PLACEMENTS

Achieving growth through real-world learning

Practical placement is a key part of developing confidence and capability in the funeral industry. It provides learners with the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real workplace settings, build practical skills, and gain a deeper understanding of how funeral services operate day to day.

RiteSkill supports placement through a number of established pathways. Learners may be placed within one of our three primary placement locations, (Wollongong, Port Macquarie, Canberra) where structured support and supervision are already in place.

Alternatively, learners may choose to initiate a third-party placement with a funeral service or related organisation that aligns with their location or learning goals.

This flexible approach allows learners to access meaningful, real-world experience while ensuring that all placements meet the required standards for safety, supervision, and assessment.

Why are placements important?

Placements are an important part of funeral services education because they allow learners to move beyond theory and into practice. They provide an opportunity to develop workplace confidence, observe different approaches, and better understand the responsibilities of working within the funeral industry.

A placement helps learners to:

build practical skills in a real workplace
understand workplace expectations and professional standards
gain exposure to funeral service operations, systems, and responsibilities
strengthen communication and teamwork skills
develop confidence under supervision
connect classroom learning with real funeral practice

For many learners, placement is also an important step in confirming their interest in the industry and identifying the area of funeral work they may wish to pursue further.

What might a learner experience during placement?

Each placement will vary depending on the host organisation, the learner’s stage of development, and the type of work taking place during the placement period. Activities may include observation, supported participation, and supervised involvement in workplace tasks relevant to the training being undertaken.

This may include exposure to areas such as:

funeral arranging and administration
transfers and vehicle preparation
mortuary operations and care processes
ceremony preparation and support
workplace health and safety procedures
documentation and record keeping
communication within the workplace
respectful and professional care practices

Learners are not expected to work beyond their level of training or experience. Placement is a supervised learning experience, and all activities must be appropriate to the learner’s capability.

How are placements supported?

Third-party placements are supported through clear documentation and shared responsibilities between the learner, the host organisation, and RiteSkill.

This generally includes:

a placement agreement or approval process
clear expectations for learner conduct and professionalism
a record of required placement activities
supervisor oversight and sign-off where needed
communication between the host and the training provider
workplace-based evidence to support assessment

These processes help ensure that placement is safe, meaningful, and relevant to the learner’s training outcomes.

Third-Party Placements

Third-party placements give learners the opportunity to build practical experience in a real funeral service environment, under the guidance of experienced industry professionals. These placements form an important part of workplace-based learning and allow learners to connect their study with day-to-day funeral practice.

In the funeral industry, many skills are best developed through observation, supported participation, and exposure to real workplace systems and processes. A third-party placement helps learners understand how funeral services operate in practice, while also building confidence, professionalism, and industry readiness.

Placements may take place in a range of funeral service environments and are designed to support the development of practical skills relevant to the learner’s qualification, training pathway, or professional goals.

What is a third-party placement?

A third-party placement is a structured workplace experience completed with an external host organisation. In this arrangement, the learner undertakes placement within a funeral service or related workplace that is not a RiteSkill Placement Location. This involves the learner identifying and approaching a funeral service or related organisation within their local area and arranging to complete their placement with that provider. This pathway allows learners to gain experience closer to home and engage with a workplace that suits their circumstances.

All third-party placements must be approved by RiteSkill to ensure they meet the required standards for safety, supervision, and learning outcomes.

The host organisation provides access to the workplace, relevant activities, and appropriate supervision, while RiteSkill provides the learning framework, placement documentation, and assessment requirements.

This arrangement allows learners to experience real funeral work in a professional setting, while ensuring their placement remains connected to the requirements of their training.

Partnering as a Placement Host

Do you want to have a meaningful impact on the future generation of funeral professionals?

Partnering as a placement host is a practical and rewarding way to contribute to the future of funeral industry. By welcoming a learner into your workplace, you are helping shape how future funeral directors, arrangers, and mortuary staff understand and experience this work.

This is an opportunity to share your knowledge, demonstrate your standards of care, and support someone as they take their first steps into the profession.

Third-party placements are unpaid learning experiences. Learners attend your workplace to observe, participate where appropriate, and develop their skills under supervision. They are not employees and are not expected to replace staff or undertake unsupervised work. Their role is to learn, engage, and gain insight into real funeral practice.

Why partner with RiteSkill?

Support the next generation

Your experience and guidance can have a lasting impact on a learner’s confidence, capability, and understanding of funeral work.

Share your way of working

Every funeral service brings its own approach, values, and practices. Hosting a learner allows you to demonstrate what good, professional funeral care looks like in your setting.

Strengthen the industry

Supporting placement contributes to a more capable, consistent, and well-prepared workforce across the sector.

Create future pathways

Placement can be a valuable way to connect with emerging professionals. Many hosts find that learners who align with their organisation may become strong candidates for future roles or traineeships.

What does hosting involve?

As a placement host, your role is to provide a safe, supportive environment where a learner can observe and, where appropriate, participate in workplace activities.

This may include:

allowing the learner to observe funeral operations and workplace processes
supporting supervised participation in relevant tasks
ensuring the learner works within their level of capability
providing guidance and answering questions
signing placement records where required

You are not expected to deliver formal training or assessment. RiteSkill provides the structure, documentation, and ongoing support throughout the placement.

Support from RiteSkill

We aim to make the placement process simple, clear, and well supported for host organisations. RiteSkill provides:

clear placement guidelines and expectations
all required documentation, including activity records and supervisor sign-off tools
guidance on appropriate supervision and learner involvement
a direct point of contact for any questions or support
ongoing communication throughout the placement period
Administration fee payable to you per student.

We work alongside you to ensure the placement is positive, safe, and valuable for both your team and the learner.

A simple way to contribute

Hosting a learner does not need to be complicated. Even a short placement can provide valuable exposure and learning.

By opening your doors, you are helping someone understand this work in a real and meaningful way, while contributing to the future of the profession.

Interested in partnering?

If your organisation is interested in becoming a third-party placement host, partnering in workplace-based learning, or exploring future workforce pathways such as traineeships, we would be pleased to speak with you.

Supporting placement is a practical way to invest in the future of the funeral industry while contributing to high-quality training and professional development.

Email: Admin@riteskill.com.au discuss partnering with RiteSkill.