VET Students in Victoria /
Thank you for agreeing to be part of a practical placement program with Federation University Australia. You have been chosen as a host provider who can provide a work environment that will help students gain valuable experience in the practical skills required in their courses.
We appreciate your willingness to have students on placement and hope it is a rewarding experience for you, your organisation, and the student.
What is a practical placement?
Practical placement involves students being placed with a host organisation to apply what they have learned in their course to the work environment. Practical placement is different from work experience in that instead of just observing what goes on, students are given the opportunity to perform tasks relating to their course in an appropriate industry setting. Students will have specific learning outcomes or activities to undertake while on the placement. These learning outcomes will be discussed with you by the University contact and may involve you or your staff providing feedback to the student and University.
What are the advantages?
As a host employer, participation will enable you to:
- Improve productivity in your industry by making training programs more relevant;
- Gain community goodwill for helping students improve their skills and increase their employment opportunities;
- Have exposure to immediate part time or casual employees; and
- Have access, without obligation, to potential trained employees.
What WorkCover arrangements are required?
The VRQA has a WorkCover insurance policy with NRMA Workers Compensation (Victoria) Ltd that provides insurance coverage for host employers providing work placements should a student sustain an injury whilst on the placement.
WorkCover does not cover any employee, including practical placement students, travelling to or from work.
Practical Placement Agreement
It is essential that you sign and return the Placement Agreement before the start of the placement as it activates the WorkCover insurance described above and is a safeguard if a problem should occur during the placement. Without the practical placement agreement, a student who incurs an injury whilst on a placement may not be entitled to compensation under the Department of Education’s insurance policy.
Are there any costs?
Students are not required to be paid as a result of the Secretarial Order from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) that came into effect on 1 January 2011 - (attached details of Order).
If you wish to make payments please contact the University to discuss such arrangements as part of the development of the required practical placement agreement.
Induction
You will need to orientate the student appropriately to your particular setting, including any occupational health and safety considerations and other protocols. For example:
- occupational health and safety practices used in your workplace;
- times for starting, finishing and breaks;
- names and roles of key personnel;
- location of facilities;
- procedures to be followed if there is an accident or emergency;
- risks or hazards on the job; and
- treatment of confidential information
Attendance
The Placement Agreement will identify the number of hours the student is expected to attend and the time period. It is important for students to work within the hours identified on the form as they will not be covered by the WorkCover insurance arrangement if they work outside the identified times.
It is very important for students to attend the placement as negotiated. If the student is absent, or late, it is important for the University contact to be informed. You will also be asked to confirm a record of the student’s attendance.
Changing placement arrangements
If the student is unable to complete the placement in the required time, as identified on the Practical Placement Agreement, additional hours may be negotiated and the new arrangements identified in writing.
What if the student is injured?
If the student is injured during placement he or she must inform the workplace supervisor and University as soon as possible. If it is an emergency you should contact the emergency contact on the Medical Consent form and inform the University.
You and the student will then need to complete and sign the Worker’s Claim for Compensation form and Employer Claim Report, together with any accompanying medical certificates or accounts, and forward to the University. The University will then forward forms to the NRMA Workers Compensation (Victoria) Ltd. You should keep copies of all forms for your records.
Police & Working with Children Checks
If you work in an industry which requires staff and volunteers to have Police and Working with Children Checks, then students will show you an appropriate Check prior to commencing the placement. The University contact will discuss the details of the police and working with children check process.
Roles and Responsibilities
The respective roles and responsibilities of the Host, University and Student are all defined in the terms and conditions of the Placement Agreement.
Warning – Uncontrolled when printed! The current version of this document is kept on the UB website.
Authorised by:Academic BoardOriginal Issue:14/11/2007
Maintained by:Chair, Learning & Teaching CommitteeCurrent Version:03/11/2010
Page 1 of 2Review Date:03/11/2013
CRICOS Provider Number: 00103D