Designing a role-based placement

Role-based placements provide students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have developed during their studies in a professional environment. If you’re interested in hosting a student in your workplace, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Placement activities: The placement should provide students with suitable, course-aligned duties that allow them to apply their academic knowledge and skills in a professional setting, mirroring entry-level or, where appropriate, more advanced roles. You will be asked to supply a placement description outlining the proposed activities. You can download a Placement Position Description template here (Word, 51KB).
• Paid or unpaid placements: Placements are an opportunity for students to gain important industry experience outside of their assessable course curriculum. Unpaid placements are lawful under the Fair Work Act 2009 so long as they form part of a course requirement and are approved by the university. However, host organisations can opt to pay participating students for their placement experience, with paid placements offering a number of benefits. This includes attracting strong candidates through a competitive selection process while also allowing for greater flexibility. Paid placements are an opportunity for host organisations to enhance their workforce capability and foster a strong sense of value and contribution, ultimately benefiting both the student and the employer.
• Supervision: You will need to assign a dedicated placement supervisor to be a point of contact for the student/s throughout the experience, offering support, mentoring, feedback and guidance.
• Work environment: You will need to provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment free from sexual harassment, bullying, and discrimination.
• Orientation: To ensure a smooth transition to your workplace, provide students with a comprehensive orientation covering relevant organisation-specific information. This may include WHS, emergency protocols, privacy, culture, behavioural expectations, workplace rules and procedures, privacy and confidentiality policies, supervisor/colleague introductions, and supervision arrangements.
• Equipment and training: You will need to provide any necessary equipment, resources, and/or training for the student/s. Where required, you will need to implement reasonable workplace adjustments for identified student needs, in consultation with the University and the student/s.
• Assessment: You must monitor and evaluate the student/s performance during the placement. This includes making observations, providing feedback, and potentially completing a post-placement evaluation. In some cases, we might ask you to provide University staff with reasonable access to your premises to facilitate student assessment and monitoring.
• Special requirements: Consider if the student/s must meet any requirements or preconditions to undertake placement in your workplace, such as Working with Children Checks, police checks, vaccinations, first aid or compliance certificates.
• Intellectual property: You should consider whether the tasks undertaken by the student are likely to generate intellectual property, and if required, enter a separate agreement with the student relating to intellectual property rights ownership.

Visit placement essentials to learn more about what's involved in offering a career-ready placement experience.