Feature	Vocational Placement	Work Experience / Voluntary Internship
Is it Lawfully Unpaid?	Yes. Explicitly exempt from minimum wage laws under the Fair Work Act.	Only if it is strictly observational. If you do productive work, you must be paid.
Academic Requirement	Mandatory. Must be required to pass a unit or graduate.	Optional. Initiated by the student for personal career progression.
Student Visa Impact	Completely Exempt. Hours do not count toward the 48-hour fortnightly cap.	Counts Toward Cap. Active hours count directly toward the strict 48-hour limit.
Required Paperwork	Institutional Tripartite Agreement + Course Syllabus block.	Informal agreement or a standard casual employment contract.
Primary Beneficiary	The Student (via structured learning, assessment, and credit).	The Business (if the student is performing daily operational duties).

Feature	Vocational Placement	Work Experience / Voluntary Internship
Is it Lawfully Unpaid?	Yes. Explicitly exempt from minimum wage laws under the Fair Work Act.	Only if it is strictly observational. If you do productive work, you must be paid.
Academic Requirement	Mandatory. Must be required to pass a unit or graduate.	Optional. Initiated by the student for personal career progression.
Student Visa Impact	Completely Exempt. Hours do not count toward the 48-hour fortnightly cap.	Counts Toward Cap. Active hours count directly toward the strict 48-hour limit.
Required Paperwork	Institutional Tripartite Agreement + Course Syllabus block.	Informal agreement or a standard casual employment contract.
Primary Beneficiary	The Student (via structured learning, assessment, and credit).	The Business (if the student is performing daily operational duties).

Feature	Vocational Placement	Work Experience / Voluntary Internship
Is it Lawfully Unpaid?	Yes. Explicitly exempt from minimum wage laws under the Fair Work Act.	Only if it is strictly observational. If you do productive work, you must be paid.
Academic Requirement	Mandatory. Must be required to pass a unit or graduate.	Optional. Initiated by the student for personal career progression.
Student Visa Impact	Completely Exempt. Hours do not count toward the 48-hour fortnightly cap.	Counts Toward Cap. Active hours count directly toward the strict 48-hour limit.
Required Paperwork	Institutional Tripartite Agreement + Course Syllabus block.	Informal agreement or a standard casual employment contract.
Primary Beneficiary	The Student (via structured learning, assessment, and credit).	The Business (if the student is performing daily operational duties).

Feature	Vocational Placement	Work Experience / Voluntary Internship
Is it Lawfully Unpaid?	Yes. Explicitly exempt from minimum wage laws under the Fair Work Act.	Only if it is strictly observational. If you do productive work, you must be paid.
Academic Requirement	Mandatory. Must be required to pass a unit or graduate.	Optional. Initiated by the student for personal career progression.
Student Visa Impact	Completely Exempt. Hours do not count toward the 48-hour fortnightly cap.	Counts Toward Cap. Active hours count directly toward the strict 48-hour limit.
Required Paperwork	Institutional Tripartite Agreement + Course Syllabus block.	Informal agreement or a standard casual employment contract.
Primary Beneficiary	The Student (via structured learning, assessment, and credit).	The Business (if the student is performing daily operational duties).