CRITICAL REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS DERIVED FROM PROVIDING OVER 20,000 HOURS OF PRACTICUM INDUSTRY PLACEMENTS FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS IN EXERCISE SCIENCE, SPORT AND FITNESS

Oct 15, 2026

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More than 30 of Australia’s universities provide exercise science and/or sport science degree programs, while in VET more than 160 registered training organisations deliver government-approved fitness training courses. Based on mentoring placement students across multiple VET providers and combining reflections with hours from healthy population placements, the work evaluates over 200 students and 20,000+ supervision hours. Placements were conducted over seven years, with many participants drawn from the prior 36 months. Actionable recommendations are proposed for health, fitness, and exercise and sport science, and may inform industry mentorship across disciplines.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Article History

Abstract

Introduction

Asian Journal of Contemporary Education DOI: 10.18488/journal.137.2018.22.53.59 Vol. 2, No. 2, 53-59 © 2018 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved. [URL:](URL: www.aessweb.com)[ ](URL: www.aessweb.com)[www.aessweb.com](URL: www.aessweb.com) CRITICAL REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS DERIVED FROM PROVIDING OVER 20,000 HOURS OF PRACTICUM INDUSTRY PLACEMENTS FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS IN EXERCISE SCIENCE, SPORT AND FITNESS Joe Walsh 1+ Tom Walsh2 Ian Timothy Heazlewood3 Mike Climtein4 Article History Received: 25 April 2018 Revised: 18 May 2018 Accepted: 21 May 2018 Published: 23 May 2018 Keywords Student supervision Practical placement Vocational education and training Workplace learning. 1,3 Charles Darwin University, Australia 2 The University of Sydney, Australia 4 School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University; Exercise Health & Performance Faculty Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences The University of Sydney; Water Based Research Unit, Bond University, Australia (+ Corresponding author) ABSTRACT More than 30 of the 43 universities in Australia offer an exercise science and/or sport science degree programs. In the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, more than 160 Registered Training Organisations offer Australian Government approved fitness training courses. The paper is a self-reflective exercise based upon mentoring placement students from multiple registered course providers from the VET sector fitness strand. Combined with reflection on apparently healthy general population hours for placement students from six Sydney city and one regional New South Wales based universities this represented evaluation of more than 200 students and more than 20,000 placement supervision hours. This observation was based upon student placements conducted over the previous seven years, though a significant proportion of the students surveilled were from the previous 36 months. A number of recommendations were developed that may be relevant not just for health, fitness and exercise and sport science courses, but also may be relevant to industry mentorship across a range of fields. 1. INTRODUCTION The paper is based upon the researchers’ experiences and critical self-reflections in conducting workplace learning practicums for students. This draws upon experience gained mentoring industry placement/work experience students in fitness courses, including exercise and sports science courses over a number of years. Such students included those from Vocational Education and Training (VET) based courses, as well as those from the university sector. It is hoped that evaluation of the discussion experience gained from providing such a service, together with a combination of practical recommendations for supervisors considering offering workplace learning or continuing to do so, may be of interest to the mentors both within the fields of health and fitness, as well as to practitioners in other disciplines that can relate to similar practical issues. As well as approaching topics relevant to multiple disciplines engaging in mentoring across education and science, this report also includes specific comments to VET and university sector education providers. These comments may be of broader interest to other international organizations and associations offering workplace leaning services in terms of their position in relation to such education providers and the perception as well as recognition of the service that they offer. Different universities require a varying number of placement hours from their students, which are typically split hours across multiple placement facilities. VET and university placement supervisor instructions and websites indicate the hours required in a placement program at a particular facility may range from 60hours to more than 150hours. There are also guidelines for practical placement hours in order to meet professional body accreditation, outside

FAQs

What data and scope does the paper use for its evaluation?

The evaluation is based on mentoring placement students across multiple VET fitness providers and reflection on placement hours from universities in Sydney and regional New South Wales. It covers over 200 students and more than 20,000 supervision hours.

Which education sectors and providers are involved?

The discussion draws on both the VET sector (multiple registered course providers delivering fitness training) and university sector programs, using mentors and placement supervisors from participating institutions.

What kind of outcomes does the paper develop?

The paper develops a set of recommendations relevant not only to health, fitness, and exercise and sport science courses, but also potentially applicable to broader industry mentorship in other fields.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Dipper