Build skills. Make a difference. Understand your community.

Student placements in Community Information and Support services offer a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in the community sector.

Students are exposed to a broad range of issues — from financial stress and housing challenges to family violence, wellbeing and social connection — while working alongside experienced staff and volunteers who are deeply connected to their local communities.

Placements can help students build practical skills, understand service systems and see the vital role of place-based support in action.

A valuable pathway into the community sector

Community Information and Support services play a vital role in supporting people facing complex and intersecting challenges.

Student placements help to:

• Build the future community services workforce
• Strengthen local services
• Support better outcomes for the communities we serve
• Give students practical, real-world learning opportunities

With the right preparation and expectations, a placement in this sector can be a meaningful and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

On this page

On this page, you will find information about:

• Important information about student placements
• What to expect when seeking a placement
• What you may learn during a placement
• Placement availability
• How to find a student placement
• Find a local service
• RMIT Social Work Placements
• For education providers

Important information about student placements

CISVic is the peak body for Community Information and Support services in Victoria. We do not directly coordinate or allocate student placements, except through specific partnership programs such as the RMIT Social Work Placement Program.

Placement opportunities may be available through individual CISVic member agencies, who make their own decisions about hosting students based on their capacity, service demand, supervision arrangements and local priorities.

Students who need to organise their own placement are responsible for contacting services directly.

What to expect when seeking a placement

Community Information and Support services vary significantly in size, structure and capacity. As a result:

• Some services offer student placements, while others may not
• Placement availability changes throughout the year
• Opportunities may exist across Certificate, Diploma and Degree-level courses
• Not all services have capacity to host students at all times — and some may not offer placements at all

Students should expect to contact multiple services and may need to be flexible with timing, location and placement requirements.

What you may learn during a placement

Placements in Community Information and Support services provide a broad and practical foundation in community sector work.

Depending on the service, students may gain experience in:

• Information and referral
• Intake and assessment
• Emergency relief and financial assistance
• Client advocacy and case support
• Community programs and outreach
• Working with diverse individuals and families
• Understanding local service systems and pathways

Students will also develop core professional skills such as communication, empathy, problem solving and ethical practice, in line with their learning objectives.

Placement availability

Placement opportunities depend on each organisation’s:

• Staffing and supervision capacity
• Service demand
• Available resources
• Current programs and priorities

Availability can be limited and may not align with course timelines. Early planning and proactive outreach are strongly recommended.

How to find a student placement

If you need to organise your own placement:

1. Identify Community Information and Support services in your preferred area
2. Review their websites to understand their programs and services
3. Contact services directly to ask whether they are accepting students
4. Provide clear information about your course, placement requirements, availability and supervision needs

Approaching services professionally and respectfully will improve your chances of securing a placement.

Find a local service

Use our directory to identify services in your area and contact them directly about student placement opportunities.

Local Support Services Victoria | CISVic

RMIT Social Work Placements

CISVic has an established partnership with the RMIT School of Social Work, supporting structured placement opportunities within selected member agencies and CISVic-operated services. Through this partnership, eligible RMIT social work students are placed with an agency where they are supported by an experienced staff member as their task supervisor. CISVic provides professional social work supervision through a Field Educator. These placements provide high-quality learning opportunities within services that respond to a wide range of community needs.

This partnership applies only to eligible RMIT social work students. These placements are not available to students from other institutions.

Click this link to access the Fact Sheet

For education providers

CISVic does not coordinate placements on behalf of member agencies outside of specific partnership arrangements. CISVic and its branches will only accept students from Universities and TAFEs. We do not accept students from private training organisations.

Education providers are encouraged to support students to:

• Identify relevant services
• Understand placement expectations
• Prepare professional enquiries
• Contact agencies directly