View Current

Workready Policy

This is not a current document. To view the current version, click the link in the document's navigation bar.

Section 1 - Overview

(1) The University is committed to providing opportunities for its students to become career ready through access to work placements, practical experience programs, and internship programs.

(2) The UNE WorkReady scheme enables experiential learning of a kind consistent with the core Attributes of a UNE Graduate.

(3) The University values work-integrated learning and endeavours to incorporate work and practical experience into a range of courses through a variety of mechanisms, including the

(4) UNE WorkReady Scheme.

Top of Page

Section 2 - Policy

WorkReady Coverage

(5) The UNE WorkReady scheme covers:

  1. WorkReady Units as approved by Academic Board that can be undertaken for credit towards University degrees and awards;
  2. practical Experience Programs as approved by Academic Board that must be undertaken to fulfill the requirements of specific University degrees and awards;
  3. University internship programs that involve a student being placed with an organisation for part of their course of study whereby an employment relationship and associated payment may or may not be part of the program.

Exceptions

(6) This policy does not apply to:

  1. The practicum, internship and clinical placement components of courses required for employment registration in teacher education, nursing, and psychology as determined by outside bodies;
  2. work experience evaluated for course admission or advanced standing on the basis of RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)
  3. activities undertaken outside Australia.

WorkReady Units

(7) A "WorkReady unit" is defined within this policy and procedures framework as a unit that:

  1. constitutes a minimum of 6 (six) credit points and meets the minimum workload and assessment standards as approved by the Academic Board;
  2. entitles the student to specified credit towards their course of study;
  3. places a student in a workplace setting for direct on-the-job experiences, or involves structured liaison between a student and an employer/organisation for the purposes of work-specific cooperation, or a combination of both of these approaches;
  4. makes use of knowledge and skills that are relevant to the course being undertaken by the student, enhances that knowledge and skills base, and develops some or all of the Attributes of a UNE Graduate;
  5. is not normally available at less than 200-level; and
  6. is eligible for funding under Commonwealth supported places and Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS-HELP) or the Guidelines for Fee-Paying Domestic Undergraduate/Postgraduate Students (FDUPS) or the Guidelines for Full Fee-Paying Overseas Students (FFPOS)

(8) A WorkReady unit may be:

  1. compulsory or optional depending on the degree/award rules for the course being undertaken by the student;
  2. a dedicated unit with a specific unit code and title, or a special topics unit with a generic unit code and title (the latter may include, for example, project work in industry in combination with a reading and research program).
  3. offered by individual Schools or Faculties or offered across Schools and Faculties;
  4. subject to enrolment restrictions.

(9) The WorkReady unit may:

  1. entail paid or unpaid work carried out under appropriate industrial conditions and/or awards and which has direct relevance to the student's course of study.

Workload and Assessment for WorkReady units

(10) A WorkReady unit must meet the following minimum workload and assessment standards for every six credit points in order to comply with this policy and procedures framework:

  1. normally not more than twelve weeks and not less than three weeks or equivalent of full-time work placement whereby the student engages in supervised employment or structured liaison with an employer/organisation or a combination of both;
  2. not more than 150 hours of WorkReady training, review, reflection and report writing/preparation by the student, as approved by the Academic Board;
  3. comply with eligibility for Commonwealth supported placements HECS/FDUPS/FFPOS Funding as defined by the Higher Education Support Act 2003;
  4. the work undertaken by the student in the organisation involves the use of skills and knowledge relevant to the course for which the work placement component generates credit;
  5. the student may be an employee of the organisation in which the work experience component is undertaken.

Practical Experience Programs

(11) A "practical experience program" is defined within this policy and procedures framework as a program that:

  1. must be undertaken to fulfill the requirements of specific University degrees and awards whereby successful completion of the practical experience program does not result in credit points being applied to the credit point total required for the degree or award;
  2. cannot be counted towards Commonwealth supported placements HECS/FDUPS/FFPOS load for funding purposes;
  3. provides supervised and/or autonomous practical experience in an external environment accompanied by planned and ongoing instruction as agreed between the University, the employer/organisation, and the student;
  4. provides students and employers/organisations with documentation on the learning objectives of the practical experience and its evaluation if applicable;
  5. makes use of knowledge and skills that are relevant to the course being undertaken by the student, enhances that knowledge and skills base, and develops some or all of the Attributes of a UNE graduate;
  6. is not normally undertaken until after the successful completion of at least one year of full-time equivalent university study;

(12) A practical experience program may be completed at any time during the year;

(13) The practical experience program may:

  1. entail paid or unpaid work carried out under appropriate industrial conditions and/or awards;
  2. require students to initiate contact with potential participating employers/organisations. Alternatively, the University may formally assist students in contacting such employers/organisations.

(14) "Practical experience" is defined as being related to but different from "work experience" in that the principal ethos of practical experience is seeing the application of the theory learnt in a course of study in the field. Practical experience is an extension of the classroom/laboratory component of the course and relates specifically to the pedagogy of the course, while also providing the added advantage of broadening and preparing students for work after graduation.

University Internship Programs

(15) A University internship program is defined within this policy as a program that:

  1. involves a student being placed with an employer/organisation for part of their course of study whereby an employment relationship and associated payment may or may not be part of the program under an agreement entered into between the University, the employer/organisation, and the student;
  2. provides supervised arrangements whereby a student takes on a responsible role within a workplace;
  3. cannot be counted towards Commonwealth supported placements HECS/FDUPS/FFPOS load for funding purposes unless the student, as part of the internship program, is permitted to enrol in a WorkReady unit or units;
  4. provides supervised work experience accompanied by planned and ongoing instruction as agreed between the University and the employer/organisation;
  5. provides students and employers/organisations with documentation on the learning objectives of the work experience and its evaluation if applicable;
  6. makes use of knowledge and skills that are relevant to the course being undertaken by the student, enhances that knowledge and skills base, and develops some or all of the Attributes of a UNE Graduate as set out in Section 1 above; and
  7. is not normally undertaken until after the successful completion of at least one year of full-time equivalent University study.

(16) The University internship program may:

  1. entail combinations of internal and external, full-time and part-time enrolment during the course of study;
  2. entail paid or unpaid work carried out under appropriate industrial conditions and/or awards;
  3. require students to initiate contact with potential participating employers/organisations. Alternatively, the University may formally assist students in contacting such employers/organizations;
  4. include a formal work experience assessment process as agreed between the University, the employer/organisation, and the student.

Obligations of Students

(17) Students undertaking WorkReady units, practical experience programs, and University internship programs are subject to:

  1. the Student Behavioural Misconduct Rules;
  2. completion of preparatory training prior to the WorkReady placement;
  3. The rules, regulations, protocols, procedures and by-laws of the employer/organisation and/or the relevant professional body for the purposes of the practical experience;
  4. The requirements of relevant State or Federal legislation relating to animal care and research and/or research on human beings which directly affects the participants in the research, as applicable.

Obligations of Employers/Organisations

(18) In facilitating the student access to WorkReady units, practical experience programs, and University internship programs, the University recognises the obligations of employers/organisations participating in the UNE WorkReady scheme to:

  1. Provide worker's compensation insurance coverage where applicable;
  2. Provide a safe working environment free from harassment and exploitation, and not substitute work/practical experience and internship placements for regular employment categories;
  3. Provide adequate induction for the student in the rules, regulations, protocols, procedures and by-laws, as relevant, of the employer/organisation including policies on OHS and EEO, confidentiality, criminal probity checks, vaccination status, and other conditions as stipulated.

University Insurance

(19) Students not eligible for worker's compensation insurance coverage during their participation in the UNE WorkReady scheme will be eligible, subject to the terms and conditions of the specific insurance policies, for University insurance coverage for:

  1. Public Liability,
  2. Professional Indemnity, and
  3. Personal Accident

(20) The University insurance coverage afforded by this policy will only apply whilst the student is engaged in work/practical experience authorised by the University including direct travel to and from such work/practical experience and including minor deviation provided it does not increase the risk.

Responsibilities

(21) Administration of the WorkReady Program is the responsibility of StudentAssist.

(22) Determination of appropriate learning objectives, academic assessment and results notification are the responsibility of the relevant school.