Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vocational Placement Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Vocational Placement Coordinator is responsible for designing, implementing and managing work-based learning and vocational placement programs that connect students, trainees or jobseekers with employers. This role coordinates employer engagement, case management, compliance, reporting and post-placement support to maximize placement outcomes and ensure contracts and funding requirements are met. The Coordinator works closely with training delivery teams, industry partners and support services to build sustainable pathways to employment, apprenticeships and meaningful work experience.

Key SEO phrases: vocational placement coordinator, work placement coordinator, employability programs, employer engagement, apprenticeship coordination, workplace learning.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Career Services Officer / Employment Advisor with experience in job development and placement.
Training Support Officer or Work Experience Coordinator within a TAFE, RTO or community organisation.
Case manager or client support worker with responsibility for workforce development referrals.

Advancement To:

Senior Vocational Placement Coordinator / Team Leader – Placements.
Employer Engagement Manager / Industry Partnerships Manager.
Program Manager – Work-Based Learning, Apprenticeships or Workforce Programs.

Lateral Moves:

Career Development Practitioner
Compliance & Quality Officer for VET programs

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement and manage the end-to-end vocational placement process, including intake assessments, matching candidates to workplace hosts, placement agreements, orientation and ongoing monitoring to ensure successful outcomes.
Proactively source, negotiate and maintain relationships with employers across local and regional industries to create sustainable placement opportunities, apprenticeships and on-the-job training pathways.
Conduct detailed employer liaison activities including site visits, risk assessments, workplace health & safety briefings, and negotiation of host responsibilities and supervision arrangements.
Undertake comprehensive student / participant assessments to evaluate work readiness, barriers to employment, skills gaps and reasonable adjustments required for workplace success.
Prepare and manage all placement documentation such as Memoranda of Understanding, placement agreements, duty statements, supervisors’ guides and insurance compliance records.
Coordinate logistics and scheduling for placements, including rostering, travel arrangements, supervision assignments and coordination with training delivery schedules.
Deliver pre-placement workshops and work-ready training covering resume writing, interview preparation, workplace expectations, communication, punctuality and professional presentation.
Provide one-to-one career coaching and case management to participants during pre-placement, in-placement and post-placement phases, documenting progress and implementing support plans.
Monitor and evaluate placement progress through regular contact with employers, supervisors and participants, recording attendance, performance issues and intervention actions.
Troubleshoot in-placement issues such as misconduct, performance shortfalls, health and safety concerns or changes to employment conditions, escalating and resolving with appropriate stakeholders.
Maintain and update CRM and placement tracking systems (e.g., Salesforce, VETtrak, JobReady or internal databases) to capture placement activity, employer contacts and outcome metrics for reporting and continuous improvement.
Prepare timely internal and external reports on placement KPIs, funding milestones, compliance checks and program outcomes to funders, managers and quality auditors.
Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, funding agreements, vocational training standards and workplace health & safety requirements, coordinating with legal and HR where required.
Manage employer incentives, wage subsidies, work experience reimbursements and paperwork for traineeships, apprenticeships or government-funded placement programs.
Design and lead employer engagement campaigns, industry events, job fairs and recruitment drives to increase placement opportunities and strengthen industry partnerships.
Liaise with trainers, RTO compliance officers and academic staff to align placement activities with training package requirements, assessment schedules and competency sign-offs.
Coordinate background checks, police clearances, working with children checks and any other required pre-placement screening for participants and workplace supervisors.
Implement post-placement follow-up including retention checks, transition-to-work support, referral to further training or job search assistance and collection of employer feedback.
Develop and maintain placement resources, toolkits and training materials for employers, supervisors and participants to standardize quality and reduce onboarding time.
Analyse placement data and labour market intelligence to identify sector demand, skills shortages and target industries for proactive employer development.
Manage budgets related to placement coordination, including allocation of subsidies, training allowances and expenditure tracking for program compliance.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives for placement processes, stakeholder experience and efficiency, incorporating participant, employer and trainer feedback.
Support outcomes validation, audit preparation and internal quality reviews to ensure evidence-based compliance with contractual and funding obligations.
Coordinate multi-agency referrals and wrap-around support (e.g., disability services, mental health, transport assistance) to remove barriers and improve placement completion rates.

Secondary Functions

Provide administrative support for program enrolments, placement billing, and reconciliation of employer incentive payments.
Contribute to marketing collateral and social media content promoting success stories, placement opportunities and industry partnerships to increase program visibility.
Assist in the development of grant applications and funding proposals by providing placement data, employer letters of support and outcome projections.
Represent the organisation at community forums, industry advisory groups and stakeholder meetings to advocate for work-based learning initiatives.
Support ad-hoc operational projects such as transitioning placement processes to new CRM systems or pilots of virtual placements and micro-placements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Employer engagement and business development: proven ability to source, negotiate and manage employer partnerships and generate placement opportunities.
Case management and participant support: experience in assessing needs, developing individual placement plans, and documenting progress against objectives.
Regulatory and compliance knowledge: understanding of VET standards, traineeship/apprenticeship legislation, work health & safety and funding contract compliance.
Placement and project administration: competence in preparing placement agreements, MOUs, insurance documentation and supervisor guides.
CRM and database management: experience using systems such as Salesforce, VETtrak, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent to track placements and outcomes.
Data collection and reporting: ability to extract, interpret and present placement KPIs, completion rates and funding reports for stakeholders and auditors.
Workforce development and labour market analysis: ability to translate labour market intelligence into targeted employer engagement strategies.
Microsoft Office suite and digital literacy: advanced Excel (pivot tables, vlookups), Word, Outlook and the use of virtual meeting platforms (Teams, Zoom).
Risk assessment and WHS: capability to conduct workplace risk assessments, prepare safety briefings and ensure placements meet safety standards.
Recruitment and screening: skills in candidate sourcing, interviews, pre-employment checks, background screening and reference checks.
Training alignment and competency mapping: experience coordinating with trainers to ensure placements satisfy unit of competency requirements.
Financial administration: basic budget management and processing of wage subsidies, incentives and payments related to placement activity.

Soft Skills

Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written) tailored to participants, employers and internal stakeholders.
Strong negotiation and influencing skills to secure placement opportunities and solve workplace issues.
High level of empathy, cultural competence and the ability to support participants from diverse backgrounds, including CALD and disability cohorts.
Resilience and problem-solving orientation to manage complex placement cases and escalate appropriately.
Time management and organizational skills with the ability to manage concurrent placements and deadlines.
Collaborative mindset and team orientation when working with trainers, youth workers, HR and support services.
Attention to detail and integrity in record-keeping, compliance and reporting.
Customer service focus with an outcomes-driven approach to improving participant employment results.
Adaptability and initiative to innovate placement models and respond to changing labour market conditions.
Confidentiality and professional judgment when handling sensitive client and employer information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (or willingness to obtain) or equivalent vocational qualification.
OR Diploma in Community Services, Youth Work, Career Development or related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Human Services, Business, Career Development, Vocational Education, or equivalent.
Formal career development or counselling accreditation (e.g., Career Development Association membership, Cert IV TAE).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Vocational Education & Training (VET)
Career Development, Human Services or Community Services
Business Administration / Workforce Development
Social Work, Counselling or Youth Work
Project Management or Employment Services

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years in placements, employment services, career development, or workforce development roles; OR demonstrated equivalent experience in employer engagement and case management.

Preferred:

3+ years’ experience coordinating vocational placements, traineeships, apprenticeships or work experience programs within an RTO, education provider or employment services organisation.
Proven track record of meeting placement KPIs, securing employer partnerships and delivering post-placement outcomes.
Experience with government-funded programs, contract reporting and compliance audits desirable.