Faculty of Science and Technology

Student placement

Work-integrated learning (WIL), also known as placement or professional practice, is a student experience that applies academic learning in ‘real life’ situations, within industry or supported by an organisation. During this experience students can gain practical skills, develop competency and knowledge within their discipline.

Students may attend structured placement for a nominated time frame or partake in an internship to fulfil course related WIL requirements. An organisation may provide a project for a student group to work on. These opportunities, placements and projects can be linked with units of study and apply toward course credit.

Please contact our placement team at CEITE-placements@cdu.edu.au to discuss or plan becoming a host organisation for student placements or projects.

Engineering and environment careers fair for students

Each year the we host an employer careers’ expo focusing on engineering and environment graduate opportunities. Careers fair is attended by representers where government agencies, multinational companies, and local companies come to Casuarina campus and set up a space to showcase their employment opportunities.

This is an opportunity for the students close to graduating attend the expo, turning up with their CVs and liaise with industry about job opportunities. If you are interested, then contact us at CEITE-support@cdu.edu.au

Overseas based placement or WIL experience

The placement process for overseas based Engineering students is guided by - Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (teqsa.gov.au) 

'There is a myriad of potential risks in WIL. A higher education provider should assess and mitigate potential risks to the student experience before undertaking each arrangement. Developing good practice in WIL is also a dynamic field of educational research and practice, and TEQSA will not stand in the way of innovative arrangements, providing that they safeguard the quality of the student experience.’

Overseas based students have the below WIL options:

  • Placement undertaken as an independent arrangement between student and organisation, in accord with locally recognised standards. This may not be covered by CDU insurance. An in-depth assessment of all risk is required before approved by the Faculty.
  • Relevant work experience, paid or voluntary in the past two years.
  • Provision of an external project is allowed (where possible).
  • Work experience that can be observed by a Liaison Lecturer (where established).
  • Alternate activities as outlined in the unit of study. 
Professional practice manual engineering

Professional practice experience program has been developed under the policy of work integrated learning. The policy is intended to support the University’s aim of providing work integrated learning opportunities for its courses and to provide a systematic and comprehensive frame work for the development and operation. Work integrated learning is an intentional, organised, supervised and assessed educational activity that integrates theoretical learning with its applications in the placement.

Please follow the link to get all the general information about placement.

Professional practice manual engineering

Placements starter package for industries
  • Current insurance documents – expires during placement 2021. Operations team can help when updates needed.
  • Unit outlines for IPM300 and PRT501
  • Professional Experience Partnership Agreement
  • EA Stage 1 Competency Standard Professional Engineer
  • EA Stage 1 Competency Standard for Engineering Technologist
  • Alternate Activities outline
  • CEITE Student Agreement
  • Professional Practice Manual

IPM300 and PRT501 students are covered by university insurance during placement. Be sure to exchange insurance documents with organisation. Confirmed that coverage is current, not applied but secured as confirmation of organisations integrity. Store in InPlace.

Keys to finding placement – professional experience

Placement, what is it? 

  • Experience that enhances the development of the student and the placement oragnisation.
  • Opportunity to share knowledge, ideas, and learning.
  • Supports the purpose of this unit of study which is to help you become more career ready and more employable.
  • Face-to-face work experience.
  • Industry or community partnership.
  • Voluntary or unpaid.
  • Insurance coverage is extended by the University when arranged by the Placement Officer.

Other terms sometimes applied: Internship, cadetship or vacation program

Who provides the placement?

  • Government. Territory will have cadetships via DIPL.
  • Regional councils.
  • Large and small industry.
  • Consultancy.
  • Defence installations.
  • Community services.

Depending on personnel and resources organisations will offer 40 – 450 hours of placement.

When do placements start?

Traditionally placement is attended after semester during the break, December – March.

  • 14 weeks within this time frame allows 2 weeks break.  12 weeks experience is possible.
  • Full time workload
  • Some organisations offering to commence in October at part time 1 or 2 days/week, negotiated
  • Will not provide complete 450 hours

Placement can form all or part of the 450 hours of professional experience. Placement is the preferred mode of experience but not the only means to accumulating required hours.

Placement opportunities

Opportunities are sourced by the Placement Officer.

  • Offered only to students enrolled in IPM300- Industry Experience and PRT501- Professional Practice.
  • Promoted via the unit Announcements platform.
  • Will be voluntary unless stated otherwise.

 How to apply for a placement

  • Follow the guidance from Careers and Employability on resumes and cover letters.
  • Upload these into your Learnline assessments.
  • When a ‘Placement opportunity’ announcement appears advise the Placement Officer via the ceite-placements@cdu.edu.au  email of your interest, you may also attach a specific cover letter.

Apply within two weeksof the announcement.

  • Sign and upload the student agreement in the Assignments section of the unit.

What if I am not placed? Do I need placement?

Relevant work experience in the past 2 years can be applied towards your work report. If you intending to lodge your report in March 2022, review all your work-related experience back until March 2020.

Start now accumulating you’re your history of alternate activities. Do an inventory of episode you could reflect upon and plan more for the next six months.

Look for group activities / project to join or make a group that meets regularly.

Professional Experience Student Agreement

 The Charles Darwin University (CDU) Faculty of Science and Technology student must read, sign and return this agreement. The agreement will apply to units of study where professional experience, including field trips and work placement are undertaken. The agreement will be uploaded into your student record before professional experience can be organised or attended.

Professional Experience Student Agreement

Professional Experience Partnership Agreement

The purpose of this agreement is to clarify the expectations, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders to provide high quality professional experiences for Engineering students. Collaboration between key stakeholders, including the organisation, Charles Darwin University and the Engineering student is crucial to the success of the partnership and placement experience of the student.

Please follow the link to get the Professional Experience Partnership Agreement.

Professional Experience Partnership Agreement