What's New - WorkExpo

WorkExpo introduces a range of new features and functionality that make it easier than ever to manage school-to-work programs in schools.

COVID-19 changes to the Victorian Guidelines for Employers

The Guidelines for Employers has been updated for both work experience and structured workplace learning. WorkExpo will print the appropriate document based on the placement type.

– The Victorian Governement has also released two new forms.
These are additional forms for work experience and structured workplace learning. You can download these forms from the Victorian Government website here

– A new feature called My Attachments allows you to specify documents stored outside of WorkExpo for attaching when generating emails from WorkExpo. This means you can attach external documents to WorkExpo emails without having to repeatedly browse and attach them manually.

– For example, you could copy the new additional forms for work experience and structured workplace learning (not the Guidelines For Employers, as they are built into WorkExpo) to any folder and in WorkExpo browse to add these as attachments.

To view the My Attachments screen in WorkExpo, please follow these steps:

1. In the Arrangements screen, click the PRINT / EMAIL button at bottom left of screen.
2. The Quick Print dialog box appears. Click the blue link Email Options….
3. Select the My Attachments tab. Here you can add external documents to attach to emails sent from WorkExpo.
4. DOUBLE-CLICK in the Path text box to display Windows browse dialog. Select the file you’d like to use as attachments.
5. Tick the ATTACH checkbox to attach the document to emails. You can un-check the Attach checkbox to ignore the document.

NOTE: You need to include the word additional in the file name of both these files. Also for the SWPL additional form you need to ensure the word structured is also included in the file name. e.g. additional-structured-workplace-learning-form.docx

You can store any number of documents as attachments.

New form: Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) Exemption Form

This form allows the Principal to grant additional structured workplace learning days to students who have a demonstrated learning need for further time in the workplace and ensure that they comply with Ministerial Order 55.

This form allows for two categories of exemption to be granted:
• Exemption A provides for students to undertake more than 10 (but no more than 15) structured workplace learning days during a school term and
• Exemption B provides for students to undertake more than 20 structured workplace learning days with one employer during a School Year.

Depending on the circumstance of the individual student, the Principal may grant one or both categories of exemption, whilst not exceeding the maximum 40 days during each School Year. This Exemption Form is only valid if supporting evidence is attached.

This form is only to be completed in situations where it has become evident that an individual student needs additional days in the workplace to acquire particular skills or satisfy the requirements of the Accredited Course of Study. If only Exemption A has been granted, this Exemption Form should be attached to the original Structured Workplace Learning Arrangement Form. If Exemption B or both exemptions have been granted, a new Structured Workplace Learning Arrangement Form must be developed, to which this Exemption Form should be attached. The new Arrangement Form and Exemption Form should be filed with the original Arrangement Form. WorkExpo can now generate both forms.

This new form is issued as apart of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 – Ministerial Order 55: Structured Workplace Learning Arrangements (Schools).

New form: School Community Work Arrangement Form

School community work is community work undertaken by a student which:
A) supports the student’s learning and career development;
B) directly benefits the community;
C) is organised by the school; and
D) is approved by the principal of the school as school community work.
No payment is made to students for School community work

School community work is not work experience nor is it structured workplace learning.

Work experience is the short-term placement of secondary school students with employers to provide insights into the industry and the workplace in which they are located. Students are placed with employers primarily to observe and learn – not to undertake activities which require extensive training or experience.

Structured workplace learning (SWL) involves students undertaking structured on-the-job training during which they are expected to master a designated set of skills and competencies related to a course accredited by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority.

School community work is designed for students who voluntarily or willingly engage in work within the local school community. It is acceptable for schools to encourage students to take part in school community work, but students must *not* be required to participate in such activities. Students must also engage in school community work without any remuneration or reward for their work. The program offers an opportunity to those students keen to gain knowledge and understanding of the community in which the school sits.

WorkExpo now has a 'School Community Work' form and also a new placement type called 'School community work'. The new form can be printed or emailed in the usual way.Employer certificates: In the past, regardless of the type of placement, the Certificate for Employer would always state 'work experience'. In this update the type of placement now reflects the actual placement ttype as undertaken by the student. If you prefer, this new behaviour can be over-ridden and the old method can be re-instated (Help / About WorkExpo / Tech Support /Extras).

Follow-ups: time now included:

In the past, after creating a follow-up you had the option to send a copy of the message to Microsoft Outlook. Now, you can inlude a TIME for the message as well as a date. The old behaviour was to set the default time to 12 midnight which does not fit with the normal work day. But now a time of day can be added.

Archiving Cleanup:

In the past, after archiving or deleting student records some traces were remaining of Tracking information for students who may have had more than a single placement. These traces are now properly cleaned up during deletion and archiving. This means that there are no left-over remnants from deleted or archived placements in the tracking module.

Email Any Document For An Individual Student

In previous versions of WorkExpo you could email the WorkExpo Experience Arrangement (WEA) and Structured Workplace Learning (SWPL) forms. You can now email any document for an individual student and attach documents generated by WorkExpo. Emails can be sent to the employer, the student or the parent. You can preview email before sending or not.

In the Print Wizard (or in the Quick Print dialog available in the Arrangements screen) select 'Email' rather than Print or Preview, then choose the document or documents you wish to attach. By default, the email is addressed to the employer or employer postal contact if found. You can change these settings on-the-fly if necessary. WorkExpo finds the email addresses for employers, students and parents and displays them in the Email Options dialog. Choose who to nominate as the main recipient and, if necessary, who to include in the CC or BCC fields. If the employer and or student/parent email addresses are not found, you can add them on-the-fly without the need to swap back and forth between various screens. Simply add the email address using the Email Settings dialog and WorkExpo will use and update the email addresses in the database. WorkExpo contains the current Arrangement forms as prescribed. The official forms can be downloaded from the Victorian government website here:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/sensecyouth/careertrans/worklearn/workexperience.htm
Look for Forms And Guidelines.

Employer Certificates:

In the past, regardless of the type of placement, the Certificate for Employer would always state 'work experience'. In this update the type of placement now reflects the actual placement ttype as undertaken by the student. If you prefer, this new behaviour can be over-ridden and the old method can be re-instated (Help / About WorkExpo / Tech Support /Extras).

Archiving Cleanup:

Multiple Placements:

It is not unusual for a student to undertake more than one work experience placement. You can now filter the student list in the Students screen to view a list of students with multiple placements. You can select 'More Detail' to view additional fields for students with multiple placements and print this list if necessary. You can also select 'Export To Excel' to export the list to Excel for ad-hoc reporting.

The same functionality is also available for employer records. In the Employers screen on the List tab, select 'Employers With Multiple Placements'. You may also view similar list options in the Arrangements screen and print and/or export multiple-placement lists to Excel from the Arrangements screen.

Dates For Tracking:

The tracking feature now allows for a date to be entered against each tracking task, so that you can track and sort or group tasks by date. You can add dates manually, set a default date and/or add dates with tracking tasks using the Batch Update wizard. Printed lists and exporting to Excel also include tracking dates for ad-hock reporting.
If necessary, you can add dates manually. You also have the option to set a default date. You may add tracking tasks including dates using the Batch Update wizard. Printed lists and exports to Excel are also available with this feature.

Archive Records On-The-Fly:

Student, employer and arrangement records can be archived as part of the End-of-Year Rollover using the Auto-Archive or Archive Wizard. Now you can also archive an individual employer, student or arrangement record without needing to use the Archive Wizard. Select 'Archive Employer' or 'Archive Student' or 'Archive Arrangement' from the drop down menu and archive the current record quickly and easily if there is only one or two records you want to archive.

Data File enhancements:

The WorkExpo data file contains all the data you enter into WorkExpo, the data file is effectively your WorkExpo database. In order to keep track of your data file every time you change the path to this file an entry is added to a text file (workexpo.ini) stored on the local machine. You can open this file with Notepad to view the list directly. You can also view the list contents by opening it from within WorkExpo itself.

This feature allows your IT staff to locate the path of any lost or missing data files more easily. If WorkExpo is running IT staff can view the list from within WorkExpo. If WorkExpo is not running, the list can be viewed by opening the workexpo.ini file in c:\program files\workexpo

Faster Loading and Closing:

In previous versions of WorkExpo certain lists were exported during start-up for use with Microsoft Word's Mail Merge feature. This typically took up to 10 seconds. The Mail Merge feature allows you to set up documents in Microsoft Word for use with the data stored in WorkExpo. If you don't require this feature then the export of tables can be turned off resulting in faster loading and unloading of WorkExpo. To enable 'Fast Start' of WorkExpo, where lists are not exported to Microsoft Word, select 'Fast Start' in the Miscellaneous section of the Options group dialog box. Please note that occasionally (once in approximately every 10 starts) WorkExpo will perform all checks and disregard the Fast Start settings. This is to ensure that all parameters and housekeeping tasks are carried out occasionally. This means WorkExpo will occasionally take longer to load and unload but only occasionally.

Defaults for Students and Employers:

In previous versions of WorkExpo you could set defaults for Arrangements in the Arrangements screen. For example, you could set 'Start Time' to default to 9:00 am.

You can now set defaults for student and employer records also. As an example, you might set the gender field to default to 'female' in a girls' school. In the Employers screen, for example, you could set the default for 'Number of Placements Offered' to 1. The default settings can be set from the Options tab in both the Student and Employer screens. This can be found at the top-right of all three main screens. You may leave the defaults blank if you don't wish to use defaults when adding new records.

When student records are imported into WorkExpo from Excel, any defaults are added to the new record, unless a value already exists for the student.

Exporting of Student Preferences:

In WorkExpo you can specify student preferences for work experience. If you add preferences then WorkExpo will attempt to match students to employers who offer those types of work experience. After several requests from schools this feature is now extended and you can now export student preference lists to Excel for purposes of ad-hoc reporting.

Employer Export Updated:

When exporting employer details to Microsoft Excel, the Employer Name (with Suburb) and Employer Name (Without Suburb) are now both included. This allows you to delete the column in Excel if it is not required. It is useful if you have several employer records who all form part of a Franchise, e.g. Coles. So now, rather than a lists showing several employers as 'Coles', each will have the suburb name appended, e.g. 'Coles (Spring Town') for clearer distinction between employer business names in a list.

Ad-Hoc Reporting Expanded

Ad-Hoc reporting from Microsoft Excel has been expanded in the latest version of WorkExpo - in addition to all previously available exports, you can now export listings from the student's screen, including listings of student records with or without placement details. You can export tracking information and specific and general modules as per student placements and whether or not students have completed such. You can use Excel for ad-hoc reporting as necessary. For example, you can filter the list of placements by days of the week. You can also export employer and placement records using the same 'Export To Excel' feature.

Exporting of Student Preferences: You can now export student preference lists to Excel for ad-hoc reporting.

Industry and General Module Report: A report that lists students and their specific industry and general modules as per their placement(s) and whether or not they have completed the required modules and the dates completed. This can be sorted by year or by date.

Postcodes and Public (and School) Holidays: These lists have been updated for the latest version.

Recent data file locations: If you move the WorkExpo data file or regularly point to different data files WorkExpo can now displays a list of recent data files.

Students without Arrangements: You can now export a list of Students Without Placements to Microsoft Excel.

Continued Software Support: Subscribing includes renewal of your WorkExpo software support. You can phone or email any time if you need help with WorkExpo.

Office 2010:
Microsoft introduced the first 64 bit version of Office with the release of Office 2010. Previous versions of WorkExpo were 32 bit only. If you install an older version of WorkExpo under Office 64-bit then it would fail to load. These issues have been addressed in WorkExpo which means you can concentrate on running your school-to-work program and not worrying about problems with the WorkExpo, no matter which version of Windows and Office you have installed.

Office 2013:
Microsoft continues to released upgrades to the Office product line and WorkExpo has been tested with Office 2013 including 64 bit versions. In fact, WorkExpo will run on any version of Office version from Office 2003 and later. During installation WorkExpo detects the installed version of Office and installs the matching WorkExpo files.

Office 2016:
Microsoft continues to released upgrades to the Office product line and WorkExpo has been tested with Office 2016 including 64 bit versions. In fact, WorkExpo will run on any version of Office version from Office 2003 and later. During installation WorkExpo detects the installed version of Office and installs the matching WorkExpo files.

Other features in WorkExpo - A list of recent additions in recently released versions.

Support for Office 32 and 64 bit editions. Previous versions of WorkExpo would fail to install using Office 64 bit.
Email the Work Experience Arrangement form to an employer. All documents in WorkExpo can now be saved to PDF.
Student data grid now available in Students screen. You can print this list or export it to Excel.
Export Safe At Work information to Microsoft Excel.
If your school has more than one WorkExpo user, you can nominate a 'main user' or 'school contact'. This person's name appears on all documents.
Updated post codes, school term dates and public holidays.
Instead of asterisks showing for non-work experience placements, the placement abbreviation is now displayed e.g. VET, VCAL etc. rather than *
Safe At Work features in WorkExpo have been rewritten to work more effectively.
Safe At Work General and Industry modules can now be viewed together for students with placements. This can be exported to Excel.
Reduced space on all letters for signatures to allow more room for content.
WorkExpo data file path is now displayed on the Main screen.
Added 'Reminder letters to students' for batch printing.
More secure backups. WorkExpo saves an additional copy of your data file for added security in the user APP DATA folder.
A report that lists students and their specific module as per their placements and whether or not they have completed such. Can be printed or exported to Excel.
Google maps button to view and/or print the map of an employer address.
Export Archives to Excel for ah-hoc reports.
Student mobile phone number now included in visiting teacher documentation and the archives.
Save As PDF means you can now save any WorkExpo document as a PDF file for later re-use.
In the Placements screen you can now include total hours.
Quick Print menu in Placements screen now has ALL the options available in the Print Wizard.
Employer ABN field added to Employers screen.
Individual employer history information for past placements is now available when using the file based approach to archiving.
Student without arrangements available as an export to Excel.

Continued Support
Each new purchase or upgrade of WorkExpo includes support for schools and teachers using WorkExpo. In addition to general website resources (such as PDF User Manuals and Utilities) teachers and office staff can phone or email Terry Chapman directly on a direct line for immediate help and assistance - (03) 9531 1091

If necessary, support also includes help with importing student records via your school's main database system into WorkExpo. There is no additional charge for this service. Support for older versions has now expired and is renewed by subscribing annually.

Support lasts for at least twelve months from date of purchase and continues until the subscription expires.

Included in upgrade
Help and Assistance: Subscribing to WorkExpo always includes personal, priority support via direct phone, email or remote desktop. If you choose not to subscribe then please understand that your WorkExpo support will lapse.

Further Updates: If you have a current subscription you will received frequent updates during the term of the subscription. It is intended that these free updates will include not only and bug fixes but also improved functionality. If you have 2010, 2013 or 2016 you are able to send documents straight from WorkExpo as PDF files attached to emails.

Software Support: WorkExpo continues to evolve to support the latest operating systems and security software requirements. Using outdated versions of WorkExpo on newer systems may not prove optimal.

Improved Efficiency: The latest version of WorkExpo has been designed with efficiency and productivity in mind. Teachers are busier than ever before. WorkExpo lets teachers concentrate on managing their work, not on managing the software.

Australian Company: Info Plan Software is proudly an Australian company. Purchasing WorkExpo means that you are supporting Australian commerce.