All students have the right to an equitable process in securing their field placements. In order to give students the greatest opportunity for success, their suitability to be matched and allocated to an agency will be assessed and considered based on a range of factors including their qualifications, relevant work experience and timely submission of placement documentation. All placements are to be formally approved by the Field Placement Coordinator in writing.
Each program has placement documentation requirements that students must satisfy in order to be matched and allocated to a placement agency and/or permitted to continue in the placement process. Specific documentation may vary from program to program. Details of the program-specific placement process and documentation are referenced in the respective Field Experience Guides connected to that program and on the Blackboard site.
Since students may be matched based on a range of factors, meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee allocation to a placement agency, as students are competing with other students in the matching pool for opportunities. The allocation process is competitive and will be based on the students’ overall qualifications as expressed by the student and the availability of the agency. It is up to the discretion of the agency to accept or deny a student for an interview and/or placement once allocated or approved by the Field Placement Coordinator.
A professional resume is essential in securing a placement. Resumes may be used by the Field Placement Coordinator when matching students to their choices. To ensure quality and student success, resumes will be reviewed by FSCS Representatives for feedback. Improvements should be made and resumes submitted before the dates set out in the program specific Field Experience Guide and on Blackboard. Students submitting resumes late or that require improvements may delay receiving an allocation or entering the field for the semester. This delay may result in delaying placement and/or graduation as well as additional fees.
Students who are late in submitting their Placement Selections to the Placement Coordinator may still be eligible for placement, but will be part of the next round of allocations until all rounds are complete. For more information, please see the program Field Experience Guide and Blackboard site for important dates.
The FSCS has partnerships with a wide variety of agencies in the community, however, students can ask to search outside of these partnerships by following the Independent Search process as outlined in their program specific Field Experience Guide and on Blackboard. All potential placement opportunities are assessed by the Field Placement Coordinator to ensure that the expereince meets the required criteria for course learning.
Placement opportunities secured through the FSCS are unpaid. Students with existing employment (voluntary or paid) that meets the learning outcomes required by the course and program, may request to have this as a formal placement. Students will be asked to complete a Placement with Employer (Paid Placement) form together with their employer and submit to their Field Placement Coordinator for consideration and approval. Students should note that the employer will be required to sign all placement documentation (timesheets, evaluations etc.) as well as communicate with FSCS Representatives regarding performance as a placement student and not as a paid employee. Students who quit or are terminated from their employment may risk failing the placement course. In case of an accident or illness in the field, students attending paid placement will not be covered by the MTCU or Humber College, but rather, will be subject to the insurance process of their paid employer.
It is recommended that students contact the agency to which they have been allocated, however, should there be any concerns regarding the feasibility or safety of an allocated agency, students should notify and discuss with the Field Placement Coordinator as soon as possible. Field placements are intended to meet program learning goals and while the FSCS cannot guarantee that students will be allocated or secure a placement of their choosing, all field placements should meet the required criteria for program learning. Students that decline viable placement options will not be given an extension beyond the deadline and risk not entering the field until the following semester and is subject to change.
Agencies are not required to interview or accept students referred by the Placement Coordinator. Agencies may also expand or retract spots to host students without notice. Interviewing and hosting a student is made at the discretion of the agency. Students who have interviewed 3 times without receiving an offer will be required to work with Humber’s Career Centre before recommencing to interview.
Once students have interviewed and/or have been accepted by an agency to complete field hours, students will share this information with the Field Placement Coordinator by completing the survey link to Confirmation on Blackboard before the deadline to confirm. The Field Placement Coordinator will formally put arrangements in place between the College and agency once confirmation from the student is provided. The Field Placement Coordinator will articulate the start and end dates as well as the number of field hours each student will be completing with the Placement Employer. Confirming a placement is essential for all students and in particular for those on unpaid placement as it is needed for insurance purposes in the case of an accident of illness.
Students who miss the deadlines for submitting required pre-placement documents may not be allowed to enter the field until the following semester (or the next time the field course is available) and will have to reapply for updated documents. Students should consult with the Field Placement Coordinator to see what options are available.