Student Requirements - Year 10 Work Experience Program 2026

In Term 4, all Year 10 students at the WA College of Agriculture Harvey must participate in the Work Experience Program. The program provides an invaluable opportunity for students to learn and develop some of the many skills they need for employment. There are many benefits to students:

best possible start to identifying career options.
meaningful input into preparing for the transition from school to work.
opportunity to explore possible career pathways.

The Work Experience Program will take place in the last two weeks of Term 4 2026. There are two options available, and students select one. Please note: Option 1 or Option 2 are with the same employer:

Option 1: Week 9: Monday 7th – Friday 11th December (COMPULSORY) – all students undertake work experience with the one employer.

OR

Option 2: Week 9 and 10: Monday 7th – Thursday 17th December (excluding the weekend) – this option includes the compulsory Week 9 option above and is for students who wish to undertake a longer period of work experience with the same employer. Please note the last day for this block is Thursday 17th December, as this is the last official day of the school year for students.

Week 10 is OPTIONAL – students who do not undertake the longer period of work experience are not required to be at school. Therefore, their last day of school is Friday11th December.

The Department of Education provides personal insurance and public liability insurance through RiskCover for students engaged in unpaid work experience. 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 workplace can be demonstrated.

At times, the nature and geographical location of the work experience host/opportunity mean the college cannot comply with all Department of Education policy and procedures. The main compliance issue is that the college must visit the employer/work experience host before the student starts and once during the placement. Sometimes this is not logistically possible.

Where this is the situation, and if you live or the place of work experience is beyond 2 hours from the College, work experience in this instance will need to be a private arrangement between family and the employer/host as the College cannot fulfil the Department of Education requirements.

The Department of Education insurance will not cover this, so you will need to source/purchase private insurance. Attached are the details of some organisations that may be able to provide the required cover.

Students and parent/carers are asked to liaise with me if you believe the work experience placement is categorised as above and is to be a private arrangement. All other students not in this situation will be covered by the Department of Education policies, procedures, and insurance, as outlined at the beginning of this document.

Students and parents are responsible for sourcing the Work Experience placements, and this can be done either as one placement for 5 days (Week 9 only) or a 9-day placement (Week 9 and 10) (finish on Thursday 17th December). Note: both options are with the same employer. Please complete the online form using the link below by Wednesday 28th October 2026. Students should undertake as much communication with employers as possible to practise valuable workplace communication skills. Students are encouraged not to use family businesses or previous work placement hosts.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/3grQwZpWX9?origin=lprLink

Please note: students cannot reside at the College during the Work Experience Program (Term 4, Weeks 9 & 10) and will therefore need to vacate the College on Friday 4th December 2026.

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