End Unpaid Placements for Community Services Degrees

Imagine putting in nearly a third of a year's worth of full-time work and not getting paid for it.

That's the reality for students or workers undertaking Community Services Degrees who are required to complete 1,000 hours of unpaid placements.

It’s time that changed.

We believe all work in the industry should be paid, including for students completing 1,000 hours of compulsory work placements.

All work placements for study should be paid so that the student workers receive the same employment standards as all other workers.

Apprentices are paid for their work. So why not student social workers?

We are calling on the Federal Government to:

• fund organisations that take students on through placements, to pay them for their work at the minimum industry rate;
• create employment relationships between organisations and students to create better pathways to careers in the sector; and
• ensure education providers and placement agencies pay social work at the minimum industry rate

The ASU is committed to fighting for fair pay and conditions, and this issue is no exception. Just like apprentices in other fields, social work students or workers who are upskilling deserve to be paid for their work.

We’re delivering this petition to Minister of Education, Jason Clare, and Minister of Social Services, Amanda Rishworth. Your signature could make all the difference.

Sign the petition here https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/end-unpaid-placements-for-social-work