(1) The purpose of this Procedure is to ensure that Practical Placement complies with: (2) Standards for RTOs: Standards 1, 2, 5, 6. (3) ESOS Act - National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018: Standard 1.2, 2.1, 3.3, 5, 10. (4) This Procedure applies to Practical Placements undertaken as part of National Training Package qualifications and VET accredited courses, including delivery in Australia and offshore. It outlines the responsibility for, and processes involved in, the effective delivery and management of Practical Placements at TAFE. (5) (6) Host Clinical Educator (Nursing): An employee of the host organisation who is suitably qualified and approved by TAFE to take responsibility for supervision of a nursing student during Practical Placement. i.e. the clinical educator. (7) Internal Placement Agreement Letter: An agreement signed by a student and a host Victoria University (VU) department, where a placement is undertaken within VU. (8) Practical Placement: A required or assessable component of a qualification. Undertaken by TAFE students and is intended to develop job-related skills in the area of the particular post-secondary course. Conducted when a requirement of a qualification, as specified in the relevant Training Package, accredited course curriculum or by a professional body for the purposes of accreditation or with approval of the TAFE's Course Advisory Committee (CAC). (9) Practical Placement Coordinator: Responsible for the management and coordination of the practical placement program in a course area. This role may be held by a teacher or an administrative officer. (10) VET Practical Placement Agreement: A formal agreement between the student, the host employer and TAFE, which outlines the responsibilities of all parties. (11) Suitable workplace environments: An environment which provides a safe, relevant and appropriate learning environment for students undertaking practical placement. Students should not be placed in a workplace setting where they are currently engaged in paid work (see Workplace Assessment). (12) Supervising teacher: The VET teacher allocated responsibility for supervision and assessment of a student during Practical Placement. (13) Unit of competency: The specification of the standards of performance required in the workplace as defined in a training package. (14) (15) Workplace assessment: An assessment conducted by an allocated TAFE assessor in a student’s own workplace, where the workplace provides a relevant scope of work for the student to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge. (16) VET Workplace Assessment Agreement: An agreement between an employer, a student and TAFE, which outlines the arrangements for the conduct of a Workplace Assessment. (17) Workplace Supervisor: Suitably qualified worker and/or experienced supervisor nominated by the host employer to provide direct supervision for the student undertaking placement. The designated workplace supervisor must be on site for the full duration of the placement. In instances where the supervisor cannot be available, another named supervisor should be allocated. (18) Student file: a soft or hard copy file in the teaching department containing student course documentation or the University’s placement management database. (19) Work Integrated Learning Policy (20) Executive Directors and Education Managers will oversee and monitor delivery of practical placements within their colleges / departments to ensure compliance with relevant regulatory guidelines, directions and requirements. (21) The relevant education manager will prepare and submit an application to the TAFE's Course Approval Committee (CAC) for approval to include a practical placement in a course where it is not mandated in the training product or required for professional registration. The application should include: (22) Teaching areas that deliver courses which have a Practical Placement will: (23) Students must demonstrate readiness for practical placement through satisfactory course progress, satisfactory completion of relevant pre-requisite units and additional requirements as documented in the TAS and communicated to students pre-enrolment (e.g. provision of a current Working with Children Check, National Police Record Check, physical preparedness). (24) The responsibility for managing the police check and/or working with children check process and ensuring that a satisfactory police check record and/or working with children check is made available to an employer providing practical placement to a Victoria University student lies with the student. This includes: (25) The University takes no responsibility for a student's police record and/or working with children check in regard to the employer who offers work experience, particularly as the University does not know the content of any of the student's police record and/or working with children check. (26) The relevant TAFE staff member must sight and record any identifying number on documents required by a host organisation, for instance, police record check documents, working with children documents etc. (‘Student Placement Documents’). Where an issue is identified VU will not disclose the nature of the issue but will permit the student and the host organisation to discuss the matter in private. In the event a significant problem is disclosed in the Student Placement Documents, the Education Manager/Executive Director of that teaching area should be informed, and the matter referred to Legal Services for advice. Student Placement Documents must be returned to the student and not copied or retained by VU. (27) A TAFE VET Practical Placement Agreement must be developed and signed by all parties (host employer, student and VU representative) prior to the commencement of placement. A copy must be provided to the host organisation and the student. The original should be retained on the student’s file. (28) Where applicable, overarching placement agreements with a host employer must be developed and signed by both the host employer and TAFE. The original agreement should be retained by VU and a copy provided to the student and the host. (29) If a student undertakes a placement within Victoria University, the Internal Placement Agreement Letter should be used. The letter must be signed by the student and the relevant VU staff member from the host department prior to the commencement of the placement. A copy should be provided to the VU host department and the student. The original should be retained on the student’s file. (30) Students should not be placed in their own workplace for Practical Placement. Where a student’s workplace provides an appropriate scope of work for demonstration of competence, a workplace assessment should be conducted. A Workplace Assessment Agreement must be signed by the student, the employer and the TAFE representative. A copy should be provided to the employer and the student. The original should be retained on the student’s file. (31) Where the scope of work in the student’s workplace does not support demonstration of all required skills and knowledge and/or there are additional professional body or licensing requirements, the student must be provided with a practical placement/supplementary practical placement that enables them to meet those requirements. (32) A TAFE Travel Assessment Form should be completed by all students who will be traveling to or in regional areas for their placement, and retained in the student file. (33) A workplace OHS induction form should be completed by all students prior to commencement or on the first day of placement, and retained in the student file. (34) Where required, details of Practical Placement arrangements must be reported to professional or licensing bodies (e.g. ANMAC). (35) Teachers who are allocated placement supervision responsibility for a student (supervising teachers) must make contact with the student and the workplace supervisor in the first week of placement and additional contacts commensurate with the duration of the placement, to check progress and conduct assessment. For the purpose of assessment, at least one of these contacts must be face to face onsite at the host employer, or via a virtual face to face meeting if required. Telephone and/or email contact is acceptable for the other contact/s. Records of contacts must be maintained in the student file. Records should contain details of the type of contact, when it occurred (date and time), what was discussed and any follow up arrangements that were put in place. (36) Supervising teachers must provide students with feedback to support them to demonstrate competence and must document assessment outcomes in the Assessment Record Book or the Learning Management System. (37) Where a student is unable to demonstrate competence within the allocated Practical Placement hours: (38) For both (a) and (b) a new Practical Placement agreement should be developed; the hours detailed in this agreement should be sufficient to address the outstanding assessments only. (39) Specific details of the requirements for successful completion of the outstanding assessments should be documented and provided to the student and the host employer; and a copy should be retained on the student file. (40) Where either the student or the host employer has a complaint about the practical placement, the supervising teacher should attempt to secure an appropriate resolution. If the issue cannot be resolved, the student should be withdrawn from placement and, if appropriate, offered an alternative Practical Placement opportunity. (41) In circumstances where a student or a supervising teacher identifies an issue relating to the student’s safety that cannot be immediately resolved, the student should be withdrawn from placement and provided with an alternative Practical Placement opportunity. (42) Once all Practical Placement requirements have been met, the Practical Placement ceases. Any further engagement between the student and the host employer must be negotiated under voluntary or employment arrangements. VU is not involved in this process. (43) Post Practical Placement feedback should be sought from host employers, students and supervising teachers. (44) Required actions from evaluations should be documented in the course area Continuous Improvement Plan. (45) Practical Placement records (the agreement, attendance records and assessment evidence) should be forwarded to Student Records at course completion, to be retained for a period of seven years after completion of placement. (46) All practical placements undertaken by on-shore international students must comply with ESOS legislation and visa requirements. (47) Particular care should be taken with the provision of information to prospective International onshore students who may face difficulties with the police checks requirement. Some Australian employers may not accept overseas police check records. (48) All offshore practical placements undertaken by international or domestic students must include:Work Integrated Learning - Practical Placement Procedure (VET)
Section 1 - Summary
Top of PageSection 2 - HESF/ASQA/ESOS Alignment
Section 3 - Scope
Section 4 - Definitions
Section 5 - Policy/Regulation
Section 6 - Procedures
Part A - Summary Roles and Responsibilities
Roles
Responsibilities
Executive Directors/Director TAFE
Review and approve applications for offshore placement
Quality and Compliance and Administration and Governance
Collectively review and update practical placement agreement templates to ensure compliance with the Dual sector VET Funding Contract and associated reporting requirements.
Education Managers/ Senior Educators/ Placement Coordinators (as appropriate)
Conduct site inspections for host employers that are not subject to independent accreditation. The Host Employer Site OHS Checklist (TAFE) should be used and stored in the teaching department network drive or the University’s placement management database. Where hazards are identified, document strategies to address them and/or refer to Victoria University Workplace Health and Safety Department for advice, if required.
Part B - Preparation and management of placements
Part C - Assessment arrangements
Part D - Complaints and completion
Part E - International Students and Offshore Practical Placements
Top of PageSection 7 - Supporting Documents and Information
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Executive Directors/Director TAFE
Education Managers
Ensure that regulatory guidelines, directions and requirements relating to Practical Placement for VET students are accessed and adhered to.
Legal Services
Provide advice and guidance to TAFE about interstate and international placements, practical placement agreements and requirements of regulatory bodies.
Education Managers
Allocate staff to coordinate practical placements.
Identify responsibilities for Placement Coordinators in line with their qualifications and/or roleDetermine if practical placement is required by the relevant Training Package, accredited curriculum or by a professional body for the purposes of accreditation.
Prepare and submit applications to the TAFE's Course Approval Committee (CAC) for approval to include a practical placement requirement in a course where it is not mandated in the training product or required by a professional body.
Ensure that practical placement requirements are identified on marketing materials, including any industry specific requirements e.g. immunisations, Working with Children and/or Police Checks
Develop Training and Assessment Strategies with teaching staff which outline:
Document industry evidence supporting the structure and duration of Practical Placements
Communicate Practical Placement requirements to prospective students prior to enrolment
Develop Training Plans which clearly identify units of competency assessed in the workplace and hours of workplace delivery by unit
Assign appropriately qualified teachers to scheduled practical placements and workplace assessments
Sight required student documentation and liaise with the student and host employer as required
At course completion, forward practical placement records to Student Records, to be retained for a period of seven (7) years after the completion of placement.
For offshore practical placements:
General Manager –Nursing and Paramedics
Report Practical Placement information to ANMAC twice yearly.
Education Managers/ Senior Educators/ Placement Coordinators /Teachers (as appropriate)
Develop Unit/Cluster Guides that outline requirements for practical placement and the hours allocated per unit
Develop Practical Placement Guides for students, Workplace Supervisors and Supervising teachers
Develop tools to document student OHS induction and attendance on practical placement (e.g. Student OHS induction checklist and placement log book)
Source and assess suitable workplace environments for Practical Placement, with consideration to Occupational Health and Safety, staff qualifications, adequacy of supervision, access and inclusion and Safety and Welfare of Children and Young People Policy and Procedure considerations.
Conduct Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) assessment reviews for new host employers that are not subject to independent accreditation. The Placement Host Assessment Form (TAFE) should be used and stored in the teaching department network drive or the University’s placement management database.
Ensure that students complete the Fitness for Practical Placement Form (TAFE) and the Travel Assessment Form (TAFE) if required.
Review and approve applications for Workplace Assessments based on available scope of work in relation to course requirements.
Ensure VET Practical Placement Agreements, Workplace Assessment Agreements and Internal Placement Agreement letters are populated with all required information and signed prior to commencement of agreed arrangements.
Provide copies of agreements to all parties and retain original on student file.
Respond to student and host employer concerns and complaints.
Conduct, action and report Practical Placement evaluations
Receive and respond to incident / injury reports provided by the student and/or host employer
Customise learning activities as required for offshore placements
Document arrangements and expectations for students in non-placement time during offshore practical placements
Senior Educators /Teachers/ Placement Coordinators (as appropriate)
Liaise with host employers to determine and document placement arrangements, including supervision, tasks and hours of work.
Conduct pre-placement preparation activities.
Ensure students have obtained required pre-placement checks (e.g. Police National Record check, Working with Children Check).
Identify students’ readiness for placement via Course Progress Reviews and completion of pre-placement preparation activities.
Match students to suitable workplaces based on skills, knowledge, interests and practical considerations.
Ensure that students complete an OHS induction prior to commencement or on the first day of practical placement. The OHS induction checklist should be signed by the student and the host employer and a copy provided to the teaching department for storage on the student file. The Placement OHS Induction Form (TAFE) should be used, except where the student has to complete an alternative induction checklist as part of their course requirements and/or their host employer provides an induction checklist.
Conduct assessments in the workplace and provide documented feedback to students.
Source additional and/or alternative Practical Placements as required.
Conduct placement debriefing/evaluation at the end of placement (where applicable).Workplace Health and Safety Department
Provide advice in relation to Occupational Health and Safety issues in practical placement settings.
Host Clinical Educators
Supervise students in the workplace for nursing placements and provide documented feedback to students in relation to skills and development.