PaTH helps small business owner to employ staff

Riverside Jewellers Owner Shannon Cox went from being unsure if she would have the scope to employ another person – to now having a full-time Trainee.

Despite her initial concerns with hiring staff, Ms Cox agreed to trial the Australian Governments Youth Jobs PaTH Program after being approached by local Employment Service Provider ETC.

“When ETC referred PaTH Participant Angela to me – she started here as an intern for 12 weeks,” Ms Cox said.

According to Ms Cox it was great to have the opportunity to get to know Angela in a real life situation, rather than just relying on a Resume and/or Interview.

“It made it easier to make the big decision of whether to employ her or not. Both of us were able to see how we would work together, if Angela would be a good fit and also gave her the chance to see if this type of job was really for her,” she said.

“Also being supported financially by the Government really helped. It allowed me purchase tools to help Angela learn about the watch making side of things and work at her own bench (as I had limited resources).”

Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare, Trial, Hire) is a flexible new approach to youth employment – it’s all about supporting young people to gain the skills and work experience they need to get and keep a job.

Employers benefit because you get to see firsthand how a potential new recruit is going to fit in your workplace, during a 4-12 week internship placement. You may also receive up to $10,000 in financial assistance when you hire an eligible young person.

“After she completed the internship I was able to offer Angela a part-time position 3 days a week,” Ms Cox said.

“Then fortunately I had some room to be able to increase her to full-time as a Trainee.”

Ms Cox highly recommended that other businesses consider PaTH.

“It’s been a really good experience and ETC have been helpful at the right times – not too much or too little,” she said.

“Angela is powering through her Certificate III in Retail course and doing really well.”

For more information about Youth Jobs PaTH visit https://etcltd.com.au/employers/youth-jobs-path/ or contact ETC on 1800 007 400.