May 26, 2025 5 min read

Thinking of Hosting a CET Student? Your Questions Answered.

Hosting a College of Electrical Training (CET) student is a practical way to nurture tomorrow’s electrical workforce while adding an extra set of capable hands to your team. Below is a concise guide to the most common questions prospective host employers ask.

What’s the purpose of student work placement?

Work placement lets learners apply the skills and knowledge gained at CET in a real workplace, complete mandatory course hours, and gain a first-hand understanding of industry expectations. For hosts, it is a low-risk way to preview future talent and contribute to the profession’s pipeline.

What are my responsibilities as a host?

Provide a safe working environment and site induction.
Allocate meaningful, course-related tasks.
Nominate a qualified electrician or competent supervisor.
Sign the student’s logbook and give constructive feedback.
Alert CET promptly if concerns arise.

How long is the placement?

Most CET placements run for four weeks (about 160 hours). The exact schedule is agreed in advance to suit your workload and the student’s course requirements.

Is the student insured?

The schools are to ensure that they have the appropriate insurance cover for the activities planned to be undertaken by the students in the agreed program. A copy of the insurance certificates is provided to CET prior to commencing the relevant programs.

CET is required to have minimum $20 million public liability cover for the activities planned to be undertaken by the students in the agreed program. A copy of the insurance certificate is to be provided to the Regional Offices and will be available from them prior to commencing the relevant programs.

The school insurance, provided by the Department of Education, is for the personal injury coverage of the student.

The host employer will cover the public liability insurance for their business operations. CET will retain a copy of any certificates from host employer. If an employer provides their insurance details to the school, the school will need to forward a copy of the insurance to CET.

CET provides instructions on injury management and reporting of incidents to the host employer.

Do I need to pay them?

No. Under Fair Work rules, accredited “vocational placements” are unpaid because they are a formal part of the qualification. You may, however, reimburse travel or meal costs if you wish.

What supervision is required?

Students must be directly supervised whenever they handle tools, equipment or undertake licensed electrical tasks. A ratio of 1 supervisor to 1 student (or small group) is recommended to keep mentoring effective and safe.

What tasks can the student do?

Suitable activities include:

Assisting with cable pulling, mounting fixtures, and tool maintenance.
Observing testing and fault-finding.
Completing paperwork.

Not permitted: live work, isolation sign-off, tasks at height without the relevant ticket, or work outside their competency.

What support will I receive?

A CET Work Placement Co-ordinator will:

Provide a placement agreement, induction checklist and logbook.
Be on call for advice.
Conduct a courtesy phone call or visit during longer placements.

What if it’s not working out?

Contact CET immediately. We can mediate, adjust duties, or end the placement early if necessary—protecting both your business and the learner’s wellbeing.