Work Experience: VeiS Intranet Site
Work experience is an invaluable teaching and learning strategy that supports students test their growing capacities in a real workplace and helps them attain the vision we have for them:
· All students in NSW government secondary schools will be enterprising and capable citizens, well prepared to take charge of their future.
· They will gain the skills and confidence to be independent, self-aware, resourceful and alert to the choices and opportunities available in their lives.
Innovation in workplace learning is explicitly encouraged by the Department. See section 1.1 in the Workplace Learning Policy, 2005.
Schools are also encouraged to consider other ways of using the resources of the community and the workplace to expand the range of teaching environments and improve student achievements in other curriculum areas. See Section 1.1.4 in Procedures and Standards, 2005.
Consideration of other models for workplace learning is encouraged. For example, some students might benefit from half a day - 3 days in the workplace rather than the customary full week. Another option close to holidays is to consider starting on a Wednesday or Thursday and finishing a week later to allow immediate follow up before the holidays start.
Following up with students immediately after their workplace learning makes sound pedagogical sense and is an important element of the duty of care to students (See Section 1.4.7 in Procedures and Standards). For further information, see the Recommended Support Document, Post Placement Follow Up Activities on the School to Work website.
The experiential, hands on, personalised approach of work experience has the capacity to engage or re-engage students particularly if students can participate in a workplace that values and supports young people. This can be seen in workplaces that encourage effective communication between staff and novice workers and that provide quality training and supervision, and where possible, opportunities for mentoring of individual students.
Career Education Focus
Work experience is a teaching and learning strategy that assists students to test their developing career aspirations and personal suitability for a variety of job areas in industries and businesses of their choice.
Work experience builds on the career exploration and career development activities provided by the school or TAFE NSW institute as well as the student's own research, for example, through the national career information internet site myfuture. It also supports students to further develop, in a real workplace, their employment related skills (and personal attributes) that they are already developing through other activities and documenting in their Employment Related Skills Logbook.
Students benefit from having an explicit purpose and focus for their career education workplace learning, for example, by using the two Workplace Learning Research pages in their Employment Related Skills Logbook.
Parents and carers are usually vitally interested in their young person's career planning. They appreciate being supported with up to date information and advice so they can play an informed role in supporting the work of schools and TAFE NSW institutes in fostering their young person's exploration of careers, job opportunities and pathways planning.
A key emphasis in School to Work: Creating Future Pathways 2005-07 is the focus on building networks and connections. Students need explicit support at school and at home to get them started in building their own personal network of contacts and connections they can draw on for support, advice and opportunities in the future. Guidance for teachers is provided in the Recommended Support Document Post Placement Follow Up Activities on the School to Work website.
Community-Based Learning
Many students undertake school developed programs of structured learning which take place in the community.
For some students, the focus in the workplace and other community facilities may be on behaviour, socialisation, money skills and communication. Students with disabilities may undertake significant and often extended periods of community learning. These community learning programs are developed and monitored by the school in consultation with the student's parents and carers. This workplace learning focuses on:
· how students can most capably and productively increase their participation in the community, immediately and over the long term
· the particular needs of the individual student and includes significant skill development and personal growth in a well-supported workplace learning environment
· providing individual students with a smooth transition through and from school/ TAFE NSW to the next stage of their learning and earning in the community.
Community-based learning can also be a teaching and learning strategy to increase student participation in their local communities through school approved programs. Students learn about their community, themselves and what they can contribute as active citizens.
These programs can foster connections with government agencies and non-government organisations (NGOs) including welfare and advocacy groups in the local and extended community. Programs can include project based work, work shadowing and regular work experience.
Service learning is a type of community-based learning in which students participate in community service that meets the needs of the community as well as in some cases, a related community-based course of study. Service learning is a planned and integrated component of the curriculum, providing opportunities for enhanced individual capacity-building, self-awareness, critical thinking and reflection. Service learning can also include volunteering which is a key element of the portfolio of paid and unpaid work that students may undertake now and in their working future.
Enterprise Focus
Work experience is an excellent vehicle for building the enterprising characteristics of students and for promoting student engagement in enterprise education programs offered in workplaces away from the school site.
Workplace learning allows students to test their own developing enterprise capabilities in a real workplace as well as find out more about enterprise in action in both large and small enterprises.
Enterprising learners are connected, engaged, resilient, responsible and ethical and demonstrate characteristics of each quality as outlined in Section 5 of the KLA booklets (2005). Students can be enterprising in organising their workplace learning, for example, in their choice of enterprise which might follow their heart's interests rather than workplaces customarily used for work experience.
Students can also use workplace learning opportunities to focus on particular enterprising qualities such as ethical values in the workplace or on how enterprises build and demonstrate resilience in their workforce and across their business.
Students can also use a short period of workplace learning as a powerful adjunct to the enterprising projects they may be concurrently undertaking in the classroom, for example, as part of the school's enterprise education activities or a specific KLA enterprise activity.
Workplace learning can also be used for participation in enterprise education programs offered in the workplace, for example as work experience programs, including Mindshop Excellence and Young Achievement Australia's Year 11 Business Skills Program (offering a Certificate II in Business).
See the Mindshop website or the Young Achievement Australia website for more information.
Student Mentoring
Workplace learning can include opportunities for the mentoring of students in the workplace by voluntary personnel from business and industry who have undertaken specific training to mentor school students.
Mentoring programs provide a personalised support service for students that can promote student engagement with learning through powerful role models, enhance a student's individual understanding of career options and pathways and encourage improved setting of career and life goals. Employment related skills and personal attributes can also be fostered. Mentoring can also assist students to develop a network of connections and contacts for the future.
Mentoring programs need to be carefully planned and monitored to ensure quality outcomes for students. An example of a successful mentoring program in the workplace is the Department's Law firms Encouraging and Assisting Promising Students (LEAPS). This comprehensive program runs over several school terms and involves work shadowing and mentoring of students in law offices in the city.
KLA Focus for Work Experience
Teachers in KLA areas are encouraged to consider offering students opportunities to undertake work experience to support their vocational learning in KLA areas as well as to add value to work, assignments and projects they may be completing in that KLA area.
This may be on the basis of one or more students rather than the whole class, and at opportune times during the year. It may involve work undertaken by one or more students on behalf of the class while other students cover aspects of the topic using in-school resources.
Examples of work experience to support KLAs include spending one or more days to:
· 'finesse' an assignment or project, for example, drawing on industry expertise or using technology not readily available in schools
· test out and verify aspects of the Work, Employment and Enterprise cross curriculum content unique to that KLA
· test out and verify one or more employment related skills and the particular elements relevant to that KLA (see Section 5 in the relevant KLA booklet)
· gain increased insight into career opportunities in industry areas relevant to the KLA
· investigate newly emerging career opportunities, relevant to the KLA or several related KLAs, that may not yet be documented
· interview significant individuals or personnel, for example, from peak or other industry bodies or academic or training institutions, to gain added insights into areas of learning in the KLA
· fine-tune knowledge of industry and industry terminology in preparation for HSC VET exam questions that call on workplace experience.
Teachers new to offering workplace learning opportunities are advised to talk over the procedures and paperwork with the school careers adviser.
Workplace Learning Policy, Procedures and Standards
Policy:
1.2 Workplace learning programs include, but are not limited to, work experience, work placement for HSC VET courses, career and enterprise education programs, community learning and student mentoring programs conducted by employers in the workplace. This policy also extends to school based apprenticeships and traineeships.
Procedures and Standards
1.2.2 In exceptional circumstances, individual Year 12 students may undertake limited work experience to augment their school to work career planning or tertiary course selection after their final HSC exam.
Departmental insurance and indemnity provisions will apply to these work experience opportunities provided:
- all parties are in agreement to the work experience;
- the Department’s duty of care and documentation requirements are adhered to; and
- the student remains enrolled until completion of the work experience and follow up by the school or TAFE NSW institute.
In these exceptional circumstances, students must not be used in place of regular employees and must not undertake unpaid work trials.
Students undertaking a Life Skills pattern of study for the HSC may undertake workplace learning during term four with Departmental insurance and indemnity provisions if they are enrolled to the end of the school year.
Work Experience: The Employer’s Guide to Workplace Learning
Work Experience
These programs are usually undertaken by students in Years 9 or 10 with some opportunities in Years 11 and 12.
Work experience provides a general introduction to the ‘world of work’.
Young people are able to:
· observe a variety of work being done
· undertake supervised work appropriate to their skill level
· ask questions about the workplace
· gain general skills related to being at work
· learn how enterprises work and how to be enterprising
· complete course assignments relevant to the industry or workplace
· find out about training and employment opportunities
· fine-tune their career aspirations and career and transition planning.
Work-Based Learning: Work Education Syllabus
A note on community and work-based learning
It is strongly recommended that community and work-based learning opportunities be used as a teaching and learning strategy throughout the course. These could include group project work, individual research or other activities that meet the learning needs of students. There is a range of career, enterprise and work education programs currently operating in schools that may be linked to the Work Education syllabus.
Two options provide these opportunities (Option 5 Learning about the Workplace and Option 11 Learning in the Workplace). However it is recommended that other community and work-based learning contexts also be explored. For example, the topic Introduction to Workplace Safety could include an excursion to a number of worksites to provide students with the opportunity to investigate and assess Occupational Health and Safety in practice. Teachers should be aware of any insurance requirements or issues that may arise through such activities. Advice is available from the relevant school authority.
Work Studies HSC Course
Work Placement (Note: This is the BOS terminology. The placement is Work Experience as it is not associated with a VET/TVET Course and the student may not have industry skills/competencies)
This course has a practical orientation intended to allow students to develop a range of knowledge, skills and attitudes in actual workplace contexts.
The structure of the course allows individual schools the flexibility to determine the proportion of course time a student will spend in the workplace and the nature of this experience. The course and modules may involve integrated work placement, block work placement or may be taught from a classroom perspective, supported by industrial visits and short term workplace investigation studies.
It is possible for students to undertake an extended work placement to allow for the development of specific job-related skills. Students may also undertake detailed research activities in a work setting.
The value of these experiences is reinforced by the school-based components of the course, which provide both a knowledge base and the opportunity for structured reflection on workplace learning.
Schools will need to ensure appropriate levels of safety and supervision for any work placements. It will be necessary to gain approval from the principal or relevant system authority before undertaking any work placement.
Schools retain responsibility for the overall assessment of student achievement of the outcomes of this course. Refer to Higher School Certificate Assessment Requirements, page 35, for further details.
MODULE 12 WORK PLACEMENT
(15/30 hour module depending on depth taught/workplace involvement)
Where students are undertaking a 2 unit or a 2 year course in Work Studies time spent on this module may be extended.