Role of Supervisor in Work Experience

What is the role of the work experience supervisor?

The role of the work experience supervisor is to aid the student’s learning by providing opportunities for students to:

• experience the routines, procedures and dynamics commonly found in offices in which legal services are provided
• have contact with and responsibility to clients of the work experience placement, and
• have experience in the process of becoming a professional

The role of the supervisor has many aspects. It extends beyond supervision to include coaching, counselling, monitoring, delegation and appraisal.

Supervisors provide much of the student’s practical training and their importance in ensuring the successful completion of the student's work experience should not be underestimated. The lessons learned from a good supervisor will last throughout a student’s career. If a student finds the work completed during their work experience to be rewarding, it will develop competence and they are likely to remain motivated and loyal to the firm or organisation and make a positive contribution to its future. A student will learn little if their work is not properly supervised.

To help develop the student's skills, a supervisor should:

• provide opportunities to observe and review the exercise of professional skills by experienced practitioners
• give feedback and guidance on work
• provide any necessary support, and
• give opportunities to discuss problems

We suggest that supervisors:

• give work and tasks that are well defined
• give clear instructions and check that they have been understood
• provide sufficient factual background
• suggest available office or library reference materials
• provide a realistic framework for completion of work tasks
• answer questions which arise
• assign tasks and work with an increasing degree of difficulty
• ensure there is enough but not too much work
• provide a balance of work across substantive and procedural areas
• provide work which requires the use of a range of different skills
• create an environment where a student feels comfortable about asking questions
• encourage proposed solutions, even though these may not be correct
• provide regular guidance and feedback on performance
• ensure that achievements and improvements are recognised and praised
• ensure that aspects of performance which require improvement are thoroughly discussed, and
• encourage self-development

The role of a supervisor is not to assess whether or not the student has satisfactorily completed the work experience. However, a supervisor may have a role in appraising performance, if the workplace has a system of performance appraisal.

What is the role of the academic supervisor?

Each student may request access to an academic supervisor at The College of Law. The role of your academic supervisor is to provide you with any necessary support and to assist you in completing the objectives of your work experience. Your academic supervisor will deal with any queries or difficulties that you encounter. 

What are the Award Rates for the Work Experience Placement?

There are individual State Award Rates asserting that employers must provide certain work conditions and rates of pay for Legal Clerical and Clerical Administration positions. For more information, please see: Fair Work Website