Work experience: Year 10
Preparing secondary students for work
Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. Employers are a valuable asset in working with schools to assist students understand work and jobs. Helping students develop skills and knowledge provides many benefits not only for students but also for employers.
What has changed
Schools must equip students to make informed work and study choices throughout their lives. Career education, work exploration and work-related curriculum are vital so that students can explore career options and understand the nature and expectations of different jobs and industries. Interested students also need to be able to begin acquiring workplace skills while still at school, through work experience.
Career advice and information
Prior to participating in work experience, every student should have opportunities for career guidance interviews with a qualified Careers Practitioner. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all students but should be timed to meet their individual needs.
Age of student
Students are eligible to undertake work experience if they are of or over 14 years of age and have the written consent of a parent/guardian. Work experience is part of the school’s educational program where students experience the world of work. Work experience is the short-term placement of secondary school students with employers, to provide insights into the industry and the workplace in which they are located. Students are placed with employers primarily to observe and learn – not to undertake activities which require extensive training or experience.
While undertaking work experience, students will observe different aspects of work within their chosen industry and may assist with tasks allocated by their supervisor, but should not undertake activities which require extensive training or expertise. Placements with parents or other relatives are not recommended, as students will benefit more from meeting new challenges in new environments.
Work experience is different from Structured Workplace Learning (SWL), which provides students with the opportunity to integrate practical on-the-job experience and learnings in industry with nationally-recognised VET, undertaken as part of either the VCE or VCAL; VCE Industry and Enterprise; or VCAL units.
Work experience students are assessed or evaluated by their school according to school-based criteria. Their employer is also asked to provide feedback on the student’s performance while at the workplace.
The Department of Education remains committed to assisting Victorian educators to implement their programs, and acknowledges the important role work experience plays in career planning and course and subject selection. The world of work is constantly and rapidly changing. Work experience provides students with the opportunity to enhance their awareness and understanding, and to build their portfolio of skills.
Benefits of work experience
Work experience contributes to better informed careers, course and pathways options for young people.
Benefits for students:
- Better understanding of the work environment and what employers expect of their workers.
- An opportunity to explore possible career options.
- Increased self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence.
- Increased motivation to continue study and/or undertake further training.
- Better understanding of how the school curriculum can help prepare young people for work.
- An introduction to workplace recruitment practices.
- Enhanced opportunities for part-time and casual employment.
- Opportunity to include the employer’s work experience evaluation in future job and course applications.
- Opportunity to develop work-related competencies and acquire skills.
- The chance to ‘try out’ a workplace, prior to undertaking VCE, VCAL, VET in Schools, or a SBAT in Years 10 to12.
Benefits for schools/Learning Mentors:
- Improved knowledge and understanding of changing work environments.
- A positive relationship between the school, local community and industry.
- Opportunity to work collaboratively with parents in their child’s schooling by finding work experience positions, helping students prepare for work experience and debriefing with them after the placement.
- Enabling school curricula to be linked to the world of work.
Benefits for parents/guardians:
- Opportunity to discuss work with their child, including their own previous and current experiences.
- Networking opportunities for their child when they commence organising their placement.
- Opportunity to positively contribute to their child’s secondary education.
- Positive interaction between parent and school staff.
- Opportunity for families to be involved in discussions about flexible pathways for their child, to enable informed choices from a range of post-compulsory education and training options as part of the transition from school to further education, training and employment.
Benefits for employers:
- Opportunity to make a positive contribution to the education and development of students.
- Opportunity to contribute to the development of students’ workplace skills.
- Opportunity to assist young people in their career decision-making.
- Dialogue with Learning Mentors on aspects of work readiness and other matters related to work.
- Opportunity to build an ongoing relationship with a student that may progress when the student undertakes a VCE, VCAL or VET in Schools program, or working with the employer’s organisation.
- Building industry/school partnerships that provide for local community needs and endeavours.
Benefits for the community:
- Provision of links with Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs), local government, industry, unions, and education and training providers to achieve positive employment and training outcomes for young people.
- Provision of career counselling and targeted support for young people who are at risk of leaving school during their compulsory years.
Work Experience Coordinators may also find the information useful when preparing resource materials for students’ use, such as log books, parent information letters and presentations to staff meetings.
Timing of a work experience program
Work experience must take place during the school year, that is, between the first school day of the year and last school day of the year. At St Anne’s College, work experience will take place in 4 x week blocks with each student undertaking one week within those four weeks. Dates of these are yet to be confirmed.
Students may undertake work experience during the holidays in Terms 1, 2 and 3, but not during the holidays at the end of the year (i.e. the Christmas/summer holiday period). However, students should be encouraged to undertake work experience during school time and within the school week. If work experience is undertaken during the school term holidays, the Work Experience Coordinator must be available as a contact person for the student during the period of the arrangement.
Duration of the placement
The total number of work experience days for a student must not exceed 40 days in a school year, and 10 days during any school term. A Principal can allow a student to undertake work experience for up to 15 days per term, but the total number of days must not exceed 40 days per year.
Hours of work
Students are only permitted to undertake work experience during normal working hours (i.e. normal working hours for a standard shift without overtime in their chosen industry). Students are not permitted to work:
- between the hours of 11.00pm and 6.00am, or if they are aged under 15 years between the hours of 9.00pm and 6.00am, and
- beyond a time which is 10 hours before the start time of a work experience day or a school day which the student is expected to attend.
Students may undertake work experience during the weekend only if:
- the placement cannot take place during the school week
- the Principal is satisfied that it is appropriate for the work experience to take place, and is satisfied that it does not interfere with the welfare and the educational program of the student; and
- the Principal and the parent/guardian (if the student is under 18 years of age) are satisfied with the arrangement. The employer must ensure that the minimum conditions and entitlements that apply in Victoria in relation to a meal break are adhered to, i.e. at least a 30-minute break after working continuously for five hours.
Travel and accommodation arrangements
The student or the parent/guardian (where the student is under 18 years of age) is responsible for the student’s transport to and from the workplace. If it is proposed that the student may need to undertake vehicle travel with their employer and/or supervisor during the arrangement (including transporting the student to and/or from the workplace), the employer must complete the Work Experience Travel and Accommodation Form. The student or the parent/guardian (where the student is under 18 years of age) must give their consent by also completing this form.
If a student is required to stay at accommodation other than his or her normal place of residence while undertaking work experience, the student or parent/guardian (where the student is under 18 years of age) is responsible for making suitable arrangements and must complete the Work Experience Travel and Accommodation Form. Responsibility for the control and care of the student, at all times when the student is not under the control and care of the employer or any other person, rests with the student or their parent/guardian.
Payment and taxation
The minimum rate of payment for students undertaking work experience in Victoria is $5 per day, except:
- If the work experience placement is with a Commonwealth Department or a body established under a Commonwealth Act, no payment will be made. If the student or the parent/guardian is not prepared to accept this condition, then it is their choice whether or not to proceed with a Commonwealth placement. On the Work Experience Arrangement Form, the line “Rate of payment” should be completed with the words “Commonwealth establishment – exempt from paying”.
- If the work experience placement is with an organisation that is engaged wholly or mainly in an educational, charitable or community welfare service not conducted for profit, the student may determine that the whole of his or her payment will be donated back to that organisation. If the student determines that their payment will be donated back to the organisation, the parent/guardian (where the student is under 18 years of age) must provide written consent to the proposed donation.
Payment does not include payment in kind (for example, a gift card or voucher must not be used to pay students). Where the student is under the age of 18, if the payment made to the student is $356 or less per week, the employer will not be obliged to:
- make any withholding
- collect Tax File Number declarations
- issue payment summaries, or
- report payment details to the Australian Taxation Office.