Get a taste of the industry
Work experience helps you to see the many roles in construction, understand how the industry works, and shape your thinking about your choices and next steps towards a successful career.
What is work experience?
With over 70 different careers in construction, how can you get an idea of what it’s like to work in the industry and pick the career that’s right for you?
That’s where work experience comes in!
Work experience is a great way to get practical experience, develop new skills, talk to construction professionals, and understand what your career might look like.
Here's what you need to know
- Work experience is a short-term arrangement that lets you get a taste of different jobs in the construction industry. It’s a great way to explore which jobs you enjoy, different types of work and workplaces, and understand what your career might look like.
- You’ll work alongside construction professionals and learn about their day-to-day life in the job – you might even get on the tools and learn a few skills!
- You can do work experience across many areas of construction, including on-site jobs like carpentry and electrical work, or office-based work like construction or project management.
- Work experience can vary depending on the arrangement, but generally lasts from one to two weeks, with a maximum limit of 30 days per year for school students.
- Work experience arrangements are usually unpaid, but there may be paid work experience opportunities available for people who aren’t in school anymore, depending on the work experience provider. Work experience for school students must be unpaid.
- Work experience placements are different to vocational placements, which are work experience arrangements that are required as part of Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses (e.g. a hairdresser who is required to get experience in a salon as part of their studies).
Am I eligible for a work experience opportunity?
The eligibility requirements are slightly different between school students and people who have left school.
School students
If you don't attend school
To be eligible for work experience you must be at least 14 years old. Work experience arrangements will be arranged between the school and work experience provider (as per the Queensland Government Work Experience Requirements) and this can be slightly different between schools, so it’s best to chat to your school’s career counsellor to find out which requirements apply to you.
Work experience isn’t just for school students – you can still participate in work experience once you have left, but your arrangement will need to be arranged privately through a work experience provider who is willing to take you on. The arrangement, including whether you will be paid or unpaid, will be negotiated directly between you and a provider.
Work experience is a great way to get practical experience, develop new skills, talk to construction professionals, and understand what your career might look like.