Workplace Reflection

For my JOBSUP pre-vocational course in Electrotechnology I did work experience in

the holidays. I worked long 8 hour days instead of my normal 6 hours a day at school. I
found it much more tiring and physical, but I preferred this work to anything I have
done before and see it much like my casual job in many ways, but better as it was
much more interesting and I was learning new skills.
Many of the skills I had to use I did not know before, but I did use my OH&S.
The tradesman supplied me with all necessary PPE, but gave me a choice as to whether
I would use it or not. They did not wear the PPE. This put me in a strange position
because I wanted to be safe but it was not clear if they wanted me to be safe. I decided
to wear the PPE as I do not want to get injured but I saw tradesmen not wearing
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the kitchen was not cleaned up properly so I
was scratched with a nail hidden in a bit of wood. I found this strange, as even I knew
from JOBSUP that Occupational Health and Safety is important. But this was their
choice and they explained that they generally just cant be bothered. I also got to
incorporate my first aid learning into my work experience by finding out that the
first aid kits were behind the passenger's seat in the vans.
I was drilling holes in walls, chiselling and "chasing" holes down walls, and
putting C brackets on brick and gyprock walls. Feeding cables, clipping cables, taping
cables, installing junction boxes, gathering tools for the tradesman I had been assigned
to, and cleaning up after myself and other tradespeople working in the same area I had
been. It was tough to do some tasks that I had been given as I had no idea how to even
begin them. This made it kind of awkward as I would then have to ask the tradesmen to
show me how to perform the task, or get him to assign me to another task while he
completed that one. It made it awkward because, if the tradesmen were to show
me what was happening I was taking them away from the job they were doing and
therefore increasing the time spent at a single job.
It is important to be able to speak and write well. Time sheets about how
long they spent at a job, overtime rates, expenses and travel time all had to be
completed. Communication between the employer and employees was in the form of
job cards, which inform the employee about where they will be working on a certain
day and what sort of work they have to perform. The employer also often rings
during the day to see where they are up and to see if they have the time to go
to other jobs. The tradesmen I worked with also had to communicate with the
customers. A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) had to be filled out at the end of every
job and given to the employer. There are heavy consequences if work is not done
properly -fines up to $200 000 and/or instant stripping of one's electrical licence, as
work not done properly could end up with someone getting killed or seriously injured.
The manager told me, that sometimes job cards and time sheets are wrongly filled out
to give a person more hours or make it like they used less stock, which in turn means
less profit for the company and I thought this was wrong, the stock would have to be
checked a lot to make sure this doesnt happen and it probably explains why the
employer rings during the day, if I was the boss, I would be checking up on them.

Page 1 of 4

Knowledge and
Understanding
Shows clear
understanding and
well-informed
explanation of the
issue of OHS
relevant to the
workplace.

Knowledge and
Understanding
Shows
comprehensive
understanding at an
advanced level of
knowledge, skills
and competencies
in a specific industry
area.

Investigation and
Analysis
Demonstrates a
perceptive and wellinformed analysis of
the relationships
between a range of
work-related issues
and practices in the
workplace.

Stage 2 Workplace Practices student response for use from 2011

316550221.doc (September 2010
SACE Board of South Australia 2010

Over the period of work experience I felt part of both teams that 1 worked with.
When I got to know the tradesmen I worked with I felt much more comfortable in my
surroundings. I think they liked that I was prepared to try everything as well as talk
about footy and laugh. This is important as some days it was just me and one other
person all day. I made a few mistakes during my work experience, but no-one seemed
to get overly worked up about it, they would tell me what I did wrong or I would redo
what I didn't do the first time, this helped me to learn. Sometimes they even asked how
I had been taught to do some things. Everyone liked having an extra pair of hands
around to help with feeding cables, gathering tools out the work van and performing
other tasks with them. This work made me feel independent even though I was
working with a tradesman, it gave me a real sense of what life will be like after I
finish school.

Reflection and
Evaluation
Demonstrates
thorough and
insightful reflection
on the learning
experience with a
self-evaluation.

I liked the placement and I have seen a vast improvement in my knowledge of

electrical related and mechanical products. It is this hands on experience that has
vastly improved my knowledge and it has been much better than any classroom
knowledge I have gained as I am only learning easy stuff at the moment. According to
my mentors from the different Companies I performed most tasks satisfactorily and
was enthusiastic about my work. I could not perform some tasks as they were beyond
my knowledge and ability, but I now know what I have to learn if I want an
apprenticeship. The JOBSUP course I am doing can lead me to another certificate or
apprenticeship with either JOBSUP or another company. This is where I want to be in
12 months.

Page 2 of 4

Stage 2 Workplace Practices student response for use from 2011

316550221.doc (September 2010
SACE Board of South Australia 2010

Performance Standards for Stage 2 Workplace Practices

Knowledge and
Understanding

Application

Investigation and Analysis

Reflection and
Evaluation

Comprehensive understanding
at an advanced level of
knowledge, skills, and
competencies appropriate to
the relevant industry.

Highly proficient and innovative

application of a range of generic work
skills and, where relevant, extensive
industry knowledge in the workplace or a
work-related context.

Perceptive and well-informed

analysis of the relationships between
a range of work-related issues,
tasks, and practices in the
workplace.

Thorough and insightful

reflection on a range of
learning experiences
in/about an industry, with
in-depth self-evaluation.

Perceptive understanding and

insightful explanation of broad
concepts and issues related to
industry and work.

Perceptive application of highly relevant

knowledge and skills in the context of an
industry workplace.

Thorough, detailed, and wellinformed investigation of the

dynamic nature of a range of workrelated and workplace issues, tasks,
cultures, and/or environments locally,
nationally, and/or globally.

Well-informed understanding of
knowledge, skills, and
competencies appropriate to
the relevant industry.

Proficient application of a range of

generic work skills and, where relevant,
broad industry knowledge in the
workplace or a work-related context.

Well-informed analysis of the

relationships between a range of
work-related issues, tasks, and
practices in the workplace.

Clear understanding and wellinformed explanation of broad

concepts and issues related to
industry and work.

Well-considered application of relevant

knowledge and skills in the context of an
industry workplace.

Detailed and informed investigation

of the dynamic nature of a number of
work-related and workplace issues,
tasks, cultures, and/or environments
locally, nationally, and/or globally.

Informed understanding of
knowledge, skills, and
competencies appropriate to
the relevant industry.

Appropriate application of selected

generic work skills and, where relevant,
industry knowledge in the workplace or a
work-related context.

Informed analysis of the

relationships between a number of
work-related issues, tasks, and
practices in the workplace.

General understanding and

informed explanation of broad
concepts and issues related to
industry and work.

Considered application of most of the

relevant knowledge and skills in the
context of an industry workplace.

Informed investigation of the

dynamic nature of some work-related
and workplace issues, tasks,
cultures, and/or environments locally,
nationally, and/or globally.

Recognition of knowledge,
skills, and/or competencies
appropriate to the relevant
industry.

Attempted application of selected generic

work skills or, where relevant, some
industry knowledge in the workplace or a
work-related context.

Description of the relationship

between some aspects of workrelated issues, tasks, or practices in
the workplace.

Some understanding and

description of aspects of broad
concepts and issues related to
industry or work.

Attempted application of some

knowledge and skills in the context of an
industry workplace.

Attempted investigation of some

aspects of the nature of work-related
and/or workplace issues, tasks,
cultures, or environments.

Limited recognition of
knowledge, skills, or
competencies appropriate to
the relevant industry.

Attempted application of one or more

generic work skills or, where relevant,
limited industry knowledge in the
workplace or a work-related context.

Recall of some aspects of

broad concepts or issues
related to industry or work.

Identification of limited knowledge and

skills in the context of an industry
workplace.

Where VET is included, units of

competency must have been
successfully achieved; the student must
have demonstrated competency as
assessed by the relevant RTO.

Where VET is included, units of

competency must have been
successfully achieved; the student must
have demonstrated competency as
assessed by the relevant RTO.

Where VET is included, units of

competency may have been successfully
achieved; the student may have
demonstrated competency as assessed
by the relevant RTO.

Where VET is included, units of

competency may have been successfully
achieved; the student may have
demonstrated aspects of competency as
assessed by the relevant RTO.

Identification and attempted

description of one or more workrelated issues.

Detailed and considered

reflection on a number of
learning experiences
in/about an industry, with
some in-depth selfevaluation.

Some considered
reflection on learning
experiences in/about an
industry, with some selfevaluation.

Some reflective
description and
attempted evaluation of
learning experiences
in/about an industry.

Recall of some learning

experiences in/about an
industry.

Emerging recognition of one or more

aspects of the nature of work-related
or workplace issues or
environments.

Where VET is included, units of

competency may have been successfully
achieved; the student may have
demonstrated limited aspects of
competency as assessed by the relevant
RTO.
Page 3 of 4

Stage 2 Workplace Practices student response for use from 2011

316550221.doc (September 2010
SACE Board of South Australia 2010

Page 4 of 4

Stage 2 Workplace Practices student response for use from 2011

316550221.doc (September 2010
SACE Board of South Australia 2010