Imagine walking into a new nursing role or engineering position with full confidence in your ability to do the job.
Work placement gives you that, plus so much more.
“Practical work placement provides students with the opportunity to gain first-hand training and experience in their future role by working in an established host organisation,” says Kylie Galea, team leader of Chisholm’s placement co-ordinators.
“That applied learning, hands-on experience is so important. You can read from books, but actually getting in there and ‘doing’ is another way of learning.”
Here, Kylie answers a few common questions around work placement and explains why it’s so beneficial.
So, what exactly is work placement?
Practical placement or work placement is where students have the opportunity to work in a specific role within an organisation for a period of time, with the support of a supervisor.
Often this workplace learning is a requirement of the course you are enrolled in. During work placement, students usually have objectives to meet and assessments to complete.
At Chisholm, work placement is offered across many different industries, from nursing and engineering to community services, allied health and early childhood studies.
Is practical work placement different from work experience?
Yes! Kylie says while work experience usually involves observing what goes on, work placement gives students the opportunity to do tasks in an industry setting under supervision.
What are the benefits of work placement?
Gain first-hand experience
During work placement, you’ll gain real-world experience on the job and get a taste of what it’s like to work in the industry.
“Work placement gives you industry-specific training to make the transition easier to employment,” says Kylie. “Work placement is a great foundation for the start of your career.”
Build your skills and confidence
Work placement helps embed your theoretical learning.
“It helps you to fully understand the course content, practice your learning and perform the learnt tasks more easily and with confidence,” says Kylie.
Potentially land a job
Work placement not only helps you to be job-ready, more often than not it also leads to employment.
“A very high percentage of our students go on to employment,” says Kylie.
Network and form connections
Even if you aren’t offered a job by your work placement provider, you’ll be meeting people in the industry, which could open up other doors.
You’ll also gain confidence and tools to move into conversations around employment for the future.
“It’s all about fostering connections and links, which we all do in work,” says Kylie.
What are the benefits to employers?
Host employers love taking students on board, as they gain additional resources to help lighten their workload.
Providing work placement opportunities is also good for business – it helps build their reputation and profile in the community.
Do you get paid for work placement?
While you don’t get paid for work placement, there are all sorts of other benefits involved, as outlined above.
“The testimonials are just amazing,” says Kylie. “Students just flourish with work placement, and to watch that is fantastic.”
If you think a course with in-built work placement is for you, view a list of our courses available that include practical work placement.
