Partner with us

• Complete the placement proposal form below. The proposal will outline your project, timelines and deliverables along with supervisor details and business information.
• The topic coordinator will assess the project proposal to ensure it meets the topic outcomes.
• You have the option of interviewing interested students and offer the successful candidate a placement.
• A Flinders Placement Agreement will be emailed to you for completion.
• Once the student is on placement, you will be sent a mid-way and final student evaluation form which counts towards the student's final grade.
• To help you navigate your placement we have produced an Industry Host Kit which give you helpful advice to ensure you have a successful student placement.
  

The placement team are flexible in offering placements to students as the need arises. The starting time is also negotiable between the student and the host organisation. There are however, two main placement intake times during the year which we do recommend you align your placements to:

• Semester 1 (March - July): offer of placements sent to host organisations in November
• Semester 2 (July - November): offer of placements sent to host organisations in March
• Summer placement (November and February) : offer of placement sent in November

Placements are 150 hours and the student usually attend the placement two days per week for ten weeks, but it does depend on the project or placement requirements and hours/days can be negotiated between the student and host organisation. During the University holidays for example the student may complete their hours as one four-week full time block or part time over a longer period.

Students must have completed at least 50% of their studies before completing a placement so we will normally recommend 2nd or 3rd year students to undertake placement opportunities.

All placements must be approved by the WIL and topic coordinators (or nominated representatives) prior to commencement of the placement.

Generally, students are not paid however occasionally we may have a paid placement. Host organisations offering regional placements may be asked to assist with accommodation and transportation expenses (eg billeting, reduced rates etc).

Placements that are vocational in nature, assessed, supervised and are a learning experience, meet the definition of a “vocational placement” under the Fair Work Act. Therefore, it is a legal unpaid learning experience whereby the student can apply the skills and knowledge from University into a professional workplace. Providing it is a legal and structured framework based on a course, which the students are completing for credit, it is completely acceptable. We ensure that our placement program meets all requirements as outlined under the Fair Work Act.

A letter of agreement sets out the obligations of the University and its Staff, your organisation, and placement students regarding WIL placements.  

If you agree to take students on placement, the terms in the agreement letter and appendices will constitute an agreement between the University and your organisation.

From a host organisation’s perspective, a placement works well when a student feels comfortable and safe in their workplace, and able to contribute to the organisation.

Expectations should be made clear at the initial interview including work and learning objectives, dress standards; work attendance; clear project outlines (if a project is to be completed); orientation to the workplace – toilets, coffee and introduction to other staff. It is also helpful that other staff are aware of the student and the role they are to play.

A health and safety induction must be provided to the student upon commencement.

All work (or the majority thereof) must be completed at the provider’s worksite or designated location, if this is not to be the case this must be made clear from the onset and the WIL topic coordinator informed prior to approval. If possible, inclusion of students in all aspects of the work environment including meetings is highly valued. We ask students to act in a professional manner, show initiative and be willing to perform a variety of jobs from the mundane to the exciting. We have very rarely been disappointed.

Students undertaking a placement in a host organisation are bound by the standards of performance conditions in the host workplace. Their workplace performance will have implications from an academic viewpoint, as part of the student assessment is reliant on the report from the host organisation. It is suggested that issues should first be addressed by the supervisor in the workplace, and if the issue(s) cannot be resolved, or if the concerns require discussion, please contact the WIL topic coordinator for support.

Unpaid internships can be offered if:

• The student is undertaking a placement and will receive credit towards their degree
• If there is no employment relationship.  

Paid internships:

• Businesses can offer paid internships if the intern will be undertaking work that a paid employee would usually do. This indicates there is an employment relationship

Businesses offering an internship must comply with the Fair Work Guidelines