About the vocational placement scheme
Vocational placement is where a student is placed in a workplace to receive practical training and experience, as part of a training program. Assessment of competence in the workplace is a requirement of a vocational placement.
Vocational placement complements training delivered by the registered training organisation and is not the same as work experience (work experience is an arrangement between a student's educational establishment and a work experience provider, undertaken as part of the student's general education).
A vocational scheme is recognised for the period of accreditation of the course. This is provided that the registered training organisation maintains valid registration to deliver the course. If the registered training organisation's registration lapses, the vocational placement scheme submitted by the registered training organisation loses its recognition as well.
If the course is renewed for a period (without a change in national course code), the vocational placement scheme remains recognised to the new course expiry date.
If the hours of vocational placement associated with a recognised vocational placement scheme need to be increased, an application to amend the vocational placement scheme must be submitted.
An application to recognise a vocational placement scheme may include any number of qualifications as long as all the qualifications are included in the same application at the same time. Each individual application will incur a fee of $158.85(GST inclusive).
Types of vocational placements
There are two types of vocational placements:
- short placements - no more than 240 hours per year
- long placements - more than 240 hours per year.
Short-term placements are far more common and students are not paid in these cases. Long-term placements do incur wage costs and a hearing before the Industrial Commission is required to set remuneration and other industrial benefits.
The length of vocational placements vary, depending on the number of supervised hours in the associated course. Vocational placement hours are in addition to the total supervised hours for the course.
The length of the vocational placement must be set out in the vocational placement agreement. Registered training organisations must ensure the length of vocational placements do not exceed the hours recognised by the Training Recognition Council for the vocational placement scheme.
To extend the length of a vocational placement, registered training organisations should apply in writing to the accreditation team. Approval is required before the extension can commence.
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