasks and implement reasonable adjustments where appropriate, for students with additional education needs.
- Ensure students will not undertake activities that are prohibited by law, excluded under the department’s liability cover, or unsuitable for a student placed in a work experience environment.
- Meet with school staff who visit the workplace to discuss the student’s progress.
- Complete any required documentation (e.g. student report) and return it to the school.
- Ensure the workplace supervisor has the contact details of the work experience coordinator in case an issue arises.
- Notify the school and work experience coordinator of any unexplained absences by the student.
- Ensure the student is not paid whilst undertaking work experience.
- Understand the level of liability cover provided by the Department and the activities excluded from insurance cover.
- Understand that the arrangement may be terminated at any time by either the School Principal or work experience provider.
Principal
May delegate responsibilities relating to work experience to a nominated officer, employee, or contractor engaged by the educational establishment.
- Approve work experience arrangements, ensuring that:
- Work experience is completed in the same calendar year it commenced.
- Work experience is no longer than 30 days in a year, except in the case of a student with a disability.
- Written consent to the arrangement is obtained from the student’s parents.
- Only activities covered by the insurance policy are undertaken by students.
- Reasonable provision is made for a teacher or other nominated person to visit students on work experience at least once during placement.
- Ensure work experience arrangements are consistent with policies on equity and social justice.
- Sign a Work Experience Agreement with each work experience provider
- Ensure that student’s preparation for work experience includes an understanding and awareness concerning workplace discrimination and harassment.
- Provide relevant information on liability insurance and workers’ compensation to work experience providers, students, and parents.
- Consider alternative means of communication for students, parents, or work experience providers from a non-English speaking background or with low-literacy skills.
- Inform work experience providers of their responsibilities should an accident occur to a student on placement.
- Monitor the health and safety performance of the work experience provider during work experience placement.
- Ensure, as far as practicable, that the:
- Workplace in which a student is to be placed is without risk to the health and safety of students.
- Work experience provider understands their obligations of care responsibilities.
- Students receive adequate information, training, and supervision from the work experience provider, in relation to work being carried out in the particular workplace.
- Ensure students are not being required to undertake work that is a risk to their health and safety.
- Undertake a risk assessment of the work experience placement prior to signing the Work Experience Agreement. This may take the form of:
- a phone call or discussion with the work experience provider clarifying they have workplace health and safety practices in place and the nature of the tasks being performed by the student; or
- a visit to the workplace to ensure workplace health and safety procedures are obviously being followed; or
- if, in the opinion of the work experience coordinator or school staff member, further assessment is required, completing the Curriculum Risk Assessment Activity template or referring to the Curriculum Activity Risk Management Guidelines.
- Exercise a duty of care and withdraw students from placement when justified.
- Postpone or withdraw placement in the event of an industrial dispute or stand down at work experience provider until the dispute is resolved.
- Report complaints involving sexual abuse or assault to Child Safety Services, or to the Queensland Police Service.
- Ensure all accidents and incidents occurring on work experience placement are recorded, reported and investigated, and copies of relevant documentation are kept.
- Provide information to the Department of Education officer on all work experience placements in the form specified in the Schedule of Collections.
Delegated Officers (Teachers/Nominated Officers/Contractors)
- Discuss the proposed workplace activities to be undertaken by the student with the school, together with the associated workplace procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students.
- Provide the student with all necessary information about the work experience placement prior to undertaking the placement.
- Where applicable, make reasonable adjustments to support students with disability to access and participate in work experience on the same basis as a student without disability.
- Comply specifically with the provider’s obligations in the Education (Work Experience Act) 1996 (Qld) External link and the responsibilities outlined in the Work Experience Agreement.
- If requested, provide information relating to any incident or accident involving a school student to facilitate a claim being made against the Department of Education’s liability and/or workers’ compensation insurance policies arising from participation in work experience.
Students
- Sight all forms about work experience placements and understand rights and responsibilities about workplace health and safety, and harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
- Comply with all reasonable directions given by the work experience provider.
- Maintain a record of tasks demonstrated on the job.
- Respond to any instance of harassment or unlawful discrimination by:
- advising the offending person immediately that they do not want them to behave in that way.
- informing their work supervisor and parent, guardian, or caregiver; and/or
- contacting the school principal or work experience coordinator.
- Report any injuries sustained from accidents and incidents occurring on work experience to a work supervisor and School Principal or work experience coordinator.
Parents
- Provide any medical information relating to the student that may impact the safety of the student or the safety of others in the workplace.
- Ensure transport arrangements are made for the student to travel to and from work experience placement.
- Accept responsibility for all expenses related to the student’s participation in the work experience placement.
- Immediately notify the school and work experience coordinator if the student is unable to attend work experience placement.
LIABILITY
What happens if a student injures themselves while on work experience?
If a student is injured during work experience and parents wish to make a claim under WorkCover, the student must first visit a doctor and obtain a medical certificate.
The student must also notify the school of the incident. As soon as possible, the school should assist the student in completing a WorkCover Queensland claim, attaching the medical certificate and submitting both documents to WorkCover Queensland.
A copy will be retained by the school, and a copy should be sent to the Department of Education together with the Work Experience agreement for tracking the claim.
This process also applies to children registered for home education, with the exception that the Home Education Unit should be notified of the incident and injury, and a copy of all documentation forwarded to the Home Education Unit for tracking the claim.
How to make a claim for liability
Complete a Notice of Claim – Students on Work Experience Placement form and email the completed form, a copy of the completed Work Experience Agreement, along with any supporting documentation to the Department of Education. These documents will be forwarded to the Queensland Government Insurance Fund for processing.
RELEVANT ACCREDITATIONS
Blue Card
- Work experience providers do not require a Blue Card prior to work experience. However, the school principal should ensure that the workplace in which a student is placed is not a risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of the student.
- School students under the age of 18 who are experiencing or sampling employment in a child-related industry do not require a Blue Card.
- School students aged 18 and over who are experiencing or sampling employment in a child-related industry DO require a Blue Card.
- Students undertaking a structured work placement as part of their Vocational Education and Training (VET) through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), DO require a Blue Card. The student must hold a valid Blue Card before they can commence any child-related work.
Yellow Card (Criminal History Screening)
- The service provider is required to ensure that the people it engages DO have a Yellow Card. This includes school students placed on work experience with a Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors (DCDSS) funded non-government service provider or NDIS provider that provides services to adults.
- The service provider will be required to apply for the Yellow Card on behalf of their students.