Morrison Government puts young job seekers on the PaTH to a job

The Morrison Government is calling on Australian businesses looking for workers, and young job seekers looking for work, to strongly consider a Youth Jobs PaTH Internship, as new program data shows 67 per cent of completed internships result in immediate employment for young people and a further 8 per cent achieve a recorded job placement within three months.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, employment outcomes for completed PaTH Internships have risen from 64 per cent in 2019 to 75 per cent in 2021 so far, indicating Australian employers are seeing the real benefits of the program to find suitable young workers for their business.

The Youth Jobs PaTH Internships program helps young people gain the skills and work experience needed to get and keep a job. It also supports businesses to trial young people in the workplace and offers a financial incentive when they hire. Youth Jobs PaTH has three elements – Prepare, Trial, Hire.

Under the program young people get an opportunity for a workplace trial while Australian employers are offered a financial incentive for taking on job seekers aged between 17 and 24 and the chance to see how a prospective employee matches their recruitment needs.

Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, said the Morrison Government is focussed on getting Australians into a job.

‘We want every single Australian to have a chance at getting into work. PaTH is one of the arrows in our quiver to help younger Australians to demonstrate their skills, develop vocational skills and improve employment prospects,’ Minister Robert said. 

‘We know from our experience of COVID-19 lockdowns that young job seekers face different challenges in getting back into the workforce, and that’s what makes initiatives like PaTH all the more valuable,’ Minister Robert said.

Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services, Luke Howarth, said the program gives young people an opportunity they might not otherwise have to learn from an employer, set goals, and mentor while demonstrating their skills.

‘The program is delivering real results for young Australians right across the country, from inner city suburbs to regional towns, by giving them that essential foot in the door,’ Assistant Minister Howarth said.

‘Almost 90 per cent of PaTH participants that were surveyed through post-placement monitoring indicate they would recommend an internship to other young people, and businesses are more likely to keep young people in available jobs after trialling them in an internship.’

PaTH internships are co-designed by the host business and young person to match their skills, interests and experience with the needs of the business. 

For more information on the Youth Jobs PaTH visit: www.dese.gov.au/youth-jobs-path

Case studies: 

Trysten Trajkovic – Frizelle’s Automotive – Arundel, Gold Coast, Queensland

Trysten Trajkovic, 19, landed a PaTH internship with Frizelle’s Automotive after being in Transition to Work (TtW) for over 12 months. Just two weeks into his four-week internship Trysten was offered a full-time automotive mechanic apprenticeship. He is now a second-year apprentice and has managed to buy his dream car. Trysten said the internship changed his life.

Frizelle’s Automotive, one of the largest motor vehicle dealers in Queensland, has been using the Youth Jobs PaTH program to find suitable employees since 2019. They have hosted 65 young people through the PaTH Internships program, employing them for a range of ongoing roles including car detailing, spray painting and automotive mechanics. They have also used PaTH Internships to trial young people for a range of Australian Apprenticeships. 

Frizelle’s have employed 100 per cent of the interns who have completed their internships. There have been 40 internships completed and all resulted in employment.

Frizelle’s Automotive were selected as Queensland State Winners for the Large Employer Category in the Queensland Training Awards recently.

Brooke Joslin – Small World Child Care Centre – Carrara, Gold Coast, Queensland

Brooke Joslin, 19, found a great job and long term career thanks to her participation in Transition to Work (TtW) and a PaTH Internship. Brooke’s TtW provider helped her to identify childcare as one of her career goals and also supported her to be work ready by arranging driving lessons, interview practice and work clothing.

Thanks to her Provider, Enterprise and Training Company (ETC), Brooke secured a PaTH Internship placement with Small World Childcare. During her 4-week placement Brooke was able to see the daily operations of the childcare centre to see if the industry was right for her. The internship placement increased her job readiness by building her skills and confidence.

Following the internship, Brooke successfully landed her first job with Small World Child Care Centre, and she is now working in an industry which is projected to grow over the next 5 years.  Small World have now placed Brooke into a traineeship and she is working towards a Cert 3 in Childcare.