Work Experience

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.