Work Placement

Work placement is a planned opportunity in a quality host workplace that enables senior school students studying particular HSC industry-based vocational courses, to practise and develop their industry competencies and their employability skills in a vibrant real work context.

Work Placement is an exciting opportunity for students to learn valuable skills from industry professionals and develop employability skills for future employment. Participating in Work Placement allows students to:

explore first-hand the world of work
gain job-ready skills and knowledge
practice general and industry-specific skills
identify career options and pathways
be inspired about new work opportunities.

With over 25 years experience, our aim is to strengthen the partnership between industry and education, so it can increase student knowledge and opportunities for careers and further education.

Learn more about work placement.

Work placement for students

Connect offers a coordinated service that will assist you to secure work placement for your HSC VET subjects. Most subjects have a minimum of 70 hours of mandatory structured work placement which you are expected to complete throughout the course of your HSC. These placements will be industry specific to your course and occur in the local community. By attending work placement, you will have the opportunity to practice and enhance the skills you have learnt in the classroom in a ‘real world’ environment.

Learn more about registering for work placement and meeting your host employer:

Go2Workplacement - Are you work ready?

Go2workplacement is an online interactive work readiness program designed to assist students enrolled in HSC VET courses to get the most out of their work placement. By completing the online modules, students will identify specific skills and competencies to focus on during their work placement.

Are you work placement ready? Head to go2workplacement.com and see.

Work placement for parents

Workplace learning programs form part of the NSW secondary school curriculum. They enable students to spend a planned period of time – usually a week – in a workplace of their choice, enhancing their classroom learning, assisting their career choices and building their industry skills. How does workplace learning benefit students? Workplace learning helps students to:

test their job and career choices
engage with the wider community
practice course work in a relevant industry setting
learn what is required from a worker in the workplace
build general work skills like good communication, team work and critical thinking
develop specific industry skills, including Vocational Education and Training (VET) course competencies
gain confidence, maturity and self-management skills through participation in an adult work environment
make informed decisions when planning their transition through school and on to further education, training and work
demonstrate reliability, motivation, work ethic and good personal presentation.

The role of parents and carers is vital to the success of any workplace learning program. By taking steps to understand what’s involved and by providing the necessary support at home, you can help your child get the most out of their placement and make important decisions about their future.

Work placement for employers

Work placement is a mandatory component of industry-based Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses that students can choose as part of their studies for the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC). It is a planned opportunity in a quality workplace, that enables senior school students to practice and develop their industry competencies and employability skills in a vibrant real work context.

Hosting students allows you to:

participate in the education, career development and vocational training of young people in your community
talk to students about your industry, its career paths and future directions
promote the attitudes and skills you want in your workforce
identify young people with potential for your industry
strengthen your links with the community and raise your business profile
increase the supervisory, training and mentoring skills of your staff
give students knowledge of the value of work and raise the quality of those coming into your industry.

Workplace learning is unpaid, and students are insured by the NSW Department of Education, NSW Catholic Education Office or the Independent School which they attend.

By hosting a student in your workplace for one week, you will allow them to put into practice the skills they’ve learnt in the classroom whilst meeting their course requirements.

Are you interested in hosting a student?

Work placement for teachers

CONNECT Northern Rivers Inc. is contracted by the NSW Government to coordinate the work placement of all students within the North Coast region undertaking VET courses for their HSC.

We are aware of, and operate in compliance with, the NSW Department of Education Workplace Learning Policy – Procedures and Standards and the similar policies and practices of the non-government schooling sector.

Our role is to:

recruit appropriate employers to the program and provide them with an induction;
undertake a basic evaluation of the workplace health and safety environment at the workplace
assist teachers in preparing their VET students for work placement, including providing an introduction to Go2Workplacement program;
match each students’ situation and preferences to the most appropriate host employer; and
provide each student with a work placement folder containing a pre-filled student work placement record (SPR) form.

RESOURCE: 2026 Teacher Information Handbook

Go2Workplacement - Are your students work ready?

Go2workplacement is an online program which assists students enrolled in HSC VET courses to get the most out of their work placement by identifying the skills and competencies they want to focus on during their time in the workplace. Go2workplacement complements existing school based, work ready activities so that students get the maximum benefit from their time in the workplace. The program also assists teachers and work placement service providers to identify when students are ready for their work placement.

Students must complete a mandatory module comprising Work Health and Safety, Personal Attributes, and Employment Related Skills and the Industry Competency to qualify for a Work Placement Ready Certificate. The Certificate informs a host employer that they have prepared for work placement and outlines the areas they want to explore during their placement.

For more information visit https://teacher.go2workplacement.com