House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml

Contents

SA UNIONS

In reply to Mr PISONI (Unley) (21 July 2011) (First Session).

The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development): The provision to notify SA Unions of details relating to student placement for work experience has been in place since 1996 under the Workplace Learning Guidelines. It appears the provision was adapted as an additional level protection against injury, exploitation and harassment of students in the workplace.

The Workplace Learning Guidelines were revised and updated in 2004 by a working party with representatives from Business SA, WorkCover, union representatives and the three schooling sectors. The 2004 Guidelines ensured that the notification to SA Unions was at the discretion of the employer.

Regarding what happens if the box agreeing to inform SA Unions is left blank; Appendix 1 of the Workplace Learning Guidelines (2004) there is a 'Checklist for Schools' and in item (b) 'Prior to work placements' the document states:

All schools must ensure that the Workplace Learning Agreement Form has been completed and signed by all parties and the student and the workplace provider are provided with copies of the form prior to the commencement of the work placement.

It would be the school's responsibility to follow up a Workplace Agreement Form which was not completed correctly. This would include the case where neither box was ticked in the Employer Approval for SA Unions Notification section.