ACTU Worksite for teachers

Join our teachers' email list

ACTU Worksite for Schools is designed for Year 9 and 10 students across Australia. The site has recently been fully revised to include the new workplace laws that took effect from 1 July 2009.

The site has three key themes:

1. Getting the most out of work experience

Most students will be involved in structured work experience programs during Years 9 or 10 (or later). Worksite has a simple work experience diary that guides students through some of the key questions they may encounter during their work experience. The simple double sided A4 sheet guides students though important topics like pay rates, safety, leave and training, and encourages them to ask questions in their workplace.

2. What students need to know about work before starting their first job

Starting your first job is an important step in every young person’s life. Whether it is a casual job at the local supermarket, an apprenticeship or a graduate position – there are many ‘rules’ about work that students starting their first jobs will benefit from knowing. Worksite has simple fact sheets for job seekers about three important topics:

Getting the right pay
Knowing your rights
Being safe and smart in the workplace

3. Understanding the role of unions in shaping the working life of Australians

Unions have played an important role in shaping Australia and the way we work. Working hours, workplace safety, equal opportunity and better wages are all part of the union story. Worksite has fact sheets on the many aspects of daily working life that have changed due to union efforts, and are now seen as basic working rights.

Curriculum links

Worksite has been designed to be practical and relevant to Australian teachers delivering the following curriculum:

NSW: Education Years 7–10 Syllabus
QLD: Year 10 history, businesses and career learning areas
VIC: VELS Level 6

Assignment help

We welcome feedback and suggestions from teachers about fact sheets or assignment help topics.

Click here to go to make a suggestion

Worksite provides a personal answer to all questions from secondary students about work experience, first jobs, and unions. Most responses will direct students to information within Worksite; however when necessary we happily refer students to more specialist information sources.

For example, were the student to ask a question about a current workplace issue, such as being underpaid, we refer them to ACTU Workers Helpline on 1300 486 466. The ACTU Workers Helpline website is http://www.unionsaustralia.com.au/help.aspx

Incursions for schools

A number of state based union councils can organise incursions or speakers about unions or workplace issues. Their contact details are:

QLD: Queensland Council of Unions (07) 3846 2468
ACT: Unions ACT (02) 6247 7844
NSW: Unions NSW (02) 9881 5999
NT: Unions NT (08) 8941 0001
TAS: Unions Tasmania (03) 6234 9553
SA: SA Unions (08) 8279 2222
WA: Unions WA (08) 9328 7877
VIC: Victorian Trades Hall Council (03) 9659 3511