At Winmalee High School students aged 14 and over are provided with the opportunity to undertake work experience. The timing is flexible and depends upon the availability of suitable employers, the best time for the employer to support a work experience student and the capacity of students to find an employer to meet their employment interests and needs.
Students typically go on flexible Work Experience for one week during Year 10. Students seek out their own work experience employer and placement, often with the help of parents or the school Careers Adviser.
Work Experience provides many benefits, giving students the opportunity to develop skills and experience that may allow them to stand out to potential employers as well as helping them to choose the right sector in which to pursue work according to interest and aptitude.
Students and employers must fill in the Student Placement Record (SPR) - (PDF 210 KB) before they are legally allowed to commence Work Experience. The SPR must be signed by the student, parent, employer and lastly the school. A copy of ‘The Workplace Learning Guide for Employers’ is given to the employer by the student and the employer keeps this. This outlines insurance arrangements.
Students must complete the My Work Experience online modules and submit their completion certificate to the careers adviser via email (Danielle.roorda@det.nsw.edu.au)
Students may follow the Winmalee High School Work experience checklist (PDF 950 KB) to check that they have completed all of the necessary steps.
Here is the list of all documents you may need:
Student Placement Record (PDF 210 KB)
Workplace learning guide for employers (PDF 248 KB)
Workplace learning guide for parents and carers (PDF 1.2 MB)
Blue Safety card (PDF 888 KB)
Additional documents:
Further information for parents (PDF 94 KB)
Prohibited activities (PDF 123 KB)
Construction safety card (PDF 6.4 MB)
Accommodation away from home (PDF 215 KB)
Any additional information you may require can be found on the department's workplace learning page https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/career-learning-and-vet/workplace-learning/keeping-students-safe
Please speak with the Careers Adviser for further information, advice, options and the required application forms including travel and overnight stays.
FAST FACTS ABOUT WORK EXPERIENCE
- Students must be at least 14 years of age to undertake work experience.
- Students can try almost any job they like. If you can find a host-employer in the chosen career/industry (and it's not on the prohibited activities list), we can most likely organise a placement with them.
- Students can participate in up to 50 school days of work experience during each school year. However, the 50 days cannot be taken in one block.
- Students are covered by the NSW DET's insurance for the duration of all placements once the required paperwork is completed.
- Placement dates must take place on school days - weekends and holiday dates are not permitted.
- Days at work are counted as school days (not absences). This is because even though students are not physically at school, they are still undertaking education - it just happens to be in an alternate environment.
- Placements in the construction industry require students to have completed a Construction Induction Course (White Card). Students will also need to carry a construction safety card instead of the regular blue safety card.