Community development industry placement

Community Development industry placements are undertaken concurrently with university academic studies so that students can reflect on their practice and continue to consider how theory and practice interconnect.

This model provides students with ongoing contact and support from the university for the duration of their placement.

Practical information

Placement hours

Students must undertake 400 hours of placement in the Community Development course, structured as two placements each of 200 hours, competed in the second and third year of the course.

Placement can occur at any time throughout a given academic year dependent on host organisation needs and student availability. Students negotiate their placement schedule with the workplace supervisor.

Placement activities

While on placement, students will engage in a range of programs or project based work. The nature of placement projects and learning will be negotiated between the student and the host organisation and should fit in with the student’s level of competence and confidence while being of benefit to the organisation.

While placement is focused on students learning practical skills for future employment, they also provide valuable and meaningful contributions to the organisations they are placed within. A student can bring different perspectives and fresh ideas to an organisation and contribute in a material way to its programs, services and resources.

About the placements

Throughout the industry placement units, students in the Bachelor of Community Development course will have an opportunity to gain practical experience by working with:

non-government organisations (NGOs)
non-profit organisations (NFPs)
community groups
local and state government
community campaigns
social enterprises
education providers.

: In the second year of their course, students focus on developing skills for engaging with diverse people and community groups. As this is often the first industry experience students have had, the placement aim is to expand their knowledge of the community sector to further understand industry practice.

The second year placement outcomes can be achieved via multiple placement experiences.

Past placements in second year have included the following types of work:

engaging in community groups/programs

surveying community members

planning and developing a campaign and/or community event

Climate change activism.
: In third year, students enhance the skills and knowledge previously developed, requiring them to exercise a higher degree of autonomy and responsibility.
In this industry placement students complete 200 hours in the one organisation.
The priority is to have students involved in a placement that further develops their professional practice and engagement within the sector. This is a final year placement and, as such, the work completed will reflect the level of expertise that students are rapidly developing within their academic studies.
There is a wide variety of work / projects that students can be involved in while on placement, in negotiation with their agency supervisor.
Past placements in third year have included the following types of work:
evaluation of community-based programs or activities
community consultation/needs analysis
documentation of a program model and its impact on the participants
development and implementation of community education programs
NDIS accreditation
development of organisation training programs

International Industry Placement

Community Development students have the opportunity to achieve one of their industry placement experiences overseas.

Victoria University offers a variety of funding options to support experiences abroad.

Previous international placement experiences have included:

study tours (VU and external providers)
exchange programs
community aid/education providers.

Students can discuss options with their placement partnerships officer.

Industry Placement Process

Student selection

The Community Development Partnerships Officer will preselect and match students with organisations based on the student’s interests, unit learning outcomes and partner organisation requirements. Once a match has been identified, the student is informed and will be expected to contact the host organisation and arrange a placement interview.

Placement interview

The placement interview is a chance for the host organisation’s supervisor to meet with student candidates and discuss details about the organisation and the placement opportunity.

The interview might include:

discussion of the organisation’s services
programs and service users
project ideas or research topics
placement expectations
commencement dates and suitable days and times for the placement.

Students are expected to view this as a professional job interview and present their current resume and Working with Children Check/National Police Check (where applicable).

Community Development students on placement overseas.

3 young adults pose on a beach with group of Polynesian kids, smiling

VU stories

How Annie found a new career serving communities

Bachelor of Community Development

"The job from placement was instrumental in my learning success. I developed some amazing connections and am still growing and flourishing in that role."

Annie's story