chevy101

Hi, my son is studying BA in Business Management in Nottingham and part of his course requires a 1 yr work placement. He wants to go to Melbourne (we have some family there he can stay with). Has anyone any ideas on how to find a work placement for a uni student? Any ideas of businesses to contact?
Any help would be great!

Thanks

A worried mum!

Dorothy

Will he have a valid visa which allows him to work in Australia? I think it's going to be a little difficult to find a company willing to sponsor a student for a year's placement. And, if he comes on a working holiday visa he can only work for an employer for 6 months and then has to move on.

Bermudashorts

Yes I was thinking along the same lines as Dorothy. Unless he has a visa or a passport, I cannot see how this is going to work. I have never heard of a visa for a situation like this.

Has he asked his university whether they know of any previous students that have done this and if so how (from a visa perspective)?

ozhappy981

If he wants to work up to one year for a company/organisation, then I think the only option is the 416 visa. I know of someone who did this and worked for a large hotel in Cairns.

You will need to find an employer who is an approved special program sponsor - and I doubt there are many around.

You can read about the visa here: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/specialist-entry/416/
(There is a section on how a company/organisation can become a special program sponsor.)

If you google "416 visa", you'll get a hit of companies offering to place 416 visa holders in "internships". Here is an example: http://www.internshipaustralia.com.a...l-information/
But their "internships" are unpaid and only for 26 weeks ... whole thing sounds like a rip off to me.

As BS has said, I would start asking at the university about previous students who have done this. It may also be worthwhile contacting DIAC and asking if they have a list of companies/organisations who have Special Program approval for the 416 visa. If you can get a list, your son can then contact those organisations to see if one will take him.

Weebie

It depends on the line of work. Many Doctors from the UK do 1 year placements in Australia. 1 year placement in Australia in a business field I imagine would be tricky. It is possible to do 4-6 month stints though.

Check google there are websites which place students in Australia on internships.

Juliecabs

Has your son checked whether his Uni does any sort of exchange programme with other uni's around the world?
My youngest daughter is at Uni in London studying Journalism, and she has the opportunity to go to Melbourne next January until Easter. She had the choice of many uni's in either Australia, USA, Canada, Singapore or Europe but chose Melbourne as my brother and his family live there and her brother will be there by then too.
Apparently the uni sort out the visa etc although she has to pay for her flight.
Might be worth him asking his tutors if his uni do anything similar.

Julie. x

chevy101

Yes he will have a working visa.

chevy101

Hi, this will be the first time a student has taken a placement overseas so his tutors can't really offer any help - bar to say he can go if they approve the company.

chevy101

I found a company online who will place him for 6 months in an unpaid internship and he can do 2 of those if he wants, but there fee is quite high and I can only seem to find that one company. I thought there would have been more to choose from? Trying to see if anyone has used an agent / company before and if they could recommend them.

chevy101

He has the visa sorted -thanks. Just trying to find companies who place interns for up to one year.

chevy101

We have visa sorted out thanks.

balkanghost

We work with an approved internship company who ask a placement fee but very professional, some are dodgy (& someone has to do the work to find placement....).

Hospitality placements are paid, professional are unpaid, but not unknown for companies to pay something eventually if intern is good, shows potential etc after sometime.... same for local students ex. health/medical where shortages exist.... like hospitality....

Dorothy

I'm just curious what visa he has sorted out that will allow him to work for a year.

moneypenny20

Which working visa? If it's a WHV he can only work at one place for up to six months. No company is allowed to employ him for a year so you won't find one. I'm very surprised if Nottingham haven't done international placements before.

HelenTD

There are intern programmes available that might be able to help, some examples, but you need to search for more: http://www.professionalpathwaysaustr...Australia.html

http://www.internabroad.com/search/a...ships-abroad-1

http://www.australia-internship.net/...hip-australia/