Hosting Practical Placements provides an opportunity to:

• make a positive contribution to the education, development and training of students
• support the training of a new generation of employees
• provide your existing staff with opportunities to develop leadership, mentoring, coaching and delegating skills
• contribute to the development of a student’s workplace/employability skills
• promote the attitudes and skills required in the future industry workforce
• identify students with potential that could become prospective apprentices/employees
• increase relationships with TAFE to provide up-to-date industry feedback regarding training.

Host employers are required to:

• sign a Practical Placement agreement with the student (parent/guardian if younger than 18) and Wodonga TAFE
• complete a Practical Placement Work Health and Safety (WHS) Checklist to ensure requirements are met.
• induct the student into the workplace by directly appointing someone with responsibility to explain:
  • emergency arrangements, evacuation plan and assembly points
  • the process of reporting incidents and accidents
  • any hazards in the workplace and the risk controls in place
  • any relevant policies or procedures
• plan the Practical Placement to ensure students undertake meaningful activities and practical tasks that align to course requirements
• provide supervision of the student

Employers are not obligated to pay students, however payment may still be made if it is the employer's policy to do so. For further information, please refer to the Victorian Practical Placement Guidelines for post-secondary students on Practical Placements

Students are expected to:

• demonstrate work readiness prior to completing placement by attending classes regularly and submitting assignments on time
• complete the Work, Health & Safety unit of competency and workplace risk assessment prior to undertaking placement
• demonstrate their ability to understand the theory learnt in class and apply to their Practical Placements learnings
• comply with workplace rules and procedures
• maintain privacy and confidentiality of workplace information or activities
• wear personal protective equipment as required and conform to the workplace dress code or uniform
• attend the workplace during the standard work hours or those set down by their supervisor
• maintain the practical placement documents/assessments as required.

If a student is injured whilst on practical placement, they will be required to complete and sign a Worker’s Injury Claim Form and an Employer Injury Claim Report

The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 deems a post-secondary student undertaking a practical placement to be a ‘worker’ for workers’ compensation purposes and deems the Department to be the employer of that post-secondary student (of VRQA and ASQA registered RTOs) in respect of the Employment under the Practical Placement agreement. Accordingly, post-secondary students of VRQA or ASQA regulated RTOs who are injured while undertaking a practical placement may be eligible to make a claim under the workers’ compensation insurance policy held by the Department. This includes a student enrolled with an RTO in Victoria, completing their studies in Victoria and undertaking one part of the qualification for no more than 6 months in another Australian state or territory. The quantum of any payment is limited to statutory benefits provided under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation Compensation Act 2013.

To be covered by insurance, there must be a written practical placement agreement between the VRQA or ASQA-regulated RTO and host employer under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. If the student is placed for work experience or training without a written practical placement agreement between the RTO and the employer, that arrangement will not be a valid practical placement under ETRA, and the post-secondary student will not be eligible to make a claim under the Department’s workers’ compensation insurance policy if injured in the course of the work experience or training.

See the Department of Education and Training (DET) Practical Placement Guidelines at DET Practical Placement Guidelines