Student Unpaid Work Placement: Workplace Insurance Coverage - MAESD

The Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), provides insurance coverage for students (the trainee) on eligible unpaid work placements, inclusive of those authorized to take place in other Canadian jurisdictions or internationally, as part of the optional or required component of their academic program with Humber College (the training agency).

Students are eligible to claim for insurance benefits under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), or the private insurer, CHUBB insurance for placement employers who are not covered under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) in the event of a work-related injury, illness or disease. The MTCU provides coverage for such benefits in an effort to encourage employers to participate in providing post-secondary work placements that support an experiential learning environment.

In 2017, the MTCU provided an update to its directive as outlined in the Guidelines for Workplace Insurance for Postsecondary Students of Publicly Assisted Institutions on Unpaid Work Placements.

As Humber is committed to overseeing these enrichment opportunities, we must ensure the safety and well-being of our students. Therefore, both the Student Declaration and Placement Employer letter emphasizing the accountabilities during the placement must be signed and retained prior to the placement start date. In preparation for the placement, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have completed the Ministry of Labour’s "Worker Health & Safety Awareness in 4 Steps" online training course and provide the certificate of completion to their Humber Placement Coordinator/Advisor. Once at the Placement Employer, the Safety Checklist is required to be completed and returned to the Humber Placement Coordinator/Advisor within the first week of placement.

In the event of injury, illness or disease as a result of duties performed during the hours of the work placement, a Student Placement Incident Report must be completed and provided to both the Placement Employer and Humber within 24 hours of the incident.

If the incident requires the student to be absent from the work placement or requires medical assessment by a physician or other licensed health care practitioner, the MTCU’s Workplace Insurance Claim Form is required to be completed by representatives of the Placement Employer, Humber and the student in circumstances where the placement employer is covered by WSIB. The CHUBB Claimant’s Statement of Disability will be required for completion in all other circumstances.

We will work with the Placement Employer to identify opportunities for accommodation of duties should the student present with medical limitations or restrictions as they prepare to return to the placement after their injury, illness or disease, in collaboration with Humber’s Student Wellness and Accessibility Services, as required.

As part of the added assurance for students to participate in their placements, Humber encourages all students to review and ensure they have health coverage access available through the flexible insurance plans provided through IGNITE. Please review the IGNITE Insurance Plan Booklet for more information.

Humber has developed and implemented a policy and procedure for Workplace Insurance Coverage for Students on Unpaid Work Placements. Please see links below to the policy and procedure, as well as applicable forms.

If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Hiren Patel, Senior Abilities & Accommodation Specialist, by email at hiren.patel@humber.ca or at extension 4237.

Forms 

Note: Prior to making any changes to the content of the Forms, please consult with your manager and Occupational Health & Safety Services.

Open All