Structured Workplace Learning Forum

Western Local Community Partnership

“Facilitation of SWL”

What does Structured Workplace Learning mean?

“Workplacement” is organised workplace learning which provides practical application to the skills learnt in class. A workplacement is for students studying VCAL, VET subjects or vocational programs.

“Workreadiness” = The preparation of students prior to working with employers

National Perspective on SWL

Six essential ingredients for a quality SWL experience:

1. Efficient and effectively resourced internal arrangements

• Are processes in place to ensure effective and efficient brokerage, coordination and placement of students?

• How do you formally document the allocation of roles and responsibilities between the parties involved?

Six essential ingredients for a quality SWL experience

2. Strong and enduring relationships with stakeholders

• Is care and attention applied to developing external relationships?

• How is engagement with parents conducted: initially and on an ongoing basis?

• Are people who organise SWL supported and developed in a systematic way?

Six essential ingredients for a quality SWL experience

3. Managing demand for places sensitively and effectively

• Are employer databases up to date and comprehensive?• Are students interviewed to ensure a good match with

employer?• Are students preferences taken into account?• Are students carefully selected?• Are employer knowledge of SWL and the limitations on

their time taken into account?

Six essential ingredients for a quality SWL experience

4. Rigorous preparation of students and employers

• Are Students instructed about life in the workplace and the importance of employability skills?

• Are they trained in OH&S?• Is information disseminated to all parties about each other,

and about the follow up of student on placement?• Does the employer require a pre-placement interview with

the student?

Six essential ingredients for a quality SWL experience

5. Rewarding experience for employers & all students

• Is the placement flexible enough to meet the needs of all parties?

• Are expectations about purpose, roles and responsibilities clearly identified?

• Is support provided to employers and students during the placement?

• Is the experience evaluated by both employer and student

Six essential ingredients for a quality SWL experience

6. All parties have a role in providing reliable outcomes

• Are specific descriptions of the learning objectives provide in the student learning records such as employability skills, industry competencies?

• Are placements supervised effectively: by school, by workplace supervisor?

State perspective – the legal requirements Education and Training Reform ACT 2006 - Ministerial orders No.

55: SWL Arrangements Structured Workplace Learning Arrangement Form Insurance ? Government schools are covered by State Government,

Catholic schools are covered by CEO insurance, Independent schools are covered by school’s insurance. Community VCAL, auspiced by a school, is covered by the body that is relevant to that school.

State perspective – the legal requirements

Signed by all parties before placement commences, Principal is the last to sign. Form retained for 7 years.

School must phone or visit student on workplacement

Students paid a minimum of $5 a day, except not-for-profit

VCAL – strongly recommended, not mandatory

Western LCP has a facilitation role in SWL

1. Providing resources for co-ordinators and teachers in preparing students for workplacement

2. Working with industry/employers to support quality SWL3. Facilitating training to groups of teachers: on websites,

supporting workreadiness, or industry engagement4. Providing forums for sharing work readiness activities

from teachers across the Western Region

Western LCP, in its facilitation role for SWL, focuses on:

1). Providing resources for co-ordinators and teachers in preparing students for workplacement

Link to Websites Log books (VET subjects and VCAL workbook) Act as a bank of information on workreadiness resources Provide access to industry via Western LCP’s SWL

website

Western LCP’s webpage

Links to Other websites

Go to www: wlcp.com.au / Bulletin Board / SWL

Resources & preparation Project officers can facilitate guest speakers and facilitate

industry visits

Provide regular electronic updates on employers wanting to engage with schools in relation to workplacement, guest speaking, site visits, apprenticeships/traineeships and industry-school projects

Work Readiness DVD developed by SELLEN – Work Matters

Western LCP focuses on:

2) Working with industry/employers to support quality SWL

Regional Industry Career Advisor - developing partnerships with large businesses and industry across the Western metropolitan area

LCP – continuing to develop partnerships with local and medium sized businesses to support SWL and other school-industry engagement opportunities

Western LCP focuses on:

3) Facilitating training to groups of teachers on websites, supporting workreadiness activities, or industry engagement

Project officers can provide training to groups of teachers on the following: – Western LCP’s SWL website – access, navigation and

administration roles– Careers & work readiness websites (e.g. My Future etc.)– Workreadiness activities and resources for the classroom

Western LCP focuses on:

4) Providing forums for sharing work readiness activities from teachers across the Western Region

This year workshops were held at Sunshine – 3 workshops at Western LCP office Wyndham – 1 workshop in VCAL co-ordinators network

meeting Melton – 1 workshop in VET co-ordinators network meeting

Western LCP’s criteria to support SWL

MOU signed with School (copy available on website) 8 weeks notice after teacher approves on website 1 placement per student, per year Workplacements types 1 week, 2 week blocks or one day a

week for 8 weeks Year 10 & 11 only, no Year 12 students

SWL Placement Coordinator

Western LCP has dedicated staff member for this organisational task.

• It is time consuming and requires good communication and relationship building skills

• Record management is also a high priority• The change in State and Federal perspective on school and

LCP involvement in the service delivery of SWL will have an impact on what we provide in the future.

• What will it mean for schools?

Recipe for successful SWL