Ministry Policy Site

Elective Work Experience Courses and Workplace Safety

Issued and in effect January, 2004.

Current policy

The purpose of this policy is to describe elective work experience courses, which are usually offered as part of a career program, and describe steps to address workplace safety for students. Work experience courses go beyond the work experience and/or community service component required by Career and Personal Planning work experience learning outcomes in the Graduation Program 1995 or Graduation Transitions in the Graduation Program 2004. Work experience courses are supported and monitored by the school.

This policy provides clarification about elective work experience courses that extend beyond the 30 hours of work experience and/or community service required for graduation, and important information about Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) coverage. Work experience and/or community service required for graduation is covered in a separate policy called Work Experience and/or Community Service Requirements for Graduation and Workplace Safety.

N/A

Work experience is defined in legislation as "that part of an educational program which provides a student with an opportunity to participate in, observe or learn about the performance of tasks and responsibilities related to an occupation or career." The goal of work experience is to help students prepare for the transition from secondary school to the world of work, and to help students connect what they learn in the classroom with the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed in the workplace.

In order to be reported as a Ministry-authorized work experience course, the work experience must be supported and monitored by the school and consist of authentic workplace experiences.

In most cases, Ministry-authorized work experience consists of school-arranged, non-paid placements. Exceptions include Secondary School Apprenticeship, other industry-training work programs, and individual situations in which a student's paid employment coincides with the student's career plans and is supported and monitored by the school.

All students participating in elective work experience courses must have in-school orientation to prepare them for the workplace. The orientation must include instruction on worksite safety awareness. It may also include topics such as generic employability skills, education skills transferable to the specific work placement, worker rights and responsibilities, and employer expectations.

A 4-credit course consists of 100 - 120 hours of work experience. A 2-credit course consists of 50 - 60 hours of work experience. These hours may include in-school time spent on specific workplace orientation and workplace safety instruction.

Boards of education and independent school authorities ("boards/authorities") that wish to develop their own credit-based work experience courses not based on Ministry guidelines for work experience must ensure that these courses meet the requirements for Board/Authority Authorized courses.

For school-arranged unpaid work placements there must be a signed Work Experience Agreement form that includes: name of the employer, location of the work site, and the period (by date and time) during which the student will be participating in the work placement. A sample Work Experience Agreement Form is included as Appendix B in the Program Guide for Ministry-Authorized Work Experience Courses ( 315 KB PDF).

WCB coverage is provided by the Province for work experience students in public schools who are 14 years of age or older, provided: the work placement is a non-paid, school supported placement at a standard worksite; the student has received instruction in workplace safety before going on the work placement; and, a Work Experience Agreement form has been signed by all parties.

Students who use paid employment supported and monitored by the school to earn credits for elective work experience courses must show that they are working at a site where WCB coverage is provided.

Boards/authorities must establish guidelines respecting the conduct, supervision, evaluation and participation of students in all school-arranged work placements. School personnel must monitor each student on a school-arranged work placement as determined by board/authority guidelines.

An educator with a valid teaching certificate must evaluate all work experience courses and assign a percentage before reporting it to the Ministry for course credit. Evaluation should be based on clear criteria and should include a variety of assessment strategies.

In reporting Ministry-authorized work experience course completions to the Ministry, schools must use the appropriate work experience course titles and codes found in the Course Information Book or in any future Work Experience Program Guide developed by the Ministry.

When schools arrange work experience placements at new work sites, safety issues should be discussed with the employer. In conjunction with the WCB, the Ministry has available a Safety Checklist template to use for work experience placements. It is Appendix C of the Program Guide for Ministry-Authorized Work Experience Courses ( 315 KB PDF).

Any injuries sustained while on a public school-arranged unpaid work experience placement must be reported as soon as possible. A WCB injury report (Form 7) must be completed by the school district and submitted to the nearest WCB office. A copy of the WCB Form 7 and of the Work Experience Agreement form must also sent to the Ministry of Education.

Monitoring of students on work placements should consist of work site visits and phone calls or emails with the student's workplace supervisor.

Program Guide for Ministry-Authorized Work Experience Courses
( 315 KB PDF)

For more information, consult the Course Information Book, and the WCB Student WorkSafe Program.

See the program guide for Graduation Transitions.

If you have any questions relating to the Elective Work Experience Courses and Workplace Safety Policy, please contact Robert Lazar, Graduation Standards Unit, Learning Management Division.