Pathways

​​​​Work experience

Work experience is available for students in Years 10–12 

It allows students to explore their career options and:

• ​​​​helps Year 10 students decide on senior school subjects
• provides Year 11 and 12 students' time to consider their career options before making their post-school pathway choices.

The school requires at least 2 weeks notice of a students intention to particpate in Work Experience. 

Redlynch State College fully supports the school Work Experience program and encourages our students to try work experience when considering their career choices. 

While being mindful of other school commitments, we encourage individual students to arrange work experience placements at a mutually suitable time – that is, one that suits the employer, the student and the school.

We encourage parents/carers to be involved with the student's placement choices by sourcing a prospective employer or by assisting their student to do so. We also encourage students to consider work experience during the school holidays as any prospective employer will be impressed by a student who is prepared to forego their holiday time to participate in unpaid work experience.

Work experience process:

• Download the RSC Work Experience Handbook
  
• Complete the Placement Information section and return to Mr Crosby & Ms Meyer
• When the Placement Information section is received, school staff will call your work experience host, confirm dates, we will then complete the Department of Education Work Experience Agreement and the Redlynch State College Work Experience Self-Assessment for Workplace Health & Safety
• A Workplace Health & Safety Assessment is required PRIOR to all Work Experience placements
• Once this has been completed and approved, the Work Experience Agreement will be created
• You CANNOT start work experience until the Education Queensland Work Experience Agreement has been signed by the employer, student, parent & school principal
  

Options for work experience

Year 10 students – Work Experience can be done 1 day per week, or in a 1-week block.
We recommended Year 10 students complete Work Experience with more than 1 employer to help them make decisions about their future career aspirations, and what they do and don't like.
Year 11 and 12 students – Work Experience is recommended during School Holidays or times during the year that classes are not running due to exam blocks.
In some cases, Year 11 or 12 students may need to complete Vocational Placement, and this will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Once a placement is confirmed, explain to the employer that you will provide their details to the school. The school will then contact the employer to confirm dates, times, type of work and contact details of the work experience supervisor.
The school will also contact the parent or carer of the student to confirm permission and support.
The Work Experience Agreement is then processed by the school, ensuring the student is covered by WorkCover and Public Liability insurances held by the Department of Education.​

Vocational Education 

Students can complete:

• school-based apprenticeship or traineeships (SAT)
• external certificate course such as TAFE, Major Training, MiHaven, BlueDog
  
• work experience
  

These are available to all Year 11 and 12 students, and Year 10 students in certain cases. ​

School based apprenticeships & traineeships​​

There are specific requirements governing school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs).

They affect everyone involved in the partnership – students, parents and guardians, schools, training organisations and employers.

• High school students must be in Year 10, 11 or 12.
  School-based apprentices in electrotechnology must be in Year 11 or 12.
• Apprenticeships and traineeships can start before Year 10, but this requires a special business case to be written and approved by The Department of Trade, Employment & Training.
  
• For Electrical and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Apprenticeships, students must be in Year 11 or 12, and have passed Maths, English and Science in both Semester  1 & 2 of Year 10.
  This is a Department requirement to have the report cards for Year 10 Semester 1 & Semester 2. 
  

• Work and training must impact a student's school timetable in some way, such as working 1 day a week, or being rostered on during school hours​
  

• Employers must:
• provide at least 7.5 hours of paid work per week, averaged over every 3 months, for every 12 months of your training contract.
  
• must offer hours that impact the school timetable and additonal hours can be worked in the school holidays and on weekends
  
• provide at least 375 hours/50 days of paid employment (or 600 hours/80 days in electrotechnology industry) for every 12 months of your training contract
• pay you for work, and possibly for time spent training with your training organisation (depends on the industrial award or agreement which you are paid under).

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