Workplace learning enables students to explore potential career choices and pathways, develop essential skills and understandings of the workplace and develop industry-related competencies. It can also provide opportunities for students to develop employability skills and create direct links to apprenticeship or traineeship opportunities.

Work Health and Safety (WHS)

You have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. Under the Work Health & Safety Act 2012 employers must make sure the workplace is as safe as possible. This includes an induction to the worksite, safe use of machinery and equipment, training you as a worker on safe work practices and providing you with personal protective equipment.

As part of the Work Health & Safety Act 2012 you as a worker are responsible for safety too. You must take reasonable care for your own and other’s safety by following reasonable instructions, using protective equipment as required, reporting workplace hazards and cooperating with the workplace learning provider on health and safety issues.

Accidents/injury

You must report any accident or injury to your workplace learning provider as soon as possible, even if you think it is minor at the time.

You are covered by insurance if you are hurt at your workplace learning and if you are doing an approved workplace learning program as detailed on the workplace learning agreement form (PDF 493 KB) .

This requires your workplace learning agreement form to have been signed by all parties before you have started in the workplace.

You may not be covered by insurance if the injury or damage was the result of your negligence or failure to follow clear and reasonable instructions.

If you feel uncomfortable about the workplace learning

If you feel able, you should talk about your workplace learning concerns with the workplace learning supervisor. If the problem continues, or you do not feel comfortable talking with the workplace learning supervisor, you should contact the teacher nominated by your school. Their contact details are listed on the workplace learning agreement form.

The emphasis during workplace learning is always on trying to provide a safe, interesting, and valuable learning experience. This requires you to take responsibility for:

• negotiating your workplace learning with your teacher
• arranging the completion of the workplace learning agreement form and promptly returning it to your school
• completing workplace learning preparation and participating in a worksite-specific induction before commencing your placement
• behaving as a worker while on workplace learning, including following all workplace rules and instructions from your workplace supervisor, being punctual and notifying both the workplace and your school of absences
• remembering that while on workplace learning you are representing your school so school policies and codes of conduct apply at all times
• completing activities set by the school before, during and after the placement
• understanding that the workplace learning may involve confidential and sensitive information that must be kept private
• wearing the appropriate footwear/protective clothing/uniform as expected by the workplace learning provider
• seeking feedback from the workplace learning provider at the end of the placement and thanking them for their support.

Prior to attending workplace learning, your school will ensure you undertake an appropriate program of workplace preparation that includes information from:

• Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA)
• Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (SA)
• Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 (SA)
• Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (SA)
• Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

The program will build your Work Health and Safety knowledge and skills so you understand:

• your role, responsibilities and rights related to Work Health and Safety (WHS) in the workplace
• the purpose of the workplace learning and how it supports your career plan goals
• your right to undertake workplace learning in a safe work environment, including their right to be safe from harm and free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and bullying
• procedures you can follow if you experience any issue that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Hours of work

Your workplace learning should occur during normal school hours and should not exceed the expectation of the industry sector (eg no more than 8 hours per day). All workplace learning hours need to be negotiated between the student, workplace learning provider and the school.

Your school still has a duty of care for your safety and wellbeing during workplace learning. This includes when the placement is during the holidays and on weekends. Your school must agree to the hours of your placement.

Travelling

It is your responsibility to plan for getting to and from the workplace on time.

If travel in a work vehicle during your workplace learning is required, this must be noted on the workplace learning agreement form.

Payments

The purpose of the placement must be negotiated and agreed to prior to commencing. Your school needs to be satisfied that the purpose is to support you to gain skills and work towards your learning goals.

To minimise the likelihood of workplace learning turning into an employment relationship:

• you should not be undertaking the role of a paid employee
• the duration of the placement should be short and kept within the maximum number of workplace learning days.

Employers are not required to pay you any entitlements under the Fair Work Act. However, they may elect to provide remuneration at their discretion and are under no obligation.

Child safe environments

Child protection legislation applies to students who are under 18 undertaking workplace learning programs. However, you have the right to always feel safe and free from harm during workplace learning. Workplace learning providers should ensure that their workplace is suitable for you to undertake workplace learning and that all staff engaging with you will report, as required, any issues or concern to ensure that you, other children and young people are kept safe from harm.

You must not be treated in a manner that may be psychologically harmful or that would constitute physical assault.

You should report any concerns of harm or risks of harm to your school workplace learning teacher, on-the-job supervisor or carer.

Screening and national police checks

You may need to obtain a check before commencing workplace learning in sectors that have children, aged or vulnerable people. Some of these checks are required by law and others as part of the organisation’s risk management processes.

Your school will work closely with the workplace learning provider to ensure that they understand the requirements and that you have sufficient time to gain the required check.

Working with Children Check for workplace learning provider

Workplace learning providers are required to ensure that employees, including you as a workplace learner, have a Working with Children Check if their workplace is considered a child-related work environment (eg a child care centre).

There is no requirement for a workplace learning provider to have a Working with Children Check where the work undertaken is not classified as child-related work, nor are the employers in prescribed positions. An employer is not required to get a Working with Children Check as a result of your presence as a workplace learner, regardless of your age, as you are classified as an employee during the placement.

Workplace learning enables students to explore potential career choices and pathways, develop essential skills and understandings of the workplace and develop industry-related competencies. It can also provide opportunities for students to develop employability skills and create direct links to apprenticeship or traineeship opportunities.

Benefits

For workplace learning providers, the benefits include:

• embedding a culture of teaching and mentoring into your workforce
• nurturing skilled young people who can transition from learner to employee
• developing a pipeline of high-quality future employees
• trialling students to determine their suitability for employment, potentially reducing recruitment costs.

For students, the benefits include:

• enabling students to explore potential career choices and pathways
• developing essential skills and understandings of the workplace and develops industry-related competencies
• providing opportunities for students to develop employability skills
• creating direct links to apprenticeship, traineeship or employment opportunities.

Workplace learning provider requirements

Workplace learning providers are required to maintain a safe work environment for students on workplace learning, as detailed in the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA).

Employers need to:

• complete Section 2 and sign Section 3 of the workplace learning agreement form (PDF 493 KB) before the student commences the placement
• provide students with a work site induction, including a tour, an introduction to staff and an outline of safety processes before any tasks are undertaken
• provide and maintain a safe working environment and safe systems of work
• ensure students are always provided with direct supervision by the employer or a nominated on-the-job supervisor
• communicate with the school if there are any concerns regarding the student’s wellbeing, safety, or engagement.

How students are prepared for workplace learning

The Department for Education has developed, in partnership with Safe Work SA and Return to Work SA, a Work Health and Safety (WHS) program for students called WorkPRO. This course prepares students to build their WHS knowledge and skills so that they understand:

• their role, responsibilities and rights related to WHS in the workplace
• the purpose of the workplace learning and how it supports their career plan goals
• their right to undertake workplace learning in a safe work environment, including their right to be safe from harm and free from unlawful discrimination, harassment and bullying
• procedures they can follow if they experience any issue that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

The Department for Education’s workplace learning procedures outline the procedures that schools and workplace learning providers must follow to ensure their legislative obligations are fulfilled.

Your role as a workplace learning provider

Prior to workplace learning

Ensure that the workplace learning agreement form is completed by you and returned to the school, assist the school and contact the school if you have further questions. For further information and guidance, refer to the Hosting a Student on Workplace Learning Check List for Workplace Learning Providers (PDF 147 KB) .

Once workplace learning commences

Workplace learning providers are asked to advise the school if any of the following occur:

• the student is unwell or injured at work
• the student is absent, late in arriving or seeks early dismissal
• the student displays inappropriate or unsafe behaviour
• there are requests to renegotiate approved work dates and/or times
• industrial action that may impact the student.

Hours of work

Where possible the workplace learning should occur during normal school hours and should not exceed the expectation of the industry sector (eg no more than 8 hours per day). All workplace learning hours need to be negotiated between the student, workplace learning provider and the school.

Schools still have a duty of care for their students’ safety and wellbeing during workplace learning and must agree to the hours of placement. This includes when the placement is on holidays and weekends.

Travelling

It is the responsibility of the student to plan for getting to and from the workplace on time.

If travel in a work vehicle is required, this must be noted on the workplace learning agreement form.

Payments

Workplace learning should not be confused with paid employment.

The purpose of the placement must be negotiated and agreed to by all parties prior to the placement commencing. The school needs to be satisfied that the purpose is to support the student to gain skills and work towards their learning goals.

To minimise the likelihood of a placement turning into an employment relationship:

• the student should not be undertaking the role of a paid employee
• the duration of the placement should be kept within the maximum number of workplace learning days.

Employers are not required to pay the student any entitlements under the Fair Work Act. However, they may elect to provide remuneration at their discretion and are under no obligation.

Child safe environments

Child protection legislation applies to students who are under 18 undertaking workplace learning programs. However, all students have the right to feel safe and free from harm at all times during workplace learning. Workplace learning providers should ensure that all their employees are aware of the special responsibilities associated with working with young people and of the consequences of any abuse or risk of harm.

Students must not be treated in a manner that may be psychologically harmful or that would constitute physical assault.

Working with Children Check

Workplace learning providers are required to have a Working with Children Check if their workplace is considered a child-related work environment.

There is no requirement for a workplace learning provider to have a Working with Children Check where the work undertaken is not classified as child-related work, nor are the employers in prescribed positions (eg a childcare centre).

An employer is not required to get a Working with Children Check in relation to a student undertaking workplace learning, regardless of the student’s age, as the student is classified as an employee during the placement.

Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect (RRHAN-EC)

Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect (RRHAN-EC) is only required for mandatory notifiers definition in the Mandated notifiers and their role page on the Department for Child Protections website.

Work Health and Safety (WHS)

Students have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. Under the Work Health & Safety Act 2012, workplace learning providers must make sure the workplace is as safe as possible.

This must include:

• an induction to the worksite
• safe work practices and training on the use of machinery and equipment
• providing personal protective equipment.

As part of the Work Health & Safety Act 2012, the student, as a worker, is responsible for safety too. They must take care of their own and other’s safety by following health and safety instructions, using protective equipment as required, reporting workplace hazards and cooperating with the workplace learning provider on health and safety issues.

Insurance

All workplace learning students enrolled in government schools are covered by a personal accident insurance scheme. This is funded and administered by the Department for Education. These insurance arrangements also apply to Department for Education students undertaking workplace learning interstate.

For more information, see the department’s workplace learning procedures.

Accidents/injury

If students are hurt at work, they are covered by insurance as long as the workplace learning agreement form has been signed by all parties before they start in the workplace.

Students have been advised they must report any accident or injury to their workplace learning provider/supervisor as soon as possible, even if they think it is minor at the time.

Students may not be covered if the injury or damage was the result of their own negligence or failure to follow clear and reasonable instructions.

If students feel uncomfortable about the workplace learning

Students have been advised to discuss any problems or issues with the workplace supervisor. The student will also speak with their nominated supervising teacher about such matters.

Examples of unacceptable conduct by a workplace learning provider or their employees include:

• deliberate exposure of students to the discriminatory or sexual behaviour of others
• inappropriate conversations and obscene language
• suggestive remarks and actions, including showing of publications, electronic media or illustrations which are inappropriately suggestive
• jokes and gestures of a discriminatory or sexual nature
• inappropriate personal correspondence with a student
• unwarranted and/or inappropriate touching of a student.

Expectations of the student

To make the time spent on a work site a safe and valuable learning experience, students are required to:

• negotiate their workplace learning with their teacher
• arrange the completion of the workplace learning agreement form, which includes a section for workplace learning providers, and return it promptly to the school
• complete the school’s program of workplace preparation and participate in a worksite-specific induction before commencing their placement
• follow all the workplace rules and instructions from their workplace learning supervisor
• remember that while on workplace learning they are representing their school, therefore school policies and codes of conduct always apply
• complete activities set by the school before, during and following the placement
• understand that the workplace learning may involve confidential and sensitive information that must be kept private
• wear appropriate clothing and/or footwear/protective clothing/uniform as instructed by you
• ask for feedback from you at the end of the placement.

Workplace learning enables students to explore potential career choices and pathways, develop essential skills and understandings of the workplace and develop industry-related competencies. It can also provide opportunities for students to develop employability skills and create direct links to apprenticeship or traineeship opportunities.

Benefits of workplace learning

Workplace learning helps young people to:

• explore potential career choices and pathways
• develop essential skills and understandings of the workplace to support their career pathway
• develop industry-related competencies and employability skills
• create direct links to apprenticeship or traineeship opportunities.

Workplace learning agreement form

The relevant sections of the workplace learning agreement form (PDF 493 KB) must be completed by parents/carers, the student, the school, and the workplace learning provider. The school will distribute a copy of the finalised form to all parties.

How to support your child’s workplace learning

The transition to the workplace can be significant growth experience for young people. Parents and carers can support young people by:

• engaging in and completing all workplace learning preparation requirements as instructed by the school or workplace learning provider
• ensuring the workplace learning agreement form has been completed and processed prior to the workplace learning occurring
• contacting the school immediately for support if you have any concerns about the student’s engagement, safety or wellbeing
• contacting the school immediately if unlawful and inappropriate behaviour has occurred towards a student during the placement and supporting the student to decide on, and lodge, a formal complaint with a relevant organisation.

You can help your child understand their workplace safety rights and responsibilities before and during their workplace learning. Ask them about:

• their workplace learning at school
• their induction into the workplace
• health and safety in the workplace, including sharing your own workplace health and safety experiences.

How students are prepared for workplace learning

The Department for Education has developed, in partnership with Safe Work SA and Return to Work SA, a Work Health and Safety (WHS) program for students called WorkPRO. This course prepares students to build their WHS knowledge and skills so they understand:

• their role, responsibilities and rights related to WHS in the workplace
• the purpose of the workplace learning and how it supports their career plan goals
• their right to undertake workplace learning in a safe work environment, including their right to be safe from harm and free from unlawful discrimination, harassment and bullying
• procedures they can follow if they experience any issue that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Workplace learning provider requirements

Workplace learning providers are required to maintain a safe work environment for students on workplace learning. Australian WHS legislation requires an employer to:

• ensure that Section 2 is completed and a signature for Section 3 of the workplace learning agreement form is added before the form is returned to the school for completion
• provide a work site induction including a tour, introduction to staff and outline of safety processes
• provide and maintain a safe working environment and safe systems of work
• provide information, instruction, training, and supervision to students that enables them to perform their work safely
• ensure students are always directly supervised by the employer or nominated on the job supervisor
• communicate with the school if there are any concerns regarding students’ wellbeing or engagement
• in the event of any incident involving a student, ensure the wellbeing of the student and then notify the school as soon as possible, advising of the particulars of the incident and any other relevant details.

Schools will identify and provide a staff member to supervise a student engaged in virtual work experience during school hours on the school site.

The workplace learning procedures outline the procedures schools and workplace learning providers must follow to ensure they fulfil their legislative obligations.

Contact your school to identify who can help with the first steps of arranging workplace learning.

Hours of work

Where possible the workplace learning should occur during normal school hours and should not exceed the expectations of the industry sector (eg no more than 8 hours per day). All workplace learning hours need to be negotiated between the student, workplace learning provider and the school.

Your child’s school still has a duty of care for their safety and wellbeing during workplace learning and must agree to the hours of placement. This includes when the placement is on holidays and weekends.

Travel

It is the student’s responsibility to plan for getting to and from the workplace on time.

Where travel in a work vehicle during workplace learning is required, this must be noted on the workplace learning agreement form.

Payments

Workplace learning should not be confused with paid employment.

The purpose of the placement must be negotiated and agreed to by all parties prior to the placement commencing. The school needs to be satisfied that the purpose is to support the student to gain skills and work towards their learning goals.

To minimise the likelihood of a placement turning into an employment relationship:

• the student should not be undertaking the role of a paid employee
• the duration of the placement should be kept within the maximum number of workplace learning days.

Employers are not required to pay students any entitlements under the Fair Work Act. However, they may elect to provide remuneration at their discretion and are under no obligation.

Accommodation away from home during the workplace learning

Students attending workplace learning who need accommodation away from home need to confirm the arrangements made by their parents/carer with their school before the placement. These circumstances must be noted by the student’s principal, who will ensure that attention has been given to all aspects of the arrangements including travel, accommodation, workplace supervision and the student’s suitability for the workplace learning.

Workplace safety

All students have the right to feel safe and free from harm at all times during workplace learning. Workplace learning providers are required to provide ‘child-safe’ workplace learning sites for students. This includes responsibilities for work health and safety, child protection matters, and an environment free of harassment, bullying and risk of harm. Workplace learning providers need to ensure all staff are aware of the special responsibilities associated with working with students.

Under the Work Health & Safety Act 2012 employers must make sure the workplace is as safe as possible. This includes the provision of a site-specific induction for the student, safe use of machinery and equipment, training students as workers on safe work practices and providing personal protective equipment.

As part of the Work Health & Safety Act 2012, students, as workers, are also responsible for safety. They must take care of their own and other’s safety by following health and safety instructions, using protective equipment as required, reporting workplace hazards and cooperating with the workplace learning provider on health and safety issues.

Insurance

All workplace learning students enrolled in government schools are covered by a personal accident insurance scheme. This is funded and administered by the Department for Education. These insurance arrangements also apply to Department for Education students undertaking workplace learning interstate.

For more information see the department’s workplace learning procedures.

Accident or injury

Students must report any accident or injury to their workplace learning provider as soon as possible, even if they think it is minor at the time.

Students are covered by insurance if they are hurt at work as long as they are doing an approved workplace learning program. This means that the workplace learning agreement form must be signed by all parties before students start in the workplace.

Students may not be covered if the injury or damage was the result of their negligence or failure to follow clear and reasonable instructions.

Ambulance cover for students on workplace learning

Ambulance costs are primarily the responsibility of the student or their parent/carer. Those who are covered under private ambulance cover should contact their insurer to recover costs.

Where a student does not have private cover, a request for payment by the department can be made.

For more information see the department’s workplace learning procedures.

If students feel uncomfortable about the workplace learning

If students feel able, they should talk about their concern with the workplace supervisor. If the problem continues or they do not feel comfortable talking with the workplace supervisor, they should make contact with the teacher nominated by their school. Their contact details are listed on the workplace learning agreement form.

For further information

Contact your child’s school.