What to do when work placement doesn't work out?

[Kirst79]

Hello, I am new to this site so I hope that I am in the right area to ask this question.

It's a little hard to explain but here it goes. I am currently studying Cert 3 in Children's Services. I am doing it through a training company. The trainers are from a childcare centre and there are several scattered around the southern side of Adelaide. I live in the northern suburbs and find it quite hard and costly to go to their closest centre to me.

The time scale for work placement has been divided up into 2 weeks fulltime work placement (1 week I have already completed and the next one due in April) There are quite a few students in my class that are able to regularly visit and/or working at their childcare centres while studying. (I hope this makes sense so far).

My problem is, I am unable to regularly visit the closest centre to help with this course (above the allocated week placement) as it takes me an hour to get there and I have a child at school and I can't afford to put him into OSHC and I feel that it is unfair to drop him at a friends house too early and expect more from their generosity of taking him to school.

I have spoken to my trainer about getting work experience at another centre that is closer to where I live. She said that was fine as long as I do the last week of placement at their centre.

Now here is the real stumbling block, I did approach a childcare centre today to ask for work experience.
Their issue with me was that I didn't know how many hours of work experience I needed and what sheets they needed to sign off.
I am not really asking for them to fill out anything or record the hours I am there. All I really need is the experience of being in a childcare environment and for it to help me with my assignments.

Should I ask for volunteer work or work placement?

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you

[Lorina]

Since you are a student you will need to ask for work placement, not volunteer work (although it's practically the same thing without documentation...LOL).

You will just have to confirm with your training company the amount of hours you will have to complete during your work placement as well as the documentation you will need to complete.

When searching for a centre for work placement, most centres you approach already have an understanding of what it requires to take on a work placement student. For e.g. signing off on documentation, assisting you with information, allowing you to observe children etc. They just need the details from you and your training company and then they should be able to take you on board.

Hope this helps,

,
L.A

[Kirst79]

Hi and thank you, it does really matter to know what you are asking for.
I don't need them to signoff on anything or help me meet hours requirements. I am really looking for an opportunity for personal work experience and an opportunity to gain more knowledge to complete assignments. I will still do the work experience at the centre that I have been assigned to and that will meet the hours requirements and the signoffs.
So now I know I need to ask for volunteer work instead of work experience.
Thanks again