Work Placements

A Work Integrated Learning (WIL) work placement provides an opportunity for students to spend an extended period of time in an organisation where they undertake genuine work tasks with workplace supervision. Students learn to integrate previously learned theory with its practical application in the workplace and are able to develop professional competencies.

More than work experience

A work placement is more than giving a student some work experience. In consultation with academic staff at Murdoch University, organisations provide a structured program of work that requires students to integrate and appropriately apply their previous learning to make and justify decisions in a work-related context. As well as a valuable learning experience, students expect to make a positive contribution to your organisation, and can be an asset in short-term projects.

Workplace supervision

In offering a WIL work placement, the organisation takes on the responsibility to provide a suitably qualified workplace supervisor to guide the student in the workplace. The workplace supervisor is required to have expertise and experience in the discipline area of the student’s course of study. We provide some resources to assist workplace supervisors in their important role:

Time in the workplace

The number of hours that a student is required to spend in the workplace varies between disciplines. In general, a work placement will require a student to spend between 100-120 hours in the workplace. There may be some flexibility in how these hours can be accumulated by the student – for example 1 days/week over a 12-15 week semester, or as an intensive block working full-time. In some disciplines, there are options for students to spend a prolonged period of time (up to 12 weeks full-time) in a workplace for their placement.

Remuneration

If a student completes their work placement as part of the Work Integrated Learning program, in conjunction with enrolment in one of the Murdoch University work placement units, students are not required to be paid during the specified hours of their placement. These arrangements meet the requirements of a Vocational Placement under the Fair Work Act.

Workplace Business Agreements

Organisations hosting a WIL work placement student are required to enter into a workplace business agreement with Murdoch University that specifies the terms and conditions of the work placement, including the arrangements by which the student is covered by Murdoch insurance policies. Standard terms and conditions of such agreements are available on request. Agreements are usually arranged for a three-year period, but there is no obligation to offer a placement at any specific time.

Recruitment process

There are three main study periods each year during which we invite organisations to offer work placement positions to Murdoch University students (not all placement units are offered every semester). Each study period has an associated recruitment period when suitable students can apply for available positions in conjunction with their enrolment in an work placement unit for the upcoming semester. In many disciplines, students apply for work placement positions just as they would do for a job application. The organisation’s involvement in the selection process is negotiable.

	Study period	Recruitment period
Semester 1	March – June	November – February
Semester 2	August – November	April – June

Find out how you can offer a Work Integrated Learning internship to Murdoch students.

Providing feedback

We are always looking for ways to improve our Work Integrated Learning program. At the conclusion of a work placement we invite our host organisations to give us their valued feedback on the process and experience to help us implement changes to improve our partnership in the future.