Work Experience

Policy last updated

24 July 2025

Scope

Schools

Date:: March 2020

Policy

This policy outlines the requirements for schools in planning for and implementing work experience placements for secondary school students.

Summary

Work experience (WE) is the short-term placement of secondary school students with employers.
Work experience is generally undertaken in Years 9 or 10.
The purpose of work experience is to provide students with insights into industry and the workplace.
Schools must ensure they implement this policy and follow the guidance on the Guidance tab when planning for and conducting work experience arrangements to ensure compliance with legislation.
Principals may nominate other school-based staff to authorise work experience placements. Refer to Roles and responsibilities for more information.

Details

Work experience (WE) is the short-term placement of secondary school students, generally during Years 9 and 10, with employers to provide insights into industry and the workplace. It provides students with the valuable opportunity to:

develop employability skills
explore potential career options
understand workplace expectations
increase self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence.

Students are placed with employers primarily to observe and learn – not to undertake activities which require extensive training or expertise.

Note: Work experience is different from Structured Workplace Learning which provides students with the opportunity to integrate practical on-the-job experience with secondary study as part of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) or the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).

Work experience arrangements

All arrangements for work experience must comply with Ministerial Order 1413 – Work Experience Arrangements (PDF).

The department's comprehensive guidance, on the Guidance tab, supports schools to comply with their obligations under Ministerial Order 1413.

Work-Based Learning Application

The Work-Based Learning Application (WBL App) enables government schools to digitally coordinate and process work experience arrangements. This includes creation and management of the arrangement forms digitally.

Refer to the Work-Based Learning Application on the Guidance tab for further details.

Work experience arrangement form

The work experience arrangement form must be completed and signed before the work experience commences.

The form must be signed by the:

employer
student
parent/carer of the student – if the student is under 18 years of age
principal or nominated person – the principal may nominate a person or a member of a class of persons (nominated person), for example, assistant principals, teachers or education support staff employed by the school, to perform the powers and functions of the principal which relate to work experience. The principal must ensure that nominated persons have the required knowledge and understanding of obligations in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and Ministerial Order 1413 (PDF) relating to work experience arrangements. More detail on the provision of principal nomination for WE can be found in the guidance chapter, Roles and responsibilities.

Government school users can access the form on the dedicated WBL App. Refer to Work experience arrangement form on the Guidance tab for further detail on using this form and how it can be accessed.

Work experience travel and accommodation form

The department's work experience travel and accommodation form must be used if:

it is proposed that the student may need to undertake vehicle travel with their employer and/or supervisor during the arrangement, including travel to or from the workplace
the student is required to stay in accommodation other than their normal place of residence while undertaking work experience.

This form must be signed:

for travel – by both the employer and the parent/carer, or the student if they are aged 18 years or over
for accommodation – by the parent/carer, or the student if they are aged 18 years or over.

Government school users can access this form via the WBL App. Refer to Travel and accommodation arrangements on the Guidance tab for further information about this form and how it can be accessed.

School to Work Statewide Portal

The department’s School to Work (S2W) Statewide Portal provides students and teachers a single, easy to navigate information and referral point for work-based learning opportunities offered by a diverse range of employers.

Searching on the portal can be done by:

location
industry
VET certificate.

If you are a student or teacher looking for work-based learning opportunities, including work experience and structured workplace learning, refer to the statewide School to Work Portal.

The 31 Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) in Victoria are funded to deliver the S2W Program and facilitate student access to work-based learning placements tailored to local priorities and employment opportunities. To find your nearest LLEN, refer to the Local Learning and Employment Network.

Occupational health and safety

Prior to commencing work experience, students must satisfactorily complete occupational health and safety (OHS) training, either through:

safe@work
A Job Well Done – for students with disability or additional needs.

It is the responsibility of the principal or nominated person to determine which OHS program is the most appropriate for the student to undertake.

Child Safe Standards

All Victorian schools are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards to ensure they are well prepared to keep children and young people safe and protect them from abuse.

The Child Safe Standards require schools to put in place systems and processes to help prevent harm to students in all school environments, including workplace learning environments where students undertake:

work experience
structured workplace learning
school community work (volunteering)
school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.

For more information, visit:

Refer to Student safety and wellbeing for more guidance on implementing Child Safe Standards in work experience placements.

Contacts

For assistance with queries relating to work experience arrangements, please contact the relevant organisation as outlined below.

For government schools

School Industry Engagement, Strategy and Secondary School Reform at: work.based.learning@education.vic.gov.au

For Catholic schools

Contact the relevant Diocese representative:

Carmel Clark
Ballarat Catholic Education
pathways@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

Jenny Wilson
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools
pathways@macs.vic.edu.au

Sam Franzi
Sale Catholic Education
pathways@doscel.catholic.edu.au

Barry Norton
Catholic Education Sandhurst
pathways@ceosand.catholic.edu.au

For independent schools

Maria Floudiotis
Independent Schools Victoria
maria.floudiotis@is.vic.edu.au
enquiries@is.vic.edu.au
Phone: 03 9825 7200

Definitions

Work experience
The short-term placement of secondary school students with employers.

Relevant legislation

Guidance

Work Experience guidelines

These guidelines support schools to comply with Ministerial Order 1413 – Work Experience Arrangements (PDF).

They contain the following chapters:

Overview
Required age of students
Roles and responsibilities
Work experience arrangement form
Work-Based Learning Application
Working with Children Check
Timing and duration of work experience
Cancellation of work experience
Permitted number of students per employer
Travel and accommodation arrangements
Student debriefing
Payment and taxation
Privacy legislation and work experience
WorkSafe and public liability insurance
Interstate placements
Overseas students
Contacting students during the placement
Student safety and wellbeing
Students with disability and additional needs

Overview

What is work experience?

Work experience is the short-term placement of secondary school students, generally from Years 9 and 10, with employers to provide insights into the industry and the workplace in which they are located. It provides students with the valuable opportunity to:

develop employability skills
explore potential career options
understand workplace expectations
increase self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence.

While undertaking work experience, students will observe different aspects of work within their chosen industry and may assist with tasks allocated by their supervisor. Students must not undertake activities which require extensive training or expertise.

Placements with parents or relatives are not recommended as students benefit more from new challenges in unfamiliar environments.

Work experience is different from Structured Workplace Learning which provides students with the opportunity to integrate practical on-the-job experience with secondary study as part of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) or the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC). For more information on structured workplace learning, refer to the Structured Workplace Learning guidance.

Benefits of work experience

Work experience contributes offers a range of benefits.

Benefits for students

The benefits of work experience for students include:

better understanding of the work environment and what employers expect of their workers
an opportunity to explore possible career options and the chance to ‘try out’ a workplace before undertaking VCE, VCE VM, VPC, VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), a Head Start apprenticeship or traineeship or a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT) in Years 10 to 12
increased self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence
opportunity to develop work-related competencies and acquire skills
increased motivation to continue study and/or undertake further training
better understanding of how the school curriculum can help prepare young people for work
enhanced opportunities to connect with employers for part-time and casual employment
opportunity to utilise work experience in future job and course applications.

Benefits for schools

The benefits of work experience for schools include:

improved knowledge and understanding of changing work environments
a strengthened 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 and carers

The benefits of work experience for parents/carers include:

opportunities to discuss with their child the topic of work, including their own previous and current experiences
opportunity to positively contribute to their child’s secondary education
opportunity for family involvement in discussions about further education, training and employment.

Benefits for employers

The benefits of work experience for employers include:

opportunity to make a positive contribution to the education and development of students and contribute to corporate social responsibility
opportunity to contribute to the development of students’ workplace skills
opportunity to assist young people in their career decision-making
dialogue with teachers 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 VCE, VCE VM, VPC, VET, a Head Start apprenticeship or traineeship or an SBAT, or working with the employer’s organisation
building industry-school partnerships that provide for local community needs and endeavours.

Benefits for the community

The benefits of work experience for the community include:

opportunity for young people to actively contribute to and learn about businesses in their local community
opportunity for young people to become actively involved in building the local community.

Work experience and the curriculum

Workplace learning activities are an integral part of students’ learning and career development. Work experience coordinators are encouraged to work with relevant staff to integrate work education and work experience into the curriculum, rather than conducting it as a stand-alone activity.

Work experience can assist students with developing employability skills and an understanding of the work environment, career options and life-long learning pathways. Schools are encouraged to develop a quality work experience program that is embedded in the mainstream Victorian Curriculum F–10 program.

Required age of students

Students undertaking work experience must be between 14 and 21 years of age.

For students aged 21 and over

A principal or nominated person can arrange a work experience placement for a student of or over the age of 21 years with an employer only in the following circumstances:

when the student is an adult returning to school after a period away from study
when the student is classified as a refugee and has had little exposure to the workplace or to workplace culture.

Roles and responsibilities

The Ministerial Order 1413 – Work Experience Arrangements (PDF) sets out in detail the responsibilities and duties which are outlined here.

Principal or nominated person

Principals may nominate a person or class of persons (‘nominated person’) employed at the school to perform the powers and functions of the principal which relate to work experience (WE) arrangements.

When nominating a person, a principal must ensure that the person has the required knowledge and understanding of obligations in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and Ministerial Order 1413 (PDF) relating to work experience arrangements.

Determining who is selected as the nominated person and for what duration is up to the discretion of the principal. Examples of who nominated persons might be include, but are not limited to:

an assistant principal at the school
a teacher or education support staff member who has responsibility for coordinating the school’s work experience program.

If the WE coordinator is the nominated person, they must not review and approve any arrangement that they have prepared in their capacity as a WE coordinator. This ensures that the approval process for the WE arrangements is robust. In such situations, the arrangement form should be signed by the principal or another nominated person.

A nominated person will have the same powers and duties for these arrangements that the principal would have. Therefore, their responsibility or liability will be the same, and not at risk of being greater than, that of the principal in cases relating to work experience arrangements.

If a proposed nominee is uncomfortable with accepting the responsibilities of a nominated person, the principal may decide to assess the suitability of another appropriate person.

Placement arrangements

The principal or nominated person has a pivotal role in the organisation of work experience programs. While the work experience coordinator arranges and manages the placements on a day-to-day basis, the principal or nominated person must ensure all relevant guidelines and procedures are followed.

Principals or nominated persons must also ensure that work experience coordinators and other relevant staff are familiar with the advice in the Guidance tab.

Note: It is important that the principal or nominated person is aware of the needs and requirements of students with special needs (and in particular, of students with disability) and that the work experience undertaken by these students is within their capabilities. Refer to the Students with disability and additional needs section of this guidance for further information.

The Work experience arrangement form must be signed by the principal or nominated person before the placement commences. At the time of signing the form, the principal or nominated person must ensure the following.

Health and safety

The safety, health, development, education and wellbeing of the student will not suffer under the arrangement
School compliance with the Child Safe Standards will be maintained throughout the duration of the proposed arrangement
The student will not be subjected to any form of exploitation, harassment or unlawful discrimination during the course of the arrangement
The arrangement is not prohibited employment under the Child Employment Act 2003. Refer to the chapter on Student safety and wellbeing on the Guidance tab for more details
The student has provided evidence of completing the required occupational health and safety program ( safe@work or, in the case of students with disability, A Job Well Done) prior to the commencement of the work experience. Government school students can provide this evidence in the WBL App
The student has the work experience coordinator’s contact details to report any incidents of harassment, bullying, abuse or violence
The employer has been provided with any necessary health information in relation to the student, including any information relating to any medical condition which may require treatment during the placement
If the employer has been permitted to engage more than one student for every 3 employees, the principal or nominated person must be satisfied that the placement will not be detrimental to the health or wellbeing of any student in that workplace and the student must be visited as frequently as is reasonably practicable

Placement suitability

The proposed work experience will provide workplace learning suitable to the needs of the student, within the time frame specified and according to the student’s capabilities
The distribution of work experience days during the school year under the proposed arrangement does not disadvantage the student with regard to the rest of their educational program at school

Administration

Where the arrangement is for a student under 15 years of age, the employer has provided a certified copy of the nominated supervisor’s valid Working with Children Check
Both the employer and the nominated supervisor(s) of the student in the workplace are aware of their obligations to the student under the arrangement, as outlined in the Employer Acknowledgment section of the work experience arrangement form
The employer, student and parent/carer (where the student is under 18 years of age) have completed the relevant sections of the work experience arrangement form
The work experience coordinator has arranged with the student an appropriate time to contact the student at least once during the placement

Student readiness

The student has the capability to undertake the work experience as specified within the arrangement and can do so without exposing themselves or others in the workplace to any unacceptable risk
The student, or the parent/carer where the student is under 18 years of age, have made appropriate arrangements to travel to and from the workplace
Where it is proposed that the student may be required to undertake vehicle travel with the employer, that the student and parent/carer (where the student is under 18 years of age) have given consent by completing the work experience travel and accommodation form. This form can be completed via the WBL App (government school users only)
Where required, appropriate arrangements have been made for the student to stay at accommodation other than their normal place of residence

Work experience coordinator

The work experience coordinator provides the link between the student, the school and the employer and is the key figure in any work experience program.

The role of the work experience coordinator is to assist students to find work experience positions, liaise with employers, ensure students are prepared for work experience, provide support to the student and the employer during the placement and be the main point of contact between the student, employer and the school.

Before the placement

The work experience coordinator must ensure the following.

Student readiness

Where required, support students to explore their interests and assist students to identify and match with employers interested in offering work experience and arrange contact with those employers – this can also involve working with the Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs)
Ensure students are undertaking or have completed the required occupational health and safety preparation program ( safe@work or, in the case of students with disability, A Job Well Done) Refer to Student safety and wellbeing on the Guidance tab for more details
Where possible, prepare the students to be conscious of potential risks and give them strategies to deal with these risks, such as the need to report perceived hazards or concerns to their supervisor without delay
Ensure students are aware of equal opportunity and unlawful harassment and discrimination, and how to recognise abuse or other risks to their safety, and have the skills and confidence to raise concerns, make complaints or let someone know they feel unsafe. Refer to Student safety and wellbeing on the Guidance tab for more details
Ensure students understand their rights and responsibilities and are aware of strategies to deal with any issues or concerns which may arise
Ensure the student is ‘work ready’ and understands workplace behaviour and etiquette, including ensuring that students understand that they must not use the internet or other electronic communications for accessing illegal, offensive or inappropriate material
Ensure the student is aware of any school allocated work experience tasks that the student must undertake while on placement (for example, completion of a journal)
Ensure that the student knows what to do in case of lateness to work, absence and/or an accident

Employer readiness

Ensure that supervisors have been allocated for each student and that there will be adequate supervision of the student to ensure their wellbeing and safety in a discrimination and harassment free working environment
Arrange a meeting or contact with employers to explain the procedures and processes related to work experience and provide the Work experience guidelines for employers (DOCX)
Ensure the employer are aware of any school allocated work experience tasks that the student must undertake while on placement (for example, completion of a journal)

Administration

Provide students and parents/carers (where the student is under 18 years of age) with the Information sheet for parents and carers – Understanding the digital work placement form (DOCX) prior to sending the student and parent or carer the digital forms
Ensure the work experience arrangement form for each student is completed correctly and signed by all relevant parties, and that copies of the form have been given to the employer, student and parent/carer (where the student is under 18 years of age)
Ensure the employer and the student have a clear understanding of the activities the student will undertake in the workplace

During the placement

The work experience coordinator must:

make contact with the student at least once during the arrangement and if the placement under the arrangement includes placement days during more than one term, at least once during each term. If contact is made in the form of a visit, the work experience coordinator must create a report on the visit
provide support to the employer/supervisor, if required, for example in creating a work program that would be suitable for the student, and providing clarification regarding employer/supervisor roles and responsibilities
be available as the first point of contact should anything go wrong and ensure that all correct procedures are followed. Refer to Student safety and wellbeing.

Note: School staff must report any reasonable suspicion that a child has been abused or is at risk of being abused. This includes abuse that has, or is suspected to have, taken place during the course of the work experience arrangement, within or outside of school grounds and hours. For further information, refer to Report child abuse in schools.

After the placement

The work experience coordinator must:

conduct a debriefing session which allows the student to evaluate and reflect on the placement
review the work experience program and report on any issues or concerns for future planning
debrief with the principal or nominated person and other relevant staff on outcomes of the work experience program.

The work experience coordinator may invite the employer to complete an employer evaluation. It is strongly recommended that letters of thanks are written to the employer by the student and the school.

Resources to support work experience coordinators perform their role, including ensuring students understand their rights and responsibilities, can be found on the Resources tab.

Employer

Employers must understand their roles and responsibilities before, during and after entering a work experience arrangement.

The primary ways in which employers are made aware of their responsibilities are via the following forms:

work experience guidelines for employers
work experience arrangement form
fact sheet for employers: child safe standards and workplace learning.

The employer must acknowledge on the work experience arrangement form that they have read the Work Experience guidelines for employers (DOCX) provided by the school.

The employer must set up a work program for students that:

gives them an opportunity to experience a variety of tasks in the workplace
familiarises them with the running of the organisation and introduces key staff involved
familiarises them with the school allocated work experience tasks that the student must undertake while on placement, for example, completion of a journal.

Before the placement

The employer must ensure that:

the work experience coordinator and the student are aware of any special requirements (for example, starting and finishing times, special items of clothing, the need for confidentiality)
a supervisor has been allocated to the student and that this person is aware of what is required of them during the placement
the supervisor and other employees in the workplace understand acceptable and unacceptable behaviours when interacting with students
any nominated supervisor has a valid Working with Children Check if the student is under 15 years of age.

During the placement

The employer must ensure that:

the student is inducted into the workplace on their first day of placement
the student understands workplace policies regarding bullying, harassment and discrimination, and any other behavioural standards or codes of conduct that apply to the workplace
the student is given an opportunity to complete any required school allocated work experience tasks during the placement – for example, completing a journal
the student understands the tasks they will undertake during the placement
where required, the student is provided with appropriate clothing and protective equipment and instructed in its use
the student is given adequate support and directly supervised at all times while undertaking work related activities
the student understands the workplace policy for dealing with concerns or complaints about behaviour at work
the student has access to their supervisor(s) and knows how to report any problems or concerns
the principal or nominated person is consulted if it is deemed necessary to terminate the arrangement before the agreed time
the student is paid a minimum of $5 per day
the principal or nominated person or the work experience coordinator is immediately contacted if the student becomes ill or is injured in the course of the placement
the work experience coordinator is immediately contacted if the student is absent without notification or in case any other issue arises at the workplace
the student and school staff can readily contact each other, to monitor progress and address any issues promptly.

After the placement

The employer must ensure that:

the placement is discussed with the student to find out if the student was satisfied with the work experience
reimbursement has been paid to the student, in accordance with section 5.4.9 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.

For work experience placements arranged via the WBL app, employers are encouraged to complete the employer evaluation form available via the WBL app. The employer will automatically receive an evaluation form to complete.

The employer may be invited to complete an employer evaluation.

Student

Students must be aware that they are representing their school while on work experience and must continue to observe school policies and codes of conduct.

Students must also follow general workplace rules and understand protocols regarding the internet. In particular, students must not use the internet or other electronic communications for accessing illegal, offensive or inappropriate material. They must understand that some work placements might use sensitive information that must remain private and confidential.

Before the placement

The student must:

complete the required occupational health and safety program ( safe@work or, in the case of students with disability, A Job Well Done)
complete and sign the work experience arrangement form under the guidance of the work experience coordinator
call or meet with the employer/supervisor on site before commencing the placement to discuss:
- starting and finishing times
- arrangements for meal breaks
- clothing requirements
- tasks/activities to be performed
- any equipment or tools that the student may be required to bring
- any special requirements the student may have
if required, remind the employer at least 2 weeks prior to commencement of the upcoming placement
ensure they have the contact details of the work experience coordinator at their school.

During the placement

The student must:

maintain a diary or log book and/or complete work experience assignments and other tasks which have been set by the school
complete allocated tasks to the best of their ability and in accordance with instructions and safety information provided their employer and/or supervisor
wear clothing appropriate to the workplace and be punctual in attendance as agreed with the employer
inform the work experience coordinator and employer of expected absences from work, or necessary late arrivals
report any concerns or issues to the work experience coordinator without delay
immediately report all accidents, ‘near misses’ and hazardous situations in the workplace to their employer and/or supervisor and the work experience coordinator
immediately seek advice from their supervisor when unfamiliar with workplace procedures or uncertain about how to complete a task
keep contact numbers of their parents/carers, school and employer with them at all times during their placement so that they can inform these parties about any changes to working times or other issues which may arise.

After the placement

The student must:

complete and submit all journals, assignments and school assessed tasks which have been set by the school
evaluate and reflect on the placement, and discuss the suitability of the placement with the work experience coordinator.

For work experience placements arranged via the WBL app, students are encouraged to complete the student evaluation form available via the WBL app. The student will automatically receive an evaluation form to complete.

It is strongly recommended that the student completes a letter of thanks to the employer and keeps a copy of the employer evaluation for use in their personal portfolio and future placements.

Parent or carer

Parents/carers have an important role in the successful delivery of work experience for their children. They play a vital role in discussing suitable work experience placements with their children and assisting them to understand roles and responsibilities in the world of work.

Before the placement

The parent/carer may:

discuss information about occupations and industries that their child could consider for a work experience placement
where required, assist their child to find a work experience placement
share their own experiences of work and address any uncertainties their child may have.

The parent/carer must:

sign the work experience arrangement form
make appropriate arrangements for their child to safely travel to and from work experience
make appropriate arrangements if their child is required to stay at accommodation other than their normal place of residence and complete the work experience travel and accommodation form
provide consent to any proposed vehicle travel that their child may undertake with the employer by completing the work experience travel and accommodation form
discuss the workplace and schoolwork requirements at home and where possible, assist their child to gain an understanding of expectations in the workplace
provide any necessary health information relating to their child, including details of any medical condition which may require treatment during the placement to the school.

During the placement

The parent/carer is encouraged to:

discuss the day’s activities with their child and, if any problems are identified, encourage them to follow correct procedures to deal with the problem
keep details of the workplace with them in case they need to contact their child.

After the placement

It is recommended that the parent/carer assist in the debriefing process upon completion of the work experience placement, and encourage their child to reflect upon their experiences in the workplace and continue their exploration of careers and occupations.

If required, parents/carers can refer to their child’s school for further guidance on how to support their child’s work experience arrangements.

Work experience arrangement form

All work experience arrangements in Victoria or in a reciprocating state (New South Wales and South Australia) must be made using the work experience arrangement form. All sections of this form must be completed and signed before the work experience commences.

Note: The work experience arrangement form must not be used to make an arrangement in a state or territory which is not a reciprocating state. Refer to Interstate placements for more information.

The arrangement form must be signed by the:

employer
student
parent/carer of the student (if the student is under 18 years of age)
principal or nominated person.

A copy of the arrangement form signed by the principal or nominated person must be provided to each party. The principal or nominated person must retain the original copy.

Completing the arrangement form

The work experience arrangement form is available in digital and paper-based format. The paper-based format can be downloaded from the Resources tab.

Government schools

Government schools are recommended to use the department’s Work-Based Learning Application (WBL App) to complete the digital work experience arrangement form. If the digital form is not used, or parents/carers, students or employers advise they wish to opt-out of completing the digital form, then schools must use the paper-based work experience arrangement form on the Resources tab.

For more guidance on using the WBL App, refer to Work-Based Learning Application.

Non-government schools

Non-government schools must use the paper-based work experience arrangement form.

Note: When using the paper-based work experience arrangement form, it is preferable that an original copy of the form is signed by all parties, but it is acceptable for an employer to sign and scan and email, or fax the form to the school, as long as the final copy of the form signed by the principal is clear, legible and has not had any information obscured or cut off during the scan or fax process. A copy of the form signed by the principal or nominated person must be provided to each party.

Variations or amendments to the arrangement form

Variations or amendments to the arrangement form may only be made in writing and must be signed by the employer, student, parent/carer (if the student is under 18 years of age) and the principal or nominated person.

If the digital form in the WBL App is used, supporting evidence must be uploaded to the application record. For instructions, refer to the Work-Based Learning Application master user guide on the Resources tab.

Retention of the arrangement form

The principal must retain a copy of the arrangement form and records relating to work experience for a period of 30 years in accordance with the Retention and Disposal Authority for School Records (PDF).

Arrangement forms created using the Work-Based Learning Application will be securely retained in the system as digital records in compliance with records management policies and guidelines.

If a WorkSafe Insurance claim is made, remarks relating to the work experience (including the claim number and details of any injury or illness) must be retained with the relevant arrangement form. Copies of all relevant medical certificates are also to be retained by the school.

For further information, refer to Records Management.

Work-Based Learning Application

Government schools are recommended to use the department’s Work-Based Learning Application (WBL App) to coordinate the end-to-end process of making work experience and structured workplace learning arrangements. The WBL App digitises the creation and management of the:

Work experience arrangement form
Work experience travel and accommodation form
Working with animals form.

The WBL App can also be used to:

track the completion status of placements
store records of completed arrangement forms as digital records in compliance with records management policies and guidelines
track completion of occupational health and safety training certificates, which students are required to upload in order to progress their placements
generate reports on placement details.

The WBL App reduces administrative work for school staff and saves time for parents/carers, employers, principals and nominated persons. It also makes completing arrangement forms easy on both desktop and mobile devices.

Students, parents/carers (where the student is under 18 years of age), and employers will receive links via email to complete and sign the digital arrangement form. This will be automatically initiated once the work experience coordinator begins to process the arrangement. Once all parties have signed their sections, the principal or nominated person will automatically receive a link to review and sign the final arrangement form. At the end of the placement, the student and employer will automatically receive an evaluation form to complete.
If the digital form in the WBL App is not used, schools must use the paper-based Work experience arrangement form (DOCX).

Refer to the Resources tab for WBL App resources including communication templates and training materials.

Informing parents/carers and students about using the Work-Based Learning Application

Before using the WBL App to process arrangement forms, government schools must provide the Information sheet for parents and carers – Understanding the digital work placement form on the Resources tab to parents/carers and students.

If parents/carers, students or employers advise at any stage that they wish to opt-out of completing the digital form, then schools must use the paper-based Work experience arrangement form on the Resources tab.

Access to the Work-Based Learning Application

Principals have access to the Work-Based Learning Application by default. They do not need to request access. If applicable, the principal must provide access to their nominated person. Once completed, either the principal or nominated person can approve access for all other users.

Government school-based career practitioners and work experience coordinators must request access to the WBL App by raising a Service Portal ticket. Refer to How to request access and add nominated persons to the Work-Based Learning Application (DOCX) for detailed steps on completing the service request. Note that approval for the access from the principal or nominated person must be submitted as an attachment to the service request.

Note: Only government school employed staff may be granted access to the WBL App. Principals may approve WBL App access for Head Start staff who facilitate work experience and structured workplace learning placements for students wishing to pursue a School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) pathway.

To access the WBL App, a department email address (for example, xx@education.vic.gov.au) must be used.

Student email requirements for the Work-Based Learning Application

Schools must ensure a valid school-based student email address is recorded for each student in CASES21(for example, edu.au or school-issued). The WBL App requires this to generate the digital work experience arrangement forms.

Refer to the How to update CASES21 student data quick reference guide in the Career and Pathways Platform Support Room hub.

Working with Children Check

All supervisors of work experience students aged under 15 years must hold a valid Working with Children Check. If the employer is also the nominated supervisor, then the employer is also required to hold a valid Working with Children Check.

Prior to the principal or nominated person approving a work experience arrangement, the employer must provide a certified copy of the nominated supervisor(s) valid Working with Children Check, and the school must verify that the check is valid using the Service Victoria Working with Children Check status checker, and retain it for a period of 30 years.

For more information, refer to the Child employment legislation and work experience frequently asked questions (DOCX).

Timing and duration of work experience

Timing of work experience

Work experience must take place during the school year, which is defined as the period between the first school day of the year and last school day of the year.

Students are to be encouraged to undertake work experience during school time and within the school week.

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 (that is, the Christmas/summer holiday period).

If work experience is undertaken during the school term holidays, the work experience coordinator (refer to Roles and responsibilities) must be available as a contact person for the student during the period of the arrangement.

Duration of work experience

The total number of work experience days for a student must not exceed:

40 days in a school year
10 days during any school term.

As an exception, the principal or nominated person 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. Exceptions may be granted where one or all of the following is satisfied:

a student requires an extended period of work experience to acquire particular skills as part of the student’s educational program
to enable a student to learn more about the workplace, including different activities or jobs.

There is no minimum number of days for work experience.

Hours of work

Students are only permitted to undertake work experience during normal working hours (that is, normal working hours for a standard shift without overtime in their chosen industry). Students are not permitted to work:

between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am, or if they are aged under 15 years, between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am
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 or nominated person is satisfied that it is appropriate for the work experience to take place, and is satisfied that it does not interfere with the wellbeing and the educational program of the student
the principal or nominated person and the parent/carer (if the student is under 18 years of age) are satisfied with the arrangement.

Employers must ensure that the minimum conditions and entitlements that apply in Victoria in relation to a meal break are adhered to, that is, at least a 30-minute break after working continuously for 5 hours.

Cancellation of work experience

A work experience arrangement may be cancelled at any time by written notice from the principal or nominated person to the employer, or from the employer to the principal or nominated person. It is effective immediately upon receipt of the written notice from the relevant party.

Students are encouraged to raise any concerns about their placement with their school as early as possible for the principal or nominated person to consider whether the placement should continue or not.

An employer must not cancel a work experience arrangement without consulting the principal or nominated person, unless in circumstances where it is not reasonable to require the employer to do so.

Permitted number of students per employer

An employer is not permitted to employ more than one work experience student for every 3 employees at the workplace.

However, an employer may engage more than the permitted number of students if the following conditions are met:

the employer certifies in writing that all work experience students will be adequately supervised
the principal or nominated person is satisfied that the placement is not detrimental to the wellbeing of any work experience student in that work location
the principal or nominated person, or the work experience coordinator agrees to visit the workplace as often as is reasonably practicable, based on factors like student needs and available resources, such as transport to and from the workplace, location of the workplace, and the number of other workplaces which require attendance
the number of students will not exceed one student for each employee.

Travel and accommodation arrangements

The student or the parent/carer (where the student is under 18 years of age) is responsible for the student’s transport to and from the workplace.

If 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/carer (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 their normal place of residence while undertaking work experience, the student or parent/carer (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.

The work experience travel and accommodation form has been integrated into the digital form completion process in the Work-Based Learning Application.

Government schools that do not use the digital form, and non-government schools, must instead use the Work experience travel and accommodation form on the Resources tab.

Responsibility for the supervision and care of the student, at all times when the student is not under the supervision and care of the employer or any other person, rests with the student (if over 18 years of age) or their parent/carer.

Student debriefing

Students must be provided with the opportunity to debrief after their placement. This will involve reflecting on:

their learning in the workplace
the impact of the placement on their career planning
how their experience can assist them to prepare their pathway plans or portfolios and assist in senior school subject selection
their work readiness
comments made by the employer/supervisor on the evaluation form (if completed).

Work experience coordinators and other responsible staff are encouraged to collect written or verbal feedback from employers and parents/carers. These comments provide insight into the value of the placement for the student, from the perspective of parents and employers. Where required, students must complete any schoolwork requirements for assessment as set by the school.

For schools using the WBL App for work experience arrangements, the App will automatically send evaluation survey forms to students and employers after a placement ends.

Work experience coordinators and other relevant staff may encourage students to share their experience with other students. At the conclusion of the placement, students are strongly encouraged to write a letter of appreciation to their employer and/or their supervisor.

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/carer 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’ must 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 wellbeing service not conducted for profit, the student may determine that the whole of their payment will be donated back to that organisation. If the student determines that their payment will be donated back to the organisation, the parent/carer (where the student is under 18 years of age) must provide written consent to the proposed donation.

Payment does not include payment in kind. Gift cards and vouchers which would restrict a student to purchasing goods or services from a single pre-determined outlet or business must not be used to pay students.

Students aged 18 years and over will be required to provide a Tax File Number (TFN) declaration to the employer. The employer will be required to withhold amounts in accordance with the tax tables (where applicable), issue payment summaries and report these payments to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), as they would do for their employees.

Where the student is under 18 years of age and has not provided a Tax File Number declaration, the employer will not be obliged to make any withholding if the payment made to the student is $350 or less per week. However, employers will still be required to:

issue payment summaries
report payment details to the ATO.

Privacy legislation and work experience

Victorian privacy laws (Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001) protect the personal and health information of students.

Information provided by students, parents/carers and employers is obtained for the purposes of coordinating work experience arrangements. Information obtained via the Work-Based Learning application will also be used to inform the department’s approach to improving students’ access high quality and safe work experience placement opportunities. It must be kept confidential by all parties and must not be used for any other purposes.

If the principal or nominated person has disclosed any health information to the employer, the employer must maintain the confidentiality of that health information and only disclose it to another party if the student requires treatment for a known medical condition or in the case of a medical emergency.

The department is committed to protecting the privacy of personal and health information. For further information refer to the Department of Education privacy policy.

For a copy of the schools’ privacy policy refer to Schools' privacy policy.

For further information and guidance on privacy and information sharing, refer to: Privacy and Information Sharing.

WorkSafe and public liability insurance

Students who suffer work related injuries or illnesses while undertaking work experience placements are entitled to compensation under the WorkSafe scheme. All work experience students are covered under the department’s WorkSafe Insurance policy.

Employers of work experience students are exempt from the normal employer obligations to provide suitable employment or plan for the return to work of students who may be injured while undertaking a work experience placement.

Also, employers of work experience students are not liable for any claims costs or consequent premium costs that may be incurred as a result of a work experience student lodging a WorkSafe claim. Claims from students who have undertaken work experience are lodged against the department’s WorkSafe Insurance policy and the costs are met under the department’s policy.

Gallagher Bassett is the department’s workers’ compensation agent.

Note: WorkSafe Insurance does not cover people travelling to and from work.

Procedure for lodging a WorkSafe claim

WorkSafe claim forms can be accessed at:

Student

The student must ensure that they:

Complete and sign the Worker’s injury claim form with the assistance of the employer and/or the work experience coordinator.
Provide the Worker’s injury claim form to the employer.

Employer

The employer must ensure that they:

Complete their details in the ‘Incident and worker’s injury details’ and the ‘Worker’s employment details’ sections of the Worker’s injury claim form.
Complete the Employer injury claim report form. Note: On the Employer injury claim report form:
1. The Department of Education’s details must be entered in Section 1 – Employer Details. The employer’s scheme registration number is 1624618 and the employer’s reference number is 9573347.
2. Sections 3 and 4 do not need to be completed.
Send both the forms back to the student’s school.

School

The principal or nominated person must:

record the injury on eduSafe Plus (staff login required) (government school students)
ensure that the Worker’s injury claim form is dated and signed and the 'Employer lodgement details' section of the form is completed
ensure that the words ‘Work experience student’ are inserted in the top left-hand area of the Worker’s injury claim form
on the Worker’s injury claim form, ensure the Department of Education’s employer’s scheme registration number (1624618) is entered in the 'Employer lodgement details' section
on the Employer injury claim report form, ensure the Department of Education’s details are entered in ‘Section 1 – Employer details’, the number 1624618 is entered as the employer’s scheme registration number, and the number 9573347 is entered as the employer’s reference number
ensure copies of the Worker’s injury claim form and the Employer injury claim report form along with copies of the Work experience arrangement form, copies of medical accounts and other relevant documents are emailed to Gallagher Bassett within 10 calendar days from the date on which the employer received the Worker’s injury claim form from the student at educlaims@gbtpa.com.au
ensure copies of all forms sent to Gallagher Bassett are retained on a file at the school.

For further information and guidance on WorkSafe, refer to: Workers’ Compensation – Workplace Injury.

Public liability insurance

Government schools

When a work experience arrangement is entered into by a principal or nominated person of a government school, the department holds or takes out public liability insurance to provide at least $10 million cover per event. The parties insured are the student and the employer.

Non-government schools

When an arrangement is entered into by a principal or nominated person of a non-government school, it is the obligation of that school to hold or take out public liability insurance to provide at least $10 million cover per event. The parties to be insured are the student and the school.

When an arrangement is entered into by a principal or nominated person of a non-government school not covered by public liability insurance as set out above, the employer must be informed of this by the principal or nominated person of that school at least 4 weeks prior to the commencement of that arrangement. In this event, the employer will be obliged to hold or take out public liability insurance to provide at least $10 million cover per event for any loss or damage which may be caused by any act or omission of the student while engaged under the arrangement. The parties to be insured are the student and the employer.

The principal or nominated person must specify the type of coverage for the student in the area provided on each Work experience arrangement form.

Interstate placements

New South Wales and South Australia

Reciprocal arrangements exist for Victorian students to undertake work experience in New South Wales and South Australia. These arrangements are primarily for students in schools situated in regions adjoining the border Victoria shares with those states.

Students are to be strongly encouraged to find work placements in their own state and interstate work experience must only be arranged as a last resort – for example, where in the judgement of the principal or nominated person, no suitable local placement exists or where there are special educational reasons for making such an arrangement.

A school’s responsibility for its students undertaking work experience in New South Wales and South Australia is the same as if the student were undertaking their placement in Victoria.

Permission is not required from the New South Wales Department of Education or the South Australian Department for Education for interstate work experience. These placements must be made using the work experience arrangement form.

All Victorian students undertaking work experience in New South Wales or South Australia are covered under the department’s WorkSafe Insurance and Public Liability Insurance policies.

Note:

Victorian students are not paid while undertaking placements in New South Wales and South Australia. On the Work experience arrangement form, the line ‘Rate of payment’ must be crossed out and the words ‘Interstate placement – payment not required’ written.
Placements must only be made within New South Wales and South Australia school terms.

Other states and territories

A principal or nominated person may only make a work experience arrangement with an employer in a state or territory, other than New South Wales and South Australia, if the principal or nominated person is satisfied that it is appropriate for the arrangement to be made. The principal or nominated person must be satisfied that:

it is in the interest of the student for the work experience to occur
that the physical and moral wellbeing of the student will be assured
the student or the parent/carer of the student (where the student is under 18 years of age) has made suitable insurance arrangements ensuring:
- cover for the student for any injuries in the course of the arrangement at least comparable to that applicable in Victoria to a student under the Accident Compensation Act 1985
- public liability insurance coverage of at least $10 million cover per event in respect of any loss or damage which may be caused by any act or omission of the student whilst engaged under the arrangement.

Students and parents/carers can approach any insurance company to obtain details of insurance that will provide this cover.

The Work experience arrangement form is not to be used for arrangements in other states and territories, other than New South Wales or South Australia.

Note: International work experience placements are not allowed under any circumstances.

Overseas students

All overseas students enrolled in Victorian schools may undertake work experience as part of their learning program. When a work experience arrangement is being made for an overseas student, the terms and conditions of the visa held by the student must be complied with, as well as the work experience requirements as contained in this policy.

As workplace learning is an important component of the school curriculum and a student’s learning program, work experience undertaken by overseas students does not count towards work entitlement hours of the visa held by the student.

For further information, contact the department’s International Education Division on 03 7022 1000 or international@education.vic.gov.au

Contacting students during the placement

The principal or nominated person or the work experience coordinator must contact the student:

at least once during the arrangement
if the placement under the arrangement includes placement days during more than one school term, at least once during each of those terms.

Contact may be made by either visiting the workplace or by telephoning and speaking to the employer and the student.

Contacting students during their placement provides the opportunity for the principal or nominated person or work experience coordinator to:

find out more about the workplace
ensure that the student is being adequately supervised, either by the employer or the nominated supervisor
ensure that the student is being provided with opportunities to undertake tasks that are appropriate and meaningful
ensure that the placement complies with the guidance provided in this page
identify any problems in the workplace
ensure the student’s work is being evaluated and that the employer evaluation form is returned
learn more about the particular industry in which the student is working.

The principal, nominated person or work experience coordinator must:

contact the employer to arrange suitable dates and times for any work experience visits
notify the school administration of the date and time of any visits
complete a report on the visit and ensure that both the student and the employer/supervisor are spoken to during the contact. It is strongly recommended that the conversation with the student be conducted in private.

Suggested approach for a workplace visit

There are 3 important functions when visiting a student who is undertaking a work experience placement:

checking to make sure both the employer and the student are happy with the way the placement is progressing
encouraging the student to reflect on what they are learning from this different educational experience
checking that students are completing log books, journals and/or other assessment tasks as required, and have provided the employer with the evaluation form.

Contacting the student’s supervisor

To address any concerns or issues, it is beneficial to first speak with the student’s immediate supervisor. It is important to encourage the employer to be as honest as possible about the student's performance so any shortfalls or issues that may impact the arrangement can be addressed as soon as possible.

If any shortfalls are identified, it is recommended these are discussed with the student directly to work on resolving the issue constructively.

Contacting the student

It is important to encourage the student to be as honest as possible about their work experience placement.

Questions might include:

‘Is this what you expected to be doing?’ (If the answer is no, you might like to ask ‘What’s different from your expectations?’)
‘Have your feelings changed about this job?’ (If yes: ‘How?’)
‘What problems, if any, have you encountered during the placement?’
‘What has been the most surprising or interesting thing you have learned during this placement?’

Student safety and wellbeing

A principal or nominated person must be satisfied that the student has the capacity to undertake a work experience placement without exposing themselves or others in the workplace to any unreasonable level of risk.

The protection of the safety, health, development, education and wellbeing of students undertaking work experience is of paramount importance to the department. This section lists a number of industries, activities, plant and equipment and workplace hazards which present unreasonable risks to students’ health and safety and/or which require extensive training or experience to perform safely, and are therefore prohibited or restricted for work experience students. The lists are not exhaustive but are intended to support principal or nominated persons to fulfil their duty of care responsibilities when entering into work experience arrangements.

School staff, employers and workplace supervisors need to be aware that work experience students:

are still developing physically, cognitively and emotionally and that there may be tasks that are beyond their current capabilities
are inexperienced and less skilled than older workers and unaware of workplace risks
may not have the confidence to ask questions or speak up for fear of looking incapable
may neglect their own health and safety in their enthusiasm to impress others.

While undertaking work experience, students learn primarily through observing and assisting with simple tasks. Students must not undertake activities that require extensive training or experience, or expose them, or others in the workplace, to unreasonable risks to health and safety.

Child Safe Standards

To create and maintain a child safe organisation, all Victorian schools must comply with Ministerial Order 1359 – Implementing the Child Safe Standards – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools (PDF).

The Child Safe Standards require schools to develop and implement risk management strategies to ensure students’ safety in the school environment. The school environment includes workplace learning environments where students undertake work experience, structured workplace learning, school community work (volunteering) and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.

The department has developed the following resources to support schools to comply with the requirements and implement risk management strategies prior to students undertaking work experience:

For further information on the Child Safe Standards, refer to:

Unacceptable behaviour in the workplace

Under Victorian law (Equal Opportunity Act 2010, Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001) and Commonwealth law (Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and Disability Discrimination Act 1992) it is unlawful for employers and educational authorities to sexually harass, victimise or discriminate against employees and students. There must be an adequate level of supervision to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the student in a non-discriminatory and harassment free working environment.

Bullying, harassment and violence must not be tolerated in the workplace. The following information will help work experience coordinators and other relevant staff familiarise themselves with issues related to harassment, bullying and occupational violence, and offers strategies and guidance to address them.

Employers have legal responsibilities to do as much as is reasonably practicable to eliminate or reduce risks to employees’ health and safety. Employees also have legal responsibilities about how they behave toward others in the workplace. Unfortunately, harassment and bullying does take place in some workplaces.

Harassment and bullying are acts connected to the abuse of power: the less power a person has in a workplace, the more likely the chance of harassment. A work experience student is often the least powerful person in a workplace and therefore could be highly vulnerable.

Forms of harassment, bullying and occupational violence

Harassment (including sexual harassment) can take many different forms. It can be physical or verbal abuse, requests for sexual favours or assault. It can be behaviour which offends, humiliates or intimidates the victim. Forms of harassment include (but are not limited to) sexual innuendo, comments about looks or body parts, asking for dates, enquiries into a person’s sexual activities, displays of pornography or material of a sexual nature, posters, magazines, photographs or screen savers on computers.

Bullying is generally defined as repeated unreasonable behaviour directed toward an employee (or group of employees) and creating a risk to their health and safety.

Bullying or harassment can take the form of assigning inappropriate duties, name calling, threatening behaviour, shouting or general intimidation such as exclusion or isolation.

Occupational violence is generally defined as any incident where a person is physically attacked or threatened in the workplace. Occupational violence can include the physical acts of pushing, hitting, slapping or grabbing of clothing.

All harassment and bullying must be treated in the same manner by schools, whether or not the harassment or bullying is prohibited by law. Some incidents of bullying and harassment may be illegal under criminal law. If so, students have the right to involve the police.

How does harassment and bullying occur?

A student may be harassed or bullied in a number of ways: by a manager or supervisor, by other employees, by contractors, by customers – or in cases where more than one student is employed, by other students. The school and the employer are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to protect work experience students from harassment.

Where can harassment, bullying and occupational violence happen?

Harassment, bullying and occupational violence can take place in any setting, and are not necessarily more likely to occur in one workplace over another.

Particular care must be taken when placing a student in a residential situation, such as, students working on distant farms where residential accommodation may be the norm, or when the student has an employer who works from the relative privacy of a home office.

Students must be instructed to never drink alcohol while on a placement, even in social situations.

Responsibilities to protect students

Schools have a responsibility to ‘take all reasonable steps’ to protect students on work experience from harassment and bullying. ‘All reasonable steps’ may include:

ensuring that the whole school community understands the school’s policy and procedures on sexual harassment and bullying
organising the work experience to protect students from possible harassment and bullying
visiting the workplace where possible and discussing the school’s policy and procedures with the employer.

Note: Taking ‘all reasonable steps’ may involve actions before, during and after work experience.

If a work experience student reports harassment, bullying or occupational violence the school must be able to demonstrate that it has clear policies and a working set of written procedures to deal with these matters. These documents must be forwarded to each party involved in the student’s work experience prior to the placement commencing.

Procedures for dealing with harassment, bullying or occupational violence must include step-by-step instruction on what is required to protect students on work experience, and must include the written endorsement of the principal or nominated person. Employers can also be vicariously liable if a sexual harassment complaint is made. Refer to the Child safe standards and workplace learning: A guide for schools.

Wherever possible, the workplace must be visited. Discussions should occur with supervisors, alongside observations regarding the culture of the workplace, including language, the way people relate to each other, and the suitability of posters, magazines or screen savers that students may see while on placement.

Workplaces may change from year to year. A new supervisor may change the workplace culture. The prevention of harassment and bullying of the student must be discussed with potential employers. Discussion should also include the standards that the school expects of the workplace and processes to deal with harassment and bullying if they arise with tact and sensitivity.

All school staff involved in administering work experience programs and students must receive the information about harassment and bullying outlined in this section of the guidance. This information must include the many different forms that harassment and bullying can take, where it may occur, who it happens to, how it affects victims, and how it must be dealt with. The role of the work experience coordinator and the school in dealing with these matters must be clearly outlined to the student.

Schools must have a process that empowers the student to respond immediately to the harassment and bullying if it occurs. The student must understand that if they are made uncomfortable during their work experience, they have the right to leave the workplace immediately. Bags and other belongings can be collected at a later time. If the student does leave the workplace, they must notify their school immediately.

Handling incidents of harassment, bullying or occupational violence

Strategies that students may use in response to incidents of harassment, bullying or occupational violence include:

expressing dislike of their treatment to their harasser(s)
reporting their treatment to other people at the workplace – co-workers, supervisors or managers
reporting their treatment to parents/carers
reporting their treatment to their work experience coordinator, principal or nominated person
in matters of sexual harassment, lodging a complaint under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

Schools must support students to deal with incidents of harassment, bullying or occupational violence.

Schools must have a process for supporting work experience students who report incidents of harassment, bullying or occupational violence. As part of this process:

each complaint should be accepted at face value
concerns and/or complaints must be acted upon without delay
in the first instance, care must be taken to address the wellbeing of the student rather than the facts of the matter – 'Are you OK?' is a better response than 'Were there any witnesses?'
if appropriate, conciliation may take place between the employer, the student and the school. This may not involve the parties necessarily being in the one room at the same time. If agreement can be reached between the parties, this must be recorded and followed accordingly
where conciliation is inappropriate or not possible, the school must attempt to investigate the complaint to the extent possible
all evidence relevant to the complaint must be given to the principal or nominated person for assessment. If the principal or nominated person is of the belief that the evidence sustains the complaint, a decision must be made about the on-going relationship with the employer. In some cases, further placements will need to be closely monitored, while in others the relationship will be suspended or terminated.

At the completion of the work experience program, the school must conduct a debriefing process wherein each student has opportunity to comment on their experiences during their placement. Each student must also have the opportunity to raise any issues privately with the work experience coordinator or other relevant staff member without other students being present.

Each student must be contacted while on their placement to ensure that they are experiencing no difficulties as a result of the behaviour of other people.

Occupational health and safety preparation

Schools must ensure that all students complete one of the following occupational health and safety programs developed by the department prior to undertaking their work experience:

safe@work, which is designed to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of OHS matters before they enter a workplace. It consists of a general module and a number of industry-specific modules
A Job Well Done, which has been developed to provide students with disability with a general awareness of workplace health and safety and expose them to issues relating to the world of work.

Once a student is in a workplace, the employer has a duty of care to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health – this includes both physical and psychological health.

A responsible employer will conduct regular workplace hazard inspections and implement a program of effective risk controls, understood by everyone in the workplace. Warning signs must be displayed prominently wherever they are required, and the meaning of the signs must be made known to employees and visitors, including students.

As part of the workplace induction on the first day of the placement, the employer must explain to the student what hazards are present in the workplace, why risk controls are in place and how they are put into practice. Employers must also nominate a supervisor to provide direct supervision of a student while they are undertaking work related activities.

Students must be told that if they have any concerns, such as not knowing how to use equipment or feeling that a task may involve a risk to their safety, they must speak to their supervisor before proceeding. Safety must always be the employer’s, and the student’s, first priority.

Construction induction training

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, an employer must ensure that anyone employed to do construction work (including students placed with an employer under a workplace learning arrangement made under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006) has completed construction induction training before they start work. Construction induction training aims to provide people new to construction work with an understanding of:

their rights and responsibilities under OHS law
common hazards and risks in the construction industry
basic risk management principles
the standard of behaviour expected of workers on construction sites.

The construction induction training must be provided by a registered training organisation (RTO). Construction induction cards are issued by WorkSafe Victoria following receipt of evidence of satisfactory completion of the course from the RTO and proof of identity. Construction induction cards issued by WorkSafe Victoria are recognised nationally.

For further information about construction induction card requirements or to locate a RTO, visit WorkSafe Victoria’s Advisory Service.

For further information about what is considered to be construction work, and how to meet health and safety requirements on construction sites, refer to the following WorkSafe Victoria publications:

Undertaking work experience with animals

The Workplace hazards fact sheet – working with animals has been developed to assist students, parents/carers, schools and non-school senior secondary providers to consider the hazards associated with animal contact, and to help employers plan suitable activities and provide a safe and rewarding experience for students.

Note: Students under 15 years of age are not permitted to undertake work experience involving direct contact with animals. They may however, undertake other animal-related activities that are safe and suitable, for example, preparing feeds.

Prohibited or restricted industries and businesses

Students must not be placed in industries or businesses where there is an unacceptable risk to their safety, health, development or wellbeing. Work experience in the following industries or businesses is prohibited or restricted on this basis (this is not an exhaustive list):

Abattoirs
Any business where firearms and/or ammunition are manufactured, repaired or sold
Aviation – students aged 15 years and over may undertake work experience at a commercial airport or airline but are restricted to an office environment or other administrative environment such as customer service. If a student is offered a complimentary flight during their placement, this must be as a seated passenger only, and under the care and control of a suitably qualified and experienced member of staff
Butchers or fishmongers – students aged 15 years and over may only undertake retail activities in these industries
Civil construction (such as roads and bridges) – students aged 15 years and over are allowed
Defence Force – students aged 15 years and over are allowed
Emergency Services – students aged 15 years and over are allowed
Equine industry – students aged 15 years and over may only undertake work experience in this industry in line with the department’s guidelines for work experience with animals and are not permitted to undertake riding activities
Fishing vessels
Funeral homes
Gaming
Mining, quarrying, extraction, recycling plants, foundries and tips - students aged 15 years and over may only undertake office duties above ground in these industries
Morgues
Prisons, correctional or remand centres, or immigration detention centres
Recreational vessels
Security industry
Sex industry
Tattoo shops
Trading vessels – students aged 15 years and over may assist on trading vessels used for passenger ferry services or charter activities and operating on inland or enclosed waters
Transmission and distribution industries (linework and/or cabling)

Prohibited or restricted activities

Students are prohibited from engaging in activities:

where there is an unacceptable risk to their health, development, safety or wellbeing
which require extensive training or experience to perform safely.

Students are prohibited from engaging in the following activities on this basis (this is not an exhaustive list):

Administering medical treatments
Bathing patients
Discussing the condition of patients
Dispensing and/or administering medication
Door-to-door selling (selling any goods or services at any premises other than premises occupied by the employer, and includes making an unsolicited consumer agreement within the meaning of the Australian Consumer Law (Victoria) with a purchaser)
Handling or using explosives
Holding or transporting cash and negotiable items – such as cash, cards, stamps or cheques – with a value exceeding $100. (This excludes the student’s personal items)
Holding keys, codes or ciphers except those required to operate standard office machines and other permitted equipment
Work experience on a building or construction site (whether commercial or residential) at any time before the buildings on the site are at lock up stage if a student is under 15 years of age

Dangerous plant and hazardous equipment

Students must not use plant or equipment that pose an unacceptable risk to their health or safety, or which require extensive training or experience to use safely.

Students are not permitted to use:

abrasive blasting equipment
brush cutters with attached metal blades
buzzers
chainsaws
compressed air power tools
elevating work platforms
explosive power tools
firearms
gas-fuelled cutting equipment
guillotines (manual and electric-operated)
jackhammers
lathes
nail guns
petrol sales consoles
plastic moulding machines
power presses (unless the press has laser guarding or a remote control, and training and close supervision are provided)
power saws, including docking saws, circular saws and buzz-saws
power wood shapers
powered cutting or grinding tools (excluding those used for key cutting and engraving on items such as trophies)
powered lifting equipment
powered mobile plant or vehicles (students must never be permitted to drive any vehicle or mobile plant while on work experience, including tractors, forklifts, all-terrain vehicles, ride-on mowers, bulldozers, excavators, and skidders)
rubbish compactors
scaffolding
sharp objects and cutting equipment (not including scissors and secateurs sold for general use)
spindle moulders
thicknessers
ultraviolet (UV) equipment
welding, brazing and open flame soldering equipment.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list.

Workplace hazards

Students must not be exposed to workplace hazards that could harm their health or safety such as:

biological/medical hazards (for example, exposure to needles in syringes or other ‘sharps’, to blood or other body fluids, Legionella bacteria)
bullying, occupational violence, work-related stress, sexual harassment and discrimination
confined spaces (‘confined space’ is defined as a space in any vat, tank, pit, pipe, duct, flue, oven, chimney, silo, reaction vessel, container, receptacle, underground sewer or well or any shaft, trench, tunnel or other similar enclosed or partially enclosed structure that meets conditions specified in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 (refer to WorkSafe Compliance code: Confined spaces))
debris (for example, waste material generated by milling or grinding operations)
electrical hazards associated with faulty, unsuitable or inappropriately placed leads, electrically powered plant or equipment, contact with live underground or overhead cables
excessive noise
exposure to asbestos fibres in areas where damaged and/or friable (‘friable asbestos’ means asbestos that when dry, may be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure) asbestos-containing materials are known to be present
exposure to occupational sources of ionising radiation (such as X-ray machines)
exposure to non-ionising radiation hazards (associated with devices such as UV sterilising equipment and laser devices)
exposure to high-pressure liquids or gases (associated with gas cylinders, compressed air tools, boilers and pressure piping)
exposure to hazardous substances (‘hazardous substances’ are regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007 and classified on the basis of their health effects, both immediate and long-term, such as chemicals, flammable liquids or gases that can cause cancer, skin disease, poisoning or respiratory illness) and dangerous goods (‘dangerous goods’ are regulated by the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2022 and can have immediate physical or chemical effects – such as fire, explosion, corrosion and poisoning – on property, the environment or people)
extreme heat or cold that could result in physical harm through illness or impaired performance
falling objects (such as objects falling from platforms, loads slung from cranes)
falls from, or collisions with, forklifts or mobile plants
falls from heights
hazardous manual handling involving the application of repetitive, sustained and/or high force, awkward postures or movements, exposure to sustained vibration, manual handling of people or animals, manual handling of unstable loads that are difficult to grasp or hold
impalement hazards, such as protruding angle iron
plant hazards including moving machinery or equipment, unguarded machinery in which clothing, hair, limbs or fingers could get caught, cut or crushed
trenching and excavation operations, including digging of post holes.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list.

Students with disability and additional needs

For students with disability, reasonable adjustments need to be made to enable them to participate in the placement on the same basis as their peers. The school can give the employer information regarding the adjustments that will maximise inclusion and participation for the student.

Work experience coordinators may use the expertise and advice of education staff who know the student well. This may include seeking advice from the Student Support Group (SSG) for Victorian government schools or the Program Support Group (PSG) for non-government schools when setting up work experience. The SSG or PSG will be able to advise on reasonable adjustments and supports that can ensure the success of the placement.

The student may also have allied health and other professionals, such as visiting teachers, who may be able to provide advice and support for the student, including advice about equipment the student requires for work experience if it is needed.

Work experience paper-based forms remain available for students who are not using the digital forms created in the Work-Based Learning Application.

Examples of reasonable adjustments

There are multiple kinds of adjustments employers can make to support students with disability and additional needs. Examples include:

providing access to workplace materials through assistive technologies such as screen readers
adapting the physical environment, for example, increasing lighting for a student who has a vision impairment
providing instructions in different ways, such as visual, oral or practical demonstrations, to support comprehension and learning
providing students with timetables prior to the placement so that daily routines are understood, and notifying students of changes to the daily routine in advance
breaking new tasks into a series of smaller steps, ensuring one part has been learned before introducing the next.

Resources

Forms for use in work experience arrangements

Work experience arrangement form (DOCX)
Work experience arrangement form (PDF)
Work experience travel and accommodation form (DOCX) (to be used where relevant)
Work experience travel and accommodation form (PDF) (to be used where relevant)
Proposed work experience with animals – summary of student's experience (DOCX)

Work Experience

Policy last updated

Scope

On this page:

Policy

Policy

Summary

Details

Work experience arrangements

Work-Based Learning Application

Work experience arrangement form

Work experience travel and accommodation form

School to Work Statewide Portal

Occupational health and safety

Child Safe Standards

Contacts

For government schools

For Catholic schools

For independent schools

Definitions

Related policies

Relevant legislation

Guidance

Work Experience guidelines

Overview

Overview

What is work experience?

Benefits of work experience

Benefits for students

Benefits for schools

Benefits for parents and carers

Benefits for employers

Benefits for the community

Work experience and the curriculum

Required age of students

Required age of students

For students aged 21 and over

Roles and responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities

Principal or nominated person

Placement arrangements

Health and safety

Placement suitability

Administration

Student readiness

Work experience coordinator

Before the placement

Student readiness

Employer readiness

Administration

During the placement

After the placement

Employer

Before the placement

During the placement

After the placement

Student

Before the placement

During the placement

After the placement

Parent or carer

Before the placement

During the placement

After the placement

Work experience arrangement form

Work experience arrangement form

Completing the arrangement form

Government schools

Non-government schools

Variations or amendments to the arrangement form

Retention of the arrangement form

Work-Based Learning Application

Work-Based Learning Application

Informing parents/carers and students about using the Work-Based Learning Application

Access to the Work-Based Learning Application

Student email requirements for the Work-Based Learning Application

Working with Children Check

Working with Children Check

Timing and duration of work experience

Timing and duration of work experience