Workplace Learning (Wpl) Information

WORKPLACE LEARNING (WPL) INFORMATION

Incorporating: Esperance Senior High School and ESHS Farm Training Centre.

PARENT/WORKPLACE INFORMATION

Workplace Learning (WPL) is a course offered in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Programs in year 11 and 12.

WPL involves students undertaking a placement in a local business where they are trained by the business and are required to develop skills to industry level. Students attend their nominated workplace according to the requirements of the VET program in which they are enrolled (one or two days per week, week blocks or according to Individual Transition Plans).

In order for your child to undertake WPL it is imperative you read the following documentation and complete the attached forms, returning them as soon as possible.

WORK READINESS

Students will not be allocated a WPL placement until the school has established they are work ready. To do this, they need to meet the following criteria:

Behaviour: Each student is a representative of the school whilst on work placement. It is expected that they represent their school to the best of their ability and in accordance with both the employer’s and school’s expected standards of behaviour.

Personal Presentation: Each student needs to be well groomed, have an appropriate standard of personal hygiene and maintain a standard of dress appropriate to the work placement. This may involve wearing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or workplace uniform.
Attendance: Each student must demonstrate they are reliable in terms of attendance and punctuality and, through application to their studies, show they have a commitment to self-improvement and the acquisition of skills.

Application and Interview: Each VET program has requirements regarding the application and interview process which enable students to demonstrate their level of work readiness. If the employer and the school accept a student’s performance in the application and interview process, that student will then be offered a placement. Each student will be required to remain at school until they can meet the required standard.

DATES AND TIMES

The school will notify you of your child’s placement and the dates and times they are required to attend the placement. Please keep this information for your own records. Should there be any variation to the dates and times, you will be notified by the school.

ATTENDANCE

Transport: It is the student’s responsibility to arrange their own transport to and from their work placement.

Punctuality: Students must ensure they are punctual and attend the workplace regularly.

Absences: If the student is too ill to attend the workplace they must notify the employer, their WPL teacher and/or the school at least 1 hour before their start time (see contacts listed overleaf). It would also assist if a medical certificate could be obtained for the absence. Absences from WPL are counted as absences from school.

ATTENDANCE (continued)

It is unacceptable to arrange appointments that are not of an urgent medical nature when a student is expected at work placement, for example: driving lessons, hair/beauty etc.

It is unacceptable for students to come to school instead of WPL. All students must attend their WPL every allocated day unless they are sick or there are other acceptable reasons. “Catching up on school or TAFE work” is NOT an acceptable reason.

Students who break workplace learning rules will:

1.  Be warned on first occurrence

2.  Receive an Afterschool Detention (ASD) from the VET Coordinator on further occurrences

3.  Be at risk of losing their WPL placement and VET program position

RESPONSIBILITIES:

STUDENTS

·  Represent the school to the best of their ability

·  Complete a VET Readiness course or individualised induction for late enrolments

·  Locate a suitable workplace, gaining verbal approval

·  Arrange own private transport to and from work placement

·  Attend their workplace all year unless they are unwell. Any absences are to be reported to both the Workplace Supervisor (Employer) AND school at least 1 hour before the start of the work day

·  Comply with the rules and regulations set down by their Workplace Supervisor (Employer) and School

·  Adhere to Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation

·  Fill in their logbook for every workplace day and ask their employer to sign

·  Record hours worked in the Attendance Record (i.e. back pages) in their logbook each day they work. Lunch hours must not be included

·  Cooperate and accept duties in an obliging manner

·  Be eager to learn, listen to instructions and ask questions

·  Be respectful, polite, courteous and honest

·  Meet appropriate standards of hygiene, decency and cleanliness

·  Follow workplace rules and protocols, including use of mobile telephones and personal digital devices, use of business computers for personal use, or to access non-work related web sites

·  Ensure information regarding the business and all people with whom students may have dealings, are kept confidential (students may be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement)

·  Observe specific business safety policies and procedures and standards in the workplace, including reporting any workplace injuries/incidents and hazards/dangers

·  Maintain high standards of conduct, and as a minimum, abiding by all federal, state and local government laws

WORKPLACE SUPERVISORS (EMPLOYER)

·  Assume duty of care of students

·  Provide a safe and healthy work environment, free from bullying, discrimination, harassment or intimidation

·  Comply with WHS legislation

·  Induct/train students in WHS requirements

·  Ensuring students are working an acceptable number of hours

·  Provide reasonable meal breaks

·  Provide details of motor vehicles and drivers if applicable

·  Provide appropriate supervision of the student

·  Provide training appropriate to the student and business

·  Provide feedback to the Workplace Learning Teacher for attendance and reporting purposes

·  Sign student logbooks weekly

WORKPLACE LEARNING TEACHERS

·  Assist students in locating and attaining suitable work placements

·  Attend each workplace for a student interview and safety audit

·  Visit students and/or their Workplace Supervisors (Employers) at least twice a term

·  Personally visit each student at least once per work placement

·  Induct Workplace Supervisors (Employers) on their roles and responsibilities in regards to work placement

·  Provide any relevant information/support to Workplace Learning (Employers)

·  Complete a formal evaluation with the Workplace Supervisor (Employer) once per term

·  Report on each student’s achievement on work placement

·  Sign student logbooks weekly and record hours/details in the Workplace Learning database

ASSESSMENT

Students will be reported as ‘Achieved’ for WPL if they meet the requirements listed below. No other grade distinctions are awarded.

Students must have:

·  Hours recorded in their Log Book (Each block of 55 hours earns students 1 WACE point)

·  Task Schedule for each day in the workplace

·  Skills Journal completed at school every semester

Once a term the performance criteria (see next page) will be assessed to provide feedback to the student. Students achieving ‘Very High’ feedback in 6 of the 8 performance criteria will receive a 'Certificate of Excellence at the end of the year.

LOG BOOKS

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the task schedule, included in the logbook, is completed for each day they work. The task schedule is similar to a diary, identifying tasks carried out and a reflection on the tasks. Hours worked must be recorded in the attendance record at the back of the log book. The total hours should be provided to the WPL Teacher on the next school day.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

WPL teachers will visit the student’s workplace at least twice every term to maintain communication between the workplace, the student and the school. The visit also enables progress to be monitored to identify areas where students are achieving well and areas where improvements can be made.

During each visit a summary will be marked off to show improvements and provide feedback. The following criteria will be appraised.

Criteria / Needs attention / Satisfactory / High / Very high
Punctuality / Generally arrives at work and returns from lunch break on time. / Usually arrives at work and returns from lunch break on time. / Always arrives at work and returns from lunch break on time.
Enthusiasm / Observes and listens, follows instructions and performs most tasks enthusiastically. / Maintains an enthusiastic approach to all tasks. / Extremely motivated and keen. Prioritises tasks and takes responsibility for own workload.
Approach to learning / Willing to learn and asks for assistance or clarification if needed. / Learns what is required quickly and easily. Asks good questions and listens well. / Eagerly seeks new and more challenging tasks to extend workplace skills and knowledge.
Approach to others / Relates well to co-workers and is comfortable in a work environment. / Interacts with co-workers and clients in a confident and friendly manner. / Communicates effectively with co-workers, seeks other’s opinions and begins to cultivate networks.
Reliability / Can be relied on to complete allocated tasks. / Can be relied on to complete allocated tasks and follow the job through when faced with difficulties. / Is totally reliable and shows determination in resolving difficult tasks.
Initiative / Completes routine or familiar tasks without direct or repeated instruction. / Thinks ahead and often completes tasks without prompting. / Works independently and collaboratively, solves problems and is resourceful.
Response to advice / Listens to advice and acts on it. / Acts on advice and seeks feedback to improve work performance. / Actively seeks feedback to improve work performance and applies advice to different situations.
Quality of work / Completes given tasks to required standard. / All work is of a high standard and self-checks are made for quality. / Work is always of a high quality. Pays attention to detail and takes pride in completing tasks to a very high standard.

CONTACTS

WPL Teacher: / Phone:
Mobile:

Other Contacts:

Esperance Senior High School / Office / 9071 9555
Fax / 9071 9556
VET Co-ordinator ESHS / Cynnamon Harper / 9071 9540
Esperance SHS Farm Training Centre / Office / 9078 2064
Fax / 9078 2063
Program Coordinator ESHS Farm Training Centre / Steven Wolfenden / 0429 337 876

If still unable to make contact, please try the following phone numbers:

Deputy Principal ESHS / Ken Duffy / 9071 9523
Principal ESHS / Cathy Bamblett / 9071 9521

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WORKPLACE LEARNING - INSURANCE COVER – PARENTS/GUARDIANS

The Department of Education provides personal accident insurance and public liability insurance through RiskCover for students engaged in unpaid work placements allocated or arranged by the Department.

The insurance covers, subject to certain conditions, the ‘gap’ costs over and above what is paid by Medicare or the student’s private health insurance for a student’s medical expenses, including dental, ambulance charges and surgical appliances. The insurance also covers direct travel between home and the workplace learning placement site.

The Department of Education’s insurance does not cover accidental damage caused by the student unless negligence on the part of the student can be demonstrated.

In the event of a workplace learning accident, the student will be asked to complete a workplace learning personal accident insurance claim form – available from: www.icwa.wa.gov.au/rc/forms/personalaccidentclaimform.pdf This form must be completed and forwarded to the school principal.

In the first instance when making a workplace learning accident insurance claim, medical bills should be claimed through Medicare or your private health insurance. In the event that reimbursement is required ,Medicare statements, private health insurer remittance and doctor’s and chemist’s receipts, where applicable, are to be forwarded to:

Specialist Claims Team
Risk Cover
GPO Box K 837
PERTH WA 6842

On approving the claim, RiskCover will send a cheque covering the difference between the Medicare/private health insurance cover and the total cost of the bills.

Should you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me on 90719540.

Yours sincerely

Cynnamon Harper
VET Coordinator

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WORKPLACE LEARNING - INSURANCE COVER – WORKPLACE SUPERVISORS

The Department of Education provides insurance cover for the duration of the student workplace learning placement. This insurance cover applies to students who are on unpaid work placement, when arranged or allocated by the school only. It covers, subject to certain conditions, the student’s medical expenses, including dental, ambulance charges and surgical appliances over and above what may be payable by Medicare or the student’s private medical health insurance.

Employers (and self employed persons) have a legal responsibility to ensure that their work and the work of their employees do not adversely affect the safety and health of non-employees, including any students undertaking work placement. The employer must take the necessary action to protect the safety and health of these students. This may include showing them how to work safely, ensuring the workplace is safe, ensuring reasonable care is taken not to expose students to hazardous situations, and providing appropriate supervision.

Accident Procedure

If an accident occurs involving a student on work placement, then:

1.  Normal arrangements for medical assistance must be made immediately. It is preferable to have the student attend a public hospital. NB: Students are not workers’ compensation patients and should not be treated as such by a doctor;

2.  Employers should notify parents/guardians and the school immediately; and

3.  A medical certificate must be issued by the doctor attending the student.

Public Liability Insurance Arrangements

The Department of Education is a State Government agency and as such is subject to the policies and directives of the Western Australian Government.

The Department’s insurance coverage is placed in the Western Australian Government’s self insurance managed Fund – RiskCover. The Department of Education provides both personal accident insurance and public liability insurance for students engaged in unpaid work placements allocated or arranged by the Department’s schools.

It is a requirement of the Department of Education that a business accepting students on workplace learning has in place its own Public Liability insurance to a minimum of $5 000 000 for any one occurrence.