Frequently Asked Questions
A student on placement is a person who is registered in a program that requires course-related hours to be completed before they can successfully complete the program and graduate.
All placements are arranged through Volunteer Services at the PLASP Head Office.
The required hours are most often determined by your course requirements.
PLASP provides opportunities for students in placement opportunities in:
- PLASP Head Office
- PLASP Before and After School Programs
- EarlyON Centres
- Early Learning and Child Care Centre Programs
A registered ECE staff member in the centre will be your on-the-job supervisor. Each year, PLASP staff supervise many students on placement. They also draw on the experiences they have had when they were students themselves.
Typically, you will have a half-hour or a one-hour lunch break, which will be assigned to you by your supervisor. Remember that all shifts and breaks are determined by the attendance patterns of the children, which in turn determines the schedule of both you and your supervisor.
Talk to your supervisor first. If you prefer to speak with someone else, please speak with:
- The placement supervisor from your school
- The Program Director
- Staff in the Volunteer Department can be reached by emailing volunteering@plasp.com
- To help ensure a successful placement, we encourage you to address any concerns you may have early. Remember, the PLASP Volunteer Services Team is here to support you.
No, on statutory holidays, PLASP programs do not operate. Ensure that you know the procedure for determining when the program will be closed and that your supervisor knows how to contact you in the event of a closure.
Staff, students on placement, and volunteers are ALL required to politely refuse babysitting jobs from PLASP families. Please contact Volunteer Services at volunteering@plasp.com if you have any questions regarding this matter.
There are parameters around photos that can be taken of the children. The Program Director will be able to explain this further to you.
If you are actively completing a PLASP placement when your PQA assignment is due, you are able to complete it at your PLASP site.
If you are not a current PLASP student on placement or have never done a PLASP placement, you are not able to complete your PQA project at PLASP.
Please answer questions sensitively and positively. If you have concerns, direct the parent to the staff.
At the end of your placement, please submit your resume to your immediate supervisor. Your supervisor will forward your resume to the PLASP’s Human Resources Department at the PLASP Head Office to be processed. Your supervisor may add her comments about your placement.
No, your college or school should be able to provide potential employers with information about your education and placements.
Yes, if you would like to become a PLASP volunteer, please contact Volunteer Services. Volunteer Services staff will review the differences between being a student on placement and a volunteer before you begin your new placement.
PLASP does provide placements for ECE students. Generally, colleges reach out to PLASP to arrange student placements. It is best to contact your school’s placement department to learn the process for setting up your placements.
Depending on your course requirements, your placement advisor will be best able to answer whether PLASP can provide an appropriate placement for you. Placements can be in a program with the children or in our office with a specific department, depending on the experience you are looking for.
In general, most placements are arranged by your school’s placement advisor and Volunteer Services at PLASP.
No. Students on placement are in a program that requires them to complete a certain number of hours in their area of study. A high school student looking to receive their 40 volunteer hours required to graduate would be considered a volunteer. In this instance, please visit our Volunteering at PLASP page to learn more.