Work Placement

The completion of work placement is critical to the success of your qualification.  Not only do all of ACCSC courses have a mandatory work placement component but it also provides our students with the opportunity to learn in a real environment under the direction of a qualified practitioner.

Work placement provides you with the opportunity to work directly with qualified people to:

• Individual support – ageing and disability
  • Provide support to people in aged care facilities or with disabilities in facilities or respite centres
  • Assist in the development of care plans for individuals
  • Participate in social events and outings organised by the facilities
  • Empower older people and people with disabilities to realise their potential
  • Develop relationships and networks with colleagues and the community

• Youth work, mental health, and counselling
  • Work with individuals dealing with mental health issues
  • Participate in the development of care plans and counselling plans for individuals including younger people and older Australians
  • Develop relationships and networks with colleagues and the community
  • Work with people to address behaviours including younger people and the impacts of mental health issues
  • Support and use appropriate techniques to identify and deal with behaviours of concern
  • Provide various services, under supervision, for a range of clients including youth and people with mental health issues and substance abuse
  • Work placement is often the first step to securing employment in the community sector following the completion of your qualification.

• Childcare and Teacher Aides
  • Work with students and children in education or early childhood education service
  • Work with other educators and teachers to support the education of students and children
  • Develop relationships and networks with colleagues and the community

The following minimum hours of work placement apply to our qualifications:

• CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling – 100 hours
• CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support – 120 hours
• CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support – 120 hours
• CHC40321 Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention (Residential and Out of Home Care) – 120 hours
• CHC50321 Diploma of Child, Youth and Family Intervention – 100 hours
• CHC52021 Diploma of Community Services – 200 hours
• CHC40421 Certificate IV in Youth Work – 80 hours
• CHC50421 Diploma of Youth Work – 200 hours
• CHC43121 Certificate IV in Disability Support – 80 hours
• CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health – 80 hours
• CHC53315 Diploma of Mental Health – 160 hours
• CHC43215 Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs – 80 hours
• CHC53215 Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs – 160 hours
• HLT33021 Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance – 120 hours
• HLT43021 Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance – 120 hours
• CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care – 160 hours
• CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support – 100 hours
• CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support – 100 hours
• CHC50221 Diploma of School Age Education and Care – 280 hours
• BSB30120 Certificate III in Business – 76 hours
• SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness – 40 hours
• SIS40221 Certificate IV in Fitness – 60 hours
• Dual Qualification in Fitness – 40 hours + 60 hours
• Skill Set CHCSS00137 Palliative Approach – 30 hours
• CHCSS00141 Child Protection Skill Set – 120 hours
• Skill Set: CHCSS00133 Induction to Disability Support – 30 hours

Many graduates of ACCSC have gone on to secure full and part-time employment with their vocational placement employers and continue their studies to grow their career.

Learners can start organising their placements at any time, but still within the course duration, once they have successfully completed the first 6 units so they can put that theory into practice.

Before you commence your work placement, you and your workplace supervisor will be required to sign a number of documents. These documents, including a signed Workplace Agreement that must be submitted to ACCSC BEFORE you commence your work placement.

While there are no specific restrictions on the workplace, you should use the following as a guide:

• Individual support – ageing – source an aged care facility or similar that provides full or part-time care for older Australians or at home care services that enables you to provide support for older Australians in their homes
• Individual support – disability – source a facility that provides full or part-time care for individuals with a range of disabilities. This may include independent living facilities, social and community support services, non-government disability services, and community disability support services
• Mental health – source a workplace such as a non-government organisation or funded community-based organisation providing support and/or counselling services for individuals with mental health issues
• Youth work – source a workplace or support service that provides support for youth in relation to housing, alcohol and drug addiction, high risk behaviours, relationships and mental health through general counselling services, specialist support services, and social and recreational activities and services.
• Counselling – source a counselling support service, community-based and/or government funded, that provides varied counselling opportunities.

Some services may offer placement or volunteering opportunities where you can work unpaid for short periods of time.

It is important to get your search for work placement off to a great start. Make contact with community services and other non-government agencies in your local area or an area that you can travel to.  You may be able to volunteer at some services to increase your chances of securing the ideal placement.

Use the following tips to help you secure your work placement organisation:

• Research community services in your local area or an area that you can travel to
• Conduct research on the service before you speak to them. Employers always like to see that potential staff have taken the time to get to know their organisation
• Consider your search as a job interview and prepare a detailed application for the service
• Ensure that you sell yourself including your professional qualities, any previous experience, and your career aspirations
• Make sure that your applications are tailored to the service you want to work with
• When speaking with potential workplaces, do not be afraid to sell yourself
• When you secure your placement, work hard and aim to achieve positive results for yourself and the organisation
• Finally in your search, ensure you find the organisation that shares your values

Check with your local State or Territory government about opportunities to volunteer.  All State and Territory governments have sites that provide information on areas for volunteering and how to become a volunteer.

Prepare well in advance of your interview by thinking about the questions you want answered in advance and updating your resume. While you are there:

• Be positive and aware of your posture and body language
• Let them know what you know about the facility
• Speak to your resume including your achievements
• Respond to any questions positively

ACCSC offers a free service for all of our current students to support them to find a suitable work placement school or service.  We can help you with:

• Providing advice on preparing your resume
• Meeting on-site insurance requirements
• Referring students to known workplaces seeking volunteers. Contact your trainer

Before you do your interview, you’ll be provided with a work placement letter that you can give to the service to confirm that you are currently enrolled in a vocational qualification requiring the completion of work placement.

Contact us to find out more and inquire about the work placement conditions.

While on work placement, you will carry out tasks under the direction of a qualified supervisor. As we are an online training organisation providing our training in all States and Territories of Australia, we do not conduct physical visits on site to observe our students. Instead, you work directly with your supervisor who will confirm and validate your knowledge and experience for the duration of your placement.You will complete a number of tasks detailed in a Learner Placement Booklet and Third Party Evidence Collection Booklet (TPECB).

Your supervisor will verify the completion of the tasks in the TPECB before you submit it to your trainer for marking. The booklets will be provided to you prior to the commencement of your placement.Each day, you will be required to complete an attendance record to confirm completion of the required hours.

When you have completed your work placement, your attendance sheet will need to be signed by your supervisor to verify that all necessary hours have been completed. Please note that the hours indicated above do not include lunch breaks.

For more information on how you will be assessed during your placement, refer to our Training and Assessment Policy.

Contact us to find out more and enquire about the work placement conditions.