Field Placement/Work Placement

A field placement/work placement is scheduled hours of activities intended to give students an intensive part-time/short term practical hands-on experience in the workplace and for which the students do not receive a regular salary or wage from the employer (CEWIL Canada, 2020; MTCU, 2007). According to MTCU (2007) this instructional setting is characterized by

• activities that are an integral component of the curriculum of the program and are necessary for the completion of the program, and
• activities in which college staff do not directly supervise students and for which college staff undertake one or more of the following activities:
  • o make periodic site visits,
  • o ensure that assignments given to students and the work being done by students are suitable for the program,
  • o monitor the students’ progress in the field placement activity,
  • o help address problems encountered by students in the field or work placement activity, and
  • o evaluate students’ performance in the field or work placement activity.

Field placements may not require supervision of a registered or licensed professional and the completed work experience hours are not required for professional certification (CEWIL Canada, 2020).

The Field/Work Placement is a mandatory requirement for completion of the program (i.e., the work/field placement cannot be optional unless students are able to access another optional and equivalent activity required for completion of the program).