In preparation for a Year 11 SWL Opportunity work placement, Indy had attended a Northern Mallee LLEN Vocational Preparation and Transition Program (VPTP) Presentation on the SWL State-wide Portal and process for work placement. The SWL Portal presentation provides information on what is SWL, benefits of SWL, what students should aspire to achieve at a SWL work placement and the process to obtain a placement. The presentation includes a PowerPoint presentation on the SWL Portal and videos from the industry.
Indy was interviewed by NMLLEN staff to identify industry interests. Natika Mitselburg, NMLLEN, Project officer then matched Indy with Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Community Council (SMECC) as a host employer as it was identified that a community service opportunity would be beneficial for the Community Service subjects Indy was undertaking. Indy had a significant language barrier which was another reason SMECC was identified as a great host employer as they would be able to provide him the support while on placement. Indy was then able to navigate the SWL Portal to apply for the opportunity.
Indy attended an interview at SMECC in which he displayed a positive attitude. He was well supported through the process by the school, the employer, and Northern Mallee LLEN.

Indy attended his SWL and undertook a variety of job roles within the SMECC program. Some of these job roles were food warehouse, kitchen hand/chef support, English Café, playgroup and youth group that provided a variety of experiences and required a development of skills and meeting workplace expectations. A site visit was conducted by Nick Goodieson (MSC) and Natika Mitselburg (NMLLEN) during the placement where they had the opportunity to witness Indy assisting non-English speaking community members. This has provided Indy with confidence to move into further Community Service activities outside the school environment.

Student’s Comments- Indy Srisawat
Community service is my area of interests as I am passionate about helping the community. I also received support from my teachers Melissa Davies and Nick Goodieson at Mildura Senior College in submitting my SWL placement application. During the SWL program, I learnt to communicate and work as part of a team. I have also developed awareness about the community. There was some delay in the placement due to Covid-19 related restrictions, but I was supported well through my workplace to overcome these challenges. I have developed professional networks that I believe will help me in my career going forward. I plan to continue school after my SWL placement and highly recommend doing a SWL placement to other students.

Teacher’s Comments- Melissa Davies, Personal Development – Work related Community & Health, Mildura Senior College:
The SWL placement program provides opportunities for students to assess their areas of interests and assess capabilities within a range of work environments. The program also helps them to determine if joining the workforce or pursuing further studies is the way forward for them. To access SWL, students are put in touch with Nick Goodieson, Workplace Transition Coordinator, who collaborates with NMLLEN and supports students with the process of SWL placement. Indy was sufficiently supported through the process by Nick, the employer and NMLLEN.

Employer Comments- Joelle Brown, Manager, Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Community Council:
SMECC was approached by Natika from NMLLEN to assess if it was possible to host the students. The Program went well, Indy was involved in a variety of areas such as food hub, warehouse, kitchen support to our chef, English Café, play group & yard maintenance. We enjoyed having Indy as part of our team and our staff was supportive in mentoring Indy with new experiences and skills in a variety of roles and it was good to have some extra support in our workplace. NMLLEN and Mildura Senior College supported us through the process. Where possible, our organisation will continue to be involved in the Structured Workplace Learning Program.