Work Experience

Year 10s have recently completed a week of Work Experience. Students found placements in a wide range of industries (some pictured below), and we would like to thank our amazing local community for giving our Year 10s a real-world experience they won’t forget! Well done to our students trying out the world of work!

Our favourite student quote from the week:

"It was the best week of my life!"

Here is a reflection from some of our students who spend the week learning more about our legal system:

We are Year 10 work experience students from Coburg High School. For a week, we have observed the importance and how the Judicial Commission works to ensure the integrity of judicial officers. We also observed several court hearings and proceedings across the Supreme, County, Children’s and County courts, including bail, remand and sentencings. 

In the office, we learned about the process to make a complaint on the website, as well as other judicial information. We also learned about working in the public services and the government, and the differences it has with private. The staff and the team at the commission were very welcoming and friendly, providing us with a schedule and facilities for the whole week.

When in the courts, we learned all about how the court proceeding is carried out as well as everything that happens in the background. We met the Chief Magistrate, from which we learned about the day-to-day life of a magistrate, including a visit to the chambers which aren't open to the public, as well as the process to become a magistrate. We also visited the children’s court, where Judge Vandersteen and other Children’s court staff showed us the custody cells beneath the court rooms, which were really intense to see where children our age are being held. We also observed bail and remand applications in both courts, and saw some key differences. In the Children’s Court, the rooms were more open and therapeutic, with windows to allow natural light in, as well as no glass barrier between the accused and the judge, whereas in the Magistrates court using a glass barrier and allowing no natural light in. There were also differences in how the Judges and Magistrates acted, as the Children’s court judges used softer voices and used more familiar language, and attempted to connect to the accused, whereas the Magistrates were very straight forward and only interacted with the accused when making a decision. 

A suggestion for the magistrates and the judges are harsher penalties to be applied in court. Even though it is difficult to balance the safety of the community and the wellbeing of the accused, it is important to make sure there are no repeat offenders and they receive a punishment to deter them from being so. This also benefits the community as it stops innocent civilians from being harmed, and dissuades other people from committing the same crime. Youth crime has been observed as being very prominent in the court systems. Whether it is machete attacks or carjackings, it has been very startling to see the amount of criminal activity that goes unreported to the general public. Something positive about the youth justice system is that rather than trying to be harsh and punishing young offenders, it tries to rehabilitate and get them on the right pathway. A negative of the youth system is that it does not punish young offenders the same as adult offenders, the lack of punishment for youths does not act as enough of a deterrent and this pushes them to continue their illegal behaviour. When judges are communicating with accused youth, they are often more respectful and understanding of the conditions that the children might be living in or with. Overall, it has been a really eye-opening experience and has helped us learn about a new potential career pathway. We had been given the opportunity of seeing what the differences are between the courts and observing various cases that have helped develop our understanding of our community. This has helped us learn about the role the judicial commission plays in the legal system as well as negative and positive impacts that court has on our society. 

Olek, Kemda, and Elliot

And from Josh who worked in the aviation industry:

Last week my work experience placement was at Qantas. It was honestly one of the best weeks I’ve ever had. I undertook some amazing tasks and experiences like going into the flight deck (cockpit) and speaking to Flight Crew and Engineers, and pushing back a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that was flying to Dallas, America with ramp staff. Those were probably my favourite highlights.I also went on the tarmac with the pilots to see how they conduct safety checks before a flight departs, and also observed other areas such as the concourse, movement control, lounges, and check in areas. Every part of it was exciting and taught me something new. The Qantas staff were really kind, accommodating and helpful and made me feel as if I was working there. The week at Qantas exceeded all my expectations and now understand why the Aviation Industry is so complex, fast pace and exciting, and how. fantastic it is to be employed in this industry. I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Josh R

Thanks to our generous Work Experience hosts

Coburg High School would like to sincerely thank the more than 170 businesses and organisations who supported Work Experience 2025. Our students have benefited from you allowing them to see the world of work.