Frequently Answered Questions

Question 1 From employers
How is my business and the student covered by insurance if I take a student on structured workplace learning?

Answer
Worker’s Compensation

• (a) Education Queensland insures students from State schools and approved home education, on approved vocational placements, under a contract of insurance with WorkCover Queensland, against permanent impairment or death, occurring at the vocational placement location or another location where the vocational placement is provided, or while travelling directly between their home or school and the site where the placement is provided.
  The insurance does not cover payments for medical or hospital treatment, for rehabilitation or for artificial limbs or the cost of ambulance transport. Parents requiring medical or hospital cover or personal accident insurance for their children should make private arrangements.

• (b) In the case of non-state schools the cover is provided through the school. Nonstate schools make this arrangement on behalf of their students.

• (c) The vocational placement provider has no responsibility for costs associated with this cover.
  
  

Indemnity Insurance (for State school, non-State school and home education vocational placement programs) Education Queensland has an arrangement with an insurer to indemnify both students and vocational placement providers in the following situations:

• The policy indemnifies the vocational placement provider against liability in the event where the student is injured while on the premises of the vocational placement provider, or at another location, while carrying out vocational placement duties on behalf of the vocational placement provider.
  
• The policy indemnifies the student against liability if the vocational placement provider or an employee is injured, or the student damages property.
  
• The policy indemnifies the vocational placement provider and the student where injury or damage to the property of a third party arises out of the vocational placement. This cover is provided subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, which specifically exclude various activities.
  
  

Question 2 From Parents
What are the insurance arrangements if my son or daughter attends structured workplace learning?

Answer

Worker’s Compensation
Education Queensland insures students from State schools, on approved vocational placement, under a contract of insurance with WorkCover Queensland, against permanent impairment or death, occurring either at the location where the vocational placement is provided or while travelling directly between their home or school and the site where the placement is provided.
The insurance does not cover payments for medical or hospital treatment, for rehabilitation or for artificial limbs or the cost of ambulance transport. Parents requiring medical or hospital cover or personal accident insurance for their children should make private arrangements.

Liability Insurance
Education Queensland has an arrangement with an insurer to indemnify students from State and Non-State Schools on approved vocational placements. Students are indemnified against costs for which the student may be liable if the vocational placement provider’s property is damaged or injury is caused to the vocational placement provider or an employee at the vocational placement provider’s premises or at another location while carrying out vocational placement duties on behalf of the vocational placement provider. The indemnity extends to students in instances where they may be liable for injury to the person or the property of a member of the public, arising out of the vocational placement.
This cover is provided subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, which specifically exclude various activities.

For more information you can access the following web address

http://education.qld.gov.au/students/placement/work/pdfs/insinfovp-parents.pdf


Question 3 From employers
Do I have to pay the students?

Answer
No

Question 4 From students
Will I get paid?

Answer
No

Question 5
Does the student have to have a Construction Industry Blue Card?

Answer
Teachers are aware of the student’s need to have a blue card, students are informed that they must have a blue card before commencing their work-placement with you. Should they turn up without a card you are obliged to refuse them entry to the worksite and send them back to school.


Question 6

How many hours are the students allowed to work?

Answer
Students are not expected to nor should they be asked to work more than the hours specified in the relevant award e.g. 38 hours a week


Question 7
What hours are students allowed to attend work placement?

Answer
Students are required to work the normal hours that are appropriate to the vocation without exceeding the 38 hour a week standard, care must be taken not to disadvantage a student who needs to work outside the traditional day hours to have exposure to the work environment e.g. bakers normally work in the early hours of the morning and hospitality workers often work in the evening, employers have a duty of care not to expose the student to any danger that may arise from these situations.


Question 8
Can students sell and serve alcohol?

Answer
Provided the students are properly supervised they may sell and serve alcohol, however they must not be in an environment that poses a risk to their well being, employers must practice due diligence and consider the young persons situation.

The Queensland Liquor Act 1992 states iteralia:

exempt minor means a minor on premises to which a licence or permit relates if—
(a) the minor is a resident on the premises; or
(b) the minor is on the premises to—
(i) perform duties as an employee of the owner, or
occupier, of the premises or a part of the premises; or
(ii) perform duties in the conduct of a lawful business; or
(iii) perform duties while receiving training for employment or work experience; or

Please refer to the web addres below:

http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/L/LiquorA92.pdf

Question 9

How do we arrange work cover and liability insurance for our son/daughter for work experience if we arrange the industry placement outside the school system?

Answer
There are some insurance firms that will do this e.g. IC Frith & Associates phone 07 3211 8066.