Support for small businesses and unemployed youth to get on the right PaTH

A new internship program is proving popular for small businesses on the Mid North Coast.

Woolgoolga small business owner Peter Glattback needed a new staff member for his coffee shop Taffy’s after his Barista had to relocate suddenly to be with family.

Mr Glattback approached local employment services provider ETC and was informed about Youth Jobs Path, an Australian Government initiative that enables him to trial a potential new recruit during a 4-12 week internship placement.

“ETC introduced me to a Barista job seeker Molly Fairbairn,” Mr Glattback said.

“Having the four weeks to get to know Molly and vice versa was absolutely wonderful.

“I knew within a matter of weeks that Molly was going to fit in here and we formed a good bond. She practically took over her side of the business for me.

“PaTH is great because you have a chance to get to know the person and they get an understanding of the job.

“It’s nice to have that period of time where they get the lay of the land. You see whether there is any clash of personality or underlying problems that may occur.”

Molly said the internship was great experience for her and didn’t feel any different to a normal job.

“I was taught everything I needed to know,” Ms Fairbairn said.

“It gives you the opportunity to see what the workplace is going to be like, to see if you would actually enjoy working there just as much as they like having you there.

“Sometimes you don’t know if you’re going to like a job until you actually start working there. So this is a perfect opportunity if you don’t know what type of work you want to do.”

ETC’s Mid North Coast Regional Manager for Employment Julie Saddler said Youth Jobs PaTH provided a win-win solution for both employers and job seekers.

“Both the job seeker and the employer get to see firsthand whether the new work arrangement is a good fit,” Ms Saddler said.

“An added bonus for employers is that they may also receive up to $10,000 in financial assistance if they hire an eligible young person after the internship has finished,” Ms Sadler said.

Find out more about Youth Jobs PaTH