Employers

Employer Resources

  • FMPLLEN is contracted by The Department of Education to link schools and students with industry and employers.

    We have various ways for you to connect :

    • Hosting a student for work placement

    • School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

    • Industry Visits – for teachers and / or students

    • Industry Videos – tell your story in a video

    • FMP Career Expo

    • School expos

    • FMPLLEN professional development events

    • Speaker opportunities

    • Industry partnerships

    If you are interested in any of these options, please contact us – info@fmpllen.com.au

What’s the difference between: Work Experience / Structured Workplace Learning ?

In Victoria, Work Experience and Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) are both programs that allow secondary students to learn in a workplace, but they are quite different in purpose, structure, and requirements. Here’s a clear breakdown:

Work Experience (WE)

  • Who it's for: Usually Year 9 and 10 students (sometimes Year 11).

  • Purpose: To give students a general taste of the world of work, develop employability skills, and explore career interests.

  • Connection to studies: Not necessarily linked to what the student is studying at school – it’s more about career exploration.

  • Duration: Typically 1–2 weeks (usually block placement).

  • Assessment/Outcomes: Not formally assessed; more about personal development and career insights.

  • Payment: Students receive a minimum token payment ($5–$10 per day, set by the Department of Education).

  • Insurance: Covered by the Department of Education.

Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

  • Who it's for: Mainly VCE Vocational Major (VM), VPC, or VET students in Year 10–12.

  • Purpose: To provide practical, hands-on experience directly related to the student’s VET or applied learning studies.

  • Connection to studies: Must be directly linked to the student’s course (e.g. a student doing VET Hospitality will do SWL in a café/restaurant).

  • Duration: Can be block (e.g. one or two weeks) or one day per week over a term/semester.

  • Assessment/Outcomes: Students often complete structured logbooks or tasks that contribute to their VET competencies.

  • Payment: Token payment is the same ($5–$10 per day).

  • Insurance: Also covered by the Department of Education when arranged through the school.

In short:

  • Work Experience = career exploration, general introduction to work.

  • SWL = industry-specific, linked to VET/applied learning, with structured tasks and assessed outcomes.

How does SWL support work readiness for students?

Structured workplace learning provides the opportunity for:

  • enhanced skill development

  • practical application of industry knowledge

  • assessment of units of competency

  • achievement of some learning outcomes

  • enhanced employment opportunities.

How do I offer Work Experience to students?

The FMPLLEN coordinate a School to Work (Portal) which gives access to employers to join the local list of companies who offer work experience and structured workplace Learning to local secondary students.

see link below

School to Work Home

https://workplacements.education.vic.gov.au/guides/employer/