Industrial Experience

It can be challenging and rewarding to find an appropriate placement. While the University is unable to organise your employment, the Careers Service can provide some guidance for students looking for placement opportunities. Some of the services that they provide are:

• The CareerHub, an online portal with discipline related work and work experience opportunities.
• Information about job searching strategies.
• Drop-in and appointment based resume and application checking as well as an interview preparation service.

An Engineering Register developed and provided by the Newcastle Division of Engineers Australia that lists information about local companies such as contact details, work experience availability and discipline.

To increase your chances of finding the right placement you should also join the accrediting professional bodies of your degree (many of whom offer free student memberships), go to professional networking events and build relationships with the contacts you make, attend career fairs and most importantly, don't give up!

While there is certainly an advantage to gaining paid employment, there is no requirement for you to undertake paid work. This aspect of your industrial experience is negotiable between yourself and your employer and will have an impact on the type of insurance you receive.

All industrial experience (IE) applications are to be entered on our online system, SONIA.

To log in, go to the SONIA website and click FEBE. Your username and password are the single sign-on credentials that you use for other UON systems (your student number and password).

The procedure for IE is as follows:

1. Before you start an industrial experience placement you must seek approval for your placement.
2. If your site already exists in SONIA you will be able to request a placement by selecting your site from the list. If not, you will need to enter details and await site approval from your IE Coordinator.
3. Once your request for a placement is approved by the IE Coordinator you will complete an IE Application form in SONIA. This is forwarded to your site for approval.
4. If your site agrees to host you, the IE Application form is forwarded to your IE Coordinator for signoff.
5. When your IE Application form reaches stage ‘3 of 3’ you can begin your placement.

During or at the completion of IE placements, all Engineering and Surveying students are to complete a ‘Learning Journey’ form in SONIA. This form allows students to reflect on their placement and guides them through documenting activities undertaken or observed that demonstrate attainment of competency elements relevant to your program requirements.

Students studying Chemical Engineering & Renewable Energy Engineering are also required to fill in a student log book during their Industrial Experience, see your IE Coordinator for details.

Construction Management students are required to complete an 'IE Report’ in SONIA. On this IE Report is a field where you can attach letter/s of confirmation from your host/employer.

Students should aim to submit their industrial experience for approval in SONIA prior to their final semester of study to easily facilitate graduation. If you have questions about the deadline for being considered for a University Medal then please contact your Program Advisor.

If you have already completed sufficient industrial experience to meet your program requirements, your hours can be counted toward your requirement. The only form you need to submit on SONIA is the Learning Journey Portfolio (for Engineering and Surveying students), OR the IE Report (for Construction Management students). Instructions can be found in Step 2 of the Student User Guide.

If you have PARTIALLY completed your requirements or are CURRENTLY on placement, there is no need to seek pre-approval retrospectively. You should complete your placement(s) and then submit the IE report in SONIA (instructions are in Step 2 of the Student User Guide).

If you are yet to commence any EPP / IE, you must seek pre-approval before commencing placements. This pre-approval should be sought via SONIA as per the instructions in the Student User Guide.

If you believe your circumstances do not fall clearly into any of the above, please contact your IE Coordinator for clarification on how to proceed.

The IE Host Factsheet explains that students undertaking unpaid industrial experience placements are covered by the University’s Personal Accident & Injury and Public Liability Insurance policies. Students on paid placements are deemed to be employees of the host organisation and as such are entitled to coverage under the host organisation’s insurance policies. Students may wish to provide this factsheet to their host/employer.