FEDERATION University has been invited to provide job readiness training to young people for the federal government’s youth internship program.
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If Federation University accepts the invitation, the organisation would prepare unemployed young people for trial job placements in western Victoria.
The Jobactive PaTH program aims to reduce youth unemployment through subsidised internships.
Employers can trial a young person in an internship for four to 12 weeks.
Employers who host a PaTH internship will receive an upfront payment of $1000 and young people will receive a $200 fortnightly incentive payment on top of their income support.
The Mail-Times understands that the list of 70 businesses is preliminary and subject to final approval from the Department of Employment.
Federation University head of Wimmera Campus Geoff Lord said he was not personally familiar with the invitation but it was likely the university’s TAFE sector would handle the training if the deal went through.
“It would fit with our focus on 18 to 24-year old students,” he said.
Comment has been sought from Federation University’s Ballarat-based administration.
The legislation to enable tax-free payments to PaTH interns has stalled in the senate following a campaign by unions, the Greens and Labor.
Labor has described the program as a $4-per-hour replacement for full-time workers and having clauses that could see businesses rotate through interns rather than hiring young people.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has said the program would be exploitative.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has said the government will push on with implementing the program without new legislation if necessary.
Such a move would limit incentives to about $150 per fortnight after tax.
Member for Mallee Andrew Broad said he wanted to see the program up and running to help the Wimmera’s young people find employment.
“The interns won’t be worse off if they get a job,” Mr Broad said.
“The PaTH scheme is about doing pre-workforce training, some health and safety, then they go an actually work in the job.
“Basically, it is real employment rather than a token work for the dole scheme.”
Mr Broad said the PaTH program had a lot of merit.
“The aim is to move someone off welfare and onto employment,” he said.
“I want to see how it goes.”
“Anything that we can do that results in a young Australian getting a job, even if it mean they have to struggle a bit, that’s better than leaving them in long-term welfare.”
In November, Mr Broad told parliament that he had seen similar programs help young people and earning a bit of extra money would provide incentives to young people.
You give them a little bit of extra money and, suddenly, yes, they are tired, but they get to take their girlfriend out to Maccas,” Mr Broad said.
“It starts to light the fire in the eyes of young Australians who never thought they could aspire to something.”
The internship project is due to launch in April.