Director of Employment Education and Training, Jenny Lambert, said:
"The 10,000 places Australian Hotels Association has committed to create are on top of the 10,000 places the Australian Retailers Association announced recently. These are just two of a number of Australian Chamber members engaged with the PaTH program.
"Employers want to give unemployed young people an opportunity to join the workforce.
"Anyone organising work experience placements for school students will tell you many business owners worry about bringing people who lack experience into their workplace.
"The PaTH program helps assure business owners by providing preparatory training, particularly when it is directly relevant to the business. Combined with the involvement of their industry body, the PaTH program helps to sway the decision in favour of the young person.
"We are delighted that even in this early stage an overwhelming number of the interns who have been employed as a result of the program have been taken on by the host business.
"Linking the employer body with the training and employment services providers will help to ensure young people get long-term jobs out of this program.
"When young people participate in training directly relevant to the opportunities available, we are already seeing young people finding work directly out of the training element of the program without needing to do the internship.
"We are also hearing that for many young people who lack confidence due to being out of work for some time, the internship provides a great way for them to enter the workplace without as much pressure.
"These are the on-the-ground experiences of the PaTH program".
