Higher Education and VET Placement Procedure

Policy code: AG2111
Policy owner: Director, Co-operative Placements
Approval authority: Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Engagement)
Approval date: 15 August 2025
Next review date: 15 August 2028

Purpose
Scope
Definitions
Actions
1. Maintain university infrastructure for management of placements
2. Incorporate placements into curriculum
3. Develop and manage relationships with placement providers
4. Place students
5. Placement supervision
6. Assess and result student performance on placement
Legislative Context
Supporting Documents
Forms
Responsibility
Promulgation
Implementation
Records Management

Purpose

Placement opportunities are an important component of employability, engagement and skills development in Higher Education HE and Vocational Education & Training (VET) learning and teaching environments. This procedure and its associated documents are necessary to clearly define the University’s overarching approach in the delivery and monitoring of all Placement units.

Scope

This procedure relates to all Higher Education & VET placements/work based training (placements) excluding those listed below. Placement is defined as any arrangement where students undertake agreed learning in an external workplace. Placement terminology includes, clinical placement, field education, professional experience, internships, placement, cadetships, Co-op paid placements, Work Based Training and Practical Placements undertaken as a requirement or an option of a course and/or unit of study.

This procedure does not apply to:

  • Vocational Education & Training delivered to Secondary Schools (VETDSS) program delivered as part of a third partyagreement with a Secondary School which undertake the training and assessment;
  • Apprentices and trainees employed under a training agreement.
  • Volunteering opportunities
  • Fieldwork/excursions
  • Exchange arrangements

Definitions

  • Note: definitions throughout this Procedure can be accessed via the Policy Glossary.
  • A further list of definitions specifically relevant to this procedure is included below:
Term Definition
Placement An assessable component of a qualification, designed to provide students with opportunity, and the means, to apply skills and knowledge obtained through the study of their qualification in a supervised and authentic environment. 
Workplace supervisor The key contact person employed by the placement provider organisation who will provide or organise appropriate supervision for the student during placement.  In some instances, workplace supervisors may be provided by the University where appropriate supervision is not provided by the placement provider in order to meet accreditation requirements (ie field liaison, clinical educators).
Placement provider Workplace proving placement opportunity to Federation University students.
Academic Supervisor A Federation University staff member allocated to provide support to student whilst on placement. Includes roles such as clinical coordinators, field education coordinators etc.
Unit Coordinator Academic staff member responsible for the approval of placement appropriateness to ensure learning outcomes are consistent with course/unit requirements. Includes roles such as clinical coordinators, field education coordinators etc.
Program Manager TAFE staff member responsible for delivery of programs.
Co-operative Placement team A central administration team to administer placements for the University.
TAFE Teaching Staff Federation University staff member employed to teach VET qualifications and/or provides support to student whilst on placement.
Academic Staff Federation University staff member employed to teach Higher Education courses and units.
Authorised placement systems Includes inplace, Co-op placement portal, CRM.

Actions

1. Maintain university infrastructure for management of placements

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A Ensure adequate and appropriately trained human resources to manage, supervise and administer placements Director – Co-operative Placements Executive Deans/Dean/Director
  1. Develop roles & responsibilities
  2. Allocate and monitor workload
B Ensure clear communication regarding placement requirements

Co-op Placement team

Course Coordinators
  1. Develop and maintain webpages, course finder, moodle shells, student handbooks.
  2. Develop and implement communication plans for students and industrypartners.
C Managing placements costs Co-op Placement team as delegate of cost centre owners Executive Deans/Dean/Director
  1. Assist with budget projections
  2. Monitor & verify expenditure
  3. Facilitate payments
D Maintain University authorised placement systems Co-op Placement team in conjunction with ITS and Training and Content team
  1. Configure and develop systems to ensure quality user experience.
  2. Maintain data integrity
  3. Provide reporting
  4. Ensure availability of training materials
E Developing and implementing placement specific legal agreements Co-op Placement team in conjunction with Legal Office
  1. Develop agreements and continually revise to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
  2. Ensure agreements are signed in all instances in accordance with University delegations.
F Ensure records are appropriately maintained Co-op Placement team in conjunction with the Records Management team
  1. Ensure records are kept in accordance with appropriate legislation/ accreditation/ university procedures
G Ensure safety of all stakeholders involved in placement Executive Deans/Director/Placement team
  1. Ensure due diligence of placement provider
  2. Manage incidents in accordance with university OHS procedures

2. Incorporate placements into curriculum

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A Development of curriculum that incorporates placement to meet internal and external accreditation requirements Institute/Schools/TAFE
  1. Ensure curriculum is developed and approved in accordance with University procedures
  2. Placement requirements are clearly outlined and included in marketing materials
  3. Placement is part of a unit and is for credit
B Ensure assessment for placement is appropriate and able to be delivered in conjunction with placement provider Institute/Schools/TAFE
  1. Ensure unit outlines detail assessment grading
  2. Development appropriate assessment tasks to support the placement experience.
C Ensure curriculum contains appropriate content to prepare students for placement Institute/Schools/TAFE
  1. Incorporate Professional Identity unit; or
  2. Embed placement preparation content into units prior to placement

3. Develop and manage relationships with placement providers

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A Identify & contact suitable placement providers

Co-op Placement team

Academic staff

Program Managers
  1. Identify potential placement providers
  2. Make contact to discuss placement opportunities
  3. Information to be stored in University CRM
B Establish financial arrangements

Executive Dean – Institute/School

Co-op Placement team

Finance Unit
  1. Negotiate rates of payment for placement, invoicing arrangements
  2. Set up industry in finance system
C Undertake due diligence on the placement provider

Program Managers

Co-op Placement team
  1. Undertake a risk assessment to ensure OHS requirements are met
  2. Confirm workplace is a culturally safe environment for students with appropriate support services available
  3. Confirm availability of appropriate supervision for students.
D Arrange for execution and storage of the relevant placement agreement Co-op Placement team
  1. Ensure relevant agreement is issued and executed by all parties
  2. Agreement needs to be clear on roles and responsibilities, insurance coverage and Intellectual Property, confidentiality and privacy.
  3. Arrange for storage of placement agreement in University approved system
  4. In instances where changes are required to a placement agreement, legal office provide approval.

4. Place students

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A Provide placement information to students

Academic/teaching

Program Managers

Co-op Placement team
  1. Provide information on the placement process to students.
  2. Articulate the pre-placement requirements and direct students to website for additional information and process (ie immunisations, WWC, placement agreements, Consent to Hold & Release information)
  3. Documentation to be uploaded into authorised placement system and verified prior to placement
  4. If a student has not provided specified mandatory documentation by due date, the placement may be cancelled and the student receive a fail grade for the unit.
B Discuss scope for reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities and/or special consideration

Academic staff

Teaching staff

Co-op Placement team

Student
  1. Students to lodge a special consideration request (with supporting documentation)
  2. Application is considered by academic staff to work with the student and employer to source an appropriate placement/make reasonable adjustments.
  3. Consider a Learning Action Plan (LAP)
C Arrange for execution and storage of the relevant placement agreement Co-op Placement team
  1. Ensure relevant agreement is issued and executed by all parties
  2. Arrange for storage of placement agreement in University authorised system
  3. In instances where changes are required to a placement agreement, legal office provide approval.
D Match students with placement

Co-op Placement team

Academic/Teaching staff
  1. Place students in appropriate placement according to the business process for relevant discipline
  2. Advertise roles and manage recruitment processes for placements that require interviews
  3. Publish placements using University authorised placement system providing students with confirmation of dates, times, locations.

5. Placement supervision

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A Provide students with supervisor details Co-op Placement team
  1. Ensure student is advised of workplace supervisor details
  2. In the event of Federation University providing supervision, ensure a staff member is allocated and/or employed.
B Provide students with information on how to access support when needed

Academic/Teaching staff

Co-op Placement team
  1. Ensure students are provided with information on how to access support whilst on placement
  2. Ensure workplace induction is provided to students upon commencement including OHS induction.
  3. Respond to any requests for assistance in a timely manner.
C Managing non attendance/absence from the workplace

Academic/teaching staff

Co-op Placement team
  1. Students should make every effort to complete placement hours as set out in the agreement
  2. When they are unable to attend placement according to the agreement, they should follow workplace procedure and inform their unit coordinator/placement team.
  3. Student should complete a Special Consideration request if appropriate
  4. Arrangements to be made to complete hours at an alternate time.
  5. Students may also receive a fail grade as a result of missing or not completing placements.
D Reporting injuries whilst on placement

Academic/teaching staff

Co-op Placement team
  1. Within 24 hours, the workplace supervisor is required to notify the University of any injury to the student whilst on placement.
  2. Upon notification of an incident, the designated officer must complete a Hazard/Near Miss report and or injury report within WorkDay
  3. Report/s are to be processed accordingly to current processes including submission to Health, Safety and Wellbeing department.

6. Assess and result student performance on placement

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A Students undertake assessment tasks according to the unit outline

Students

Academic supervisor

Teaching staff

Workplace supervisor
  1. Refer to course and unit requirements
  2. The design and outcome of the assessment is the responsibility of the University. Assessment undertaken during placement is assessed by the University assessor or workplace supervisor. In the instance that workplace supervisor undertakes assessment, they must have the required qualifications.
  3. Students upload all document required for assessment to the university approved system.
B Grading students Academic/Teaching staff
  1. Marks, grades or outcomes are to be recorded on the appropriate University grades management system
  2. When the student still has placement hours to complete at the end of a teaching period, they should be awarded the “Placement not yet assessed grade” (PL).
  3. Input a unit result amendment when placement is completed
  4. If an unsatisfactory, fail or marginal fail grade is recorded, students are required to reenrol.

Legislative Context

Supporting Documents

Forms

  • Consent Form to Hold and ReleaseStudent Information
  • Organisation PlacementAgreement
  • Overseas Placement Agreement
  • Single Placement Agreement
  • Student Placement Agreement

Responsibility

  • Director – Co-operative Placements is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure.
  • Manager – Co-operative Placements is responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by the Director – Co-operative Placements.

Promulgation

This procedure will be communicated throughout the University community via:

  1. A FedNews announcement and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the University’s Policy Central website.
  2. Distribution of e-mails to Directors.
  3. Notification to Institutes/Schools/Federation TAFE.

Implementation

This procedure will be implemented throughout the University via:

  1. A FedNews announcement and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the University’s Policy Central website.
  2. Staff induction sessions.
  3. Training sessions.

Records Management

Document Title Location Responsible Officer Minimum Retention Period
Placement agreements The university’s authorised placement system Manager – Cooperative Placements

Originals should be retained by the Document Owner

Copies can be disposed of once the administrative use has concluded

Electronic record will be retained in the University’s records management system
Higher Education & VET placement procedure. The University’s approved policy management system Policy Systems Administrator or delegate Permanent
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Higher Education Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Placement Requirements Procedure 
 Glossary


Policy Glossary

Approval Authority: Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) Original Issue 15/08/2025
Policy Sponsor: Director, Co-operative Placements Current Version: 15/08/2025
CRICOS Provider Number 00103D Review Date: 15/08/2028
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12151 Provider Category: Australian University
RTO Code 4909 Policy Code AG2111