Year 10 work experience

How a placement is set up

Schools run their own work experience programs, usually in Year 9 or Year 10, and each school decides when its students go out. Some schools have a list of employers who take students every year. Many expect students to find their own placement, with help from their family and the school's careers adviser, and then submit it for approval.

Before the first day, the student, a parent or carer, the employer and the school all sign an agreement. In New South Wales this is the Student Placement Record, in Victoria the work experience arrangement form, and in Queensland the work experience agreement. The form records the dates, hours, supervisor and planned activities, and it's what puts the education department's insurance arrangements in place. The NSW employer guide says its insurance only applies to placements the school has approved on that record, so a week arranged informally with a business, outside the school's program, doesn't carry the same cover.

Pay is where the states differ most visibly. In New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory, students on work experience are not paid. In Victoria, the Department of Education's guidance sets a minimum payment of $5 a day, with some exceptions such as placements with Commonwealth government bodies. South Australia's procedure allows work experience to be paid or unpaid, by arrangement between the employer and the student.

Under national workplace law, the Fair Work Ombudsman explains that a placement can lawfully be unpaid when it's a required part of a course run by an authorised institution, and schools count. An arrangement outside that definition may turn out to be employment, with wages owed, particularly when the person is doing productive work the business would otherwise pay someone to do.

The rules in each state and territory

Each state and territory education department sets its own limits for school work experience. The table below summarises the current rules for government schools. Catholic and independent schools can have their own policies, and where a department doesn't publish a detail, the school's work experience coordinator is the person to ask.

A few other rules are worth knowing about before choosing where to go:

Victoria: a small business that doesn't already have a Working with Children Check may need to apply before it can take a 14-year-old.

Queensland: the business owner can't be the student's parent or relative, and a relative can't be the direct supervisor.

New South Wales: some activities are banned outright, including working on a roof or with asbestos, and others need training first.

ACT: the law gives two examples. Someone supervising a work experience student at a childcare centre needs registration; someone supervising a student at an accounting firm doesn't.

Choosing where to go

A good placement is somewhere the student is curious about and where there'll be enough to see in a week. It helps to think about the kind of day the student would enjoy, not only the job title. Someone who likes working with their hands may get more out of a busy mechanic's workshop than a large office, even if both are in an industry they're interested in.

Here are some starting points, grouped by interest. The role pages linked below explain what each job involves, what it pays and how people get into it, which can help with deciding and with preparing questions.

• Animals: a vet clinic, animal shelter or wildlife park, where a student might watch the work of a veterinary nurse, animal attendant or zookeeper.
• Building and fixing things: a workshop or trade business, such as a motor mechanic, electrician or carpenter. Building sites often have extra safety requirements, and in Queensland a student needs a construction induction (white) card before going onto a construction site.
• Health: a community pharmacy, physiotherapy practice or dental clinic, to see the work of a pharmacist, physiotherapist or dental assistant. Hospitals often have limited places and their own screening requirements, so ask early.
• Children and teaching: a primary school or early learning centre, alongside a primary school teacher or early childhood educator. Check the state's Working with Children Check rules first.
• Creative work and media: a design studio, local newspaper or radio station, where a graphic designer or journalist works.
• Technology: a software company or IT team, with a software engineer. Much of this work happens on screens, so ask what the student will be able to see and do.
• Food and hospitality: a restaurant or cafe kitchen, working near a chef.

A placement doesn't need to match a firm career plan. Finding out that a job isn't what the student imagined is a useful result too, and it's easier to learn that in Year 10 than after choosing senior subjects around it.

Asking a business to take a student

Popular employers can be booked well in advance, so start asking as soon as the school confirms its dates. A short phone call or email to the business is usually the best approach. Local businesses are often happy to help but may not have hosted a student before, so it helps to mention that the school handles the paperwork and insurance.

Ideally the student makes the contact, even if a parent helps find the name or draft the message. It shows the employer that the student wants to be there. Here's an example email a student could adapt.

If there's no reply after a week or so, a polite follow-up call is fine. If the answer is no, it's worth asking whether they know another business that might take a student.

Before the first day

Once the placement is approved, a few practical questions can make the first morning easier. Ask the supervisor what time to arrive, where to go, what to wear, whether to bring lunch and whether any safety gear is needed, such as closed shoes. Work out how to get there and how long it takes. In New South Wales and Queensland, travel and other costs of the placement are paid by the student and their family, and in Tasmania parents and carers are responsible for transport.

Parents and carers will be asked to sign the agreement and provide health information and an emergency contact. If the student has a medical condition, allergy or disability that could affect their safety or the support they need, tell the school while the placement is being planned so adjustments can be discussed with the employer.

Making the most of the week

Supervisors generally don't expect a Year 10 student to know how things work. They do notice whether a student turns up on time, puts their phone away and shows interest. Asking questions is part of the point of the week. Students could ask people how they got into their job, what they studied, what a hard day looks like and what they wish they'd known at school.

Keeping brief notes each evening helps when the school asks for a report or debrief afterwards, and when it comes to writing a first resume. It's easy to forget the details within a few weeks.

Work experience students have the right to a safe workplace, and they shouldn't be asked to do anything unsafe. If something feels wrong, they can tell their supervisor, contact their work experience coordinator at school or talk to a parent. The NSW guide asks students to report safety issues or incidents to the school within 24 hours. If something happens outside business hours, it asks parents to remove the student from harm and let the school know, without trying to resolve the issue themselves.

After the placement

A short thank-you email or card to the supervisor is a courteous way to finish. If the week went well, the student could ask whether that person would be willing to act as a referee for a part-time job later. The guide to asking someone to be a referee explains how to make that request.

The placement can also go on a resume, with a line or two about what the student did and learned. The article on skills for your resume can help with describing the teamwork, communication and reliability a week in a workplace often shows, and how to write a resume with no work experience covers where a placement like this fits on the page.