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Student Placements
Each year the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre offers placements (internships) for students from universities, colleges and TAFEs, in a range of direct practice and research roles.
We place great value on the importance and significant contribution of students, as the ASRC was itself initiated by a class of community development students. Today, from a class project in 2001, the ASRC has grown to become the largest asylum seeker aid, health and advocacy organisation in Australia.
Please note that all placement positions for 2010 have been filled and we are not currently taking further applications for this year.
If you would like to undertake a placement in 2011, our next Student Placement Information Evening will be held on Tuesday November 2nd at 6.30pm. This evening is a compulsory step for all students seeking to undertake a placement at the ASRC.
Book now for our Student Placement Information Evening:
Date: Tuesday November 2nd
Time: 6:30-7:30 pm
Place: ASRC, 12 Batman St West Melbourne
Email: volunteers@asrc.org.au
At the Information Evening you will have the opportunity to hear more about us and the kinds of placements available. Attending the Information Evening is compulsory for anyone interested in completing a student placement at the ASRC.
About the ASRC
The ASRC has developed as a grass roots organisation and continues to adopt its unique policy of not refusing any people seeking asylum wanting our assistance. The ASRC was born out of a class project five years ago under the direction of Kon Karapanagiotidis, and today plays a vital role in Australia’s asylum seeker agency networks. For more information see our About Us pages.
Information for universities, colleges and TAFEs
The ASRC is a dynamic, predominantly volunteer run organisation, which offers a variety of services to meet the diverse needs of asylum seekers. It is important that prospective students are well aware of the incredible diversity and challenges, which can often arise when on placement in community based organisation of this size.
Students who generally achieve the most out of their placement at the ASRC are those who show initiative, are self-motivated, have had some experience in working with diverse groups of people and who hold a positive, mature outlook. As such, it is these attributes, which we are seeking when deciding upon placement applications. The ASRC appreciates your assistance in selecting only students you feel would meet these criteria to apply for placement.
Student supervision
Ensuring that students are well supported whilst on placement is very important to the ASRC.
The ASRC will provide support in terms of proper induction into the organisation, including orientation tours, project/program direction & guidelines, task supervision, opportunities for incident debrief. Where appropriate, we encourage peer supervision amongst students on placement together.
However at this time the ASRC is unfortunately unable to provide the formal supervision sessions required by some institutions. The main reason for this is that we simply do not have the resources to be able to provide the one-to-one time required for this.
The ASRC's paid staff are few, and many programs are staffed largely by volunteers, often by different volunteers each day of the week. A large component of the student’s placement will involve working side by side with volunteers.
Some institutions are able to provide external supervision which the ASRC would encourage as it is vital that students' learning goals be properly set and frequently referred to. The ASRC does want to be very clear that at this stage we are unfortunately unable to provide one-on-one formalised supervision sessions for students.
Placements offered
The ASRC is able to offer both “direct practice” and project placements. In reality, the nature of the ASRC sees the majority of placements involving a combination of some direct practice and some research/ project work. The type of placement offered will be dependent upon the placement vacancies at the time and upon the student’s skills and interests. Whilst students do require a good level of self-motivation and initiative, the ASRC will endeavour to match students with a program, task supervisor and project/ practice work which best suits the needs of both the student and the ASRC.
Opportunities depend on the varying needs of the organisation and differ greatly from year to year. Examples of placements offered in 2009:
- Employment Casework - assisting and mentoring asylum seekers in seeking employment
- Submission Writing - working with our Fundraising Coordinator, researching and practically working on submissions for funding
- Social and Recreation - researching and planning social events and programs for asylum seekers, in both their local area and at the ASRC.
The timeframe for conducting a placement will vary depending on your institution’s requirements. Generally, you need to be able to commit a minimum of two days per week at the ASRC while on placement. We prefer you conduct you placement in a block as much as possible, as this helps you in terms of continuity and provides a better opportunity to obtain a sound understanding of working in the daily context of a community-based NGO.
While students will be matched to particular programs dependent on the ASRC’s placement availability and the student’s learning needs, students may have the opportunity to experience a variety of tasks and roles across the organisation.
View the list of programs operating at the ASRC
How to apply
All students who are interested in doing a placement must attend the Student Placement Information Evening. Our next will be held on Tuesday November 2nd 2010 at 6.30 pm. Bookings are essential.
Please email volunteers@asrc.org.au to book a place at the Information Evening. You will receive confirmation and full details via email.