As young people reach the lifetime milestone of departing school, they have the opportunity to engage in an innovative program with Vocational Partnerships Group (VPG), Transition to Work.
VPG’s Transition To Work (TtW) Program supports young people aged 15-21 on their journey into employment.
“The Transition to Work service has a strong focus on practical intervention and work experience to build a young person’s skills, confidence and readiness to engage in employment once they leave school,
“Young people will receive intensive, pre-employment support to improve their work readiness and to help them into work or education including apprenticeships or traineeships. Employers will receive help to recruit young employees who meet their business needs also,” said Maryanne Tranter, Chief Executive Officer, Vocational Partnerships Group (VPG).
VPG has experience working with young people from all walks of life and all skill levels.
“Our strong focus on building capacity in young people has proven very successful with long term employment for young people to date. It’s all about providing the right post school training and support for them to be everything they want to be.
“Services for young people in the Transition to Work program has a strong focus on helping young people to understand what is expected in the workplace and to develop the skills, attitudes
and behaviours expected by employers,” said Ms Tranter.
The Transition to Work program helps participants:
- develop practical skills to get a job
- connect with education or training
- find and participate in work experience opportunities
- identify employment opportunities in the local area
- connect with relevant local community services
Services for employers
VPG delivers high quality services to employers to ensure young people meet their needs and are supported to settle into a job through the Transition to Work initiative.
“For instance, we will ensure participants receive pre-employment skills development that is directly relevant to the needs of the employer and local labour market conditions,” said Ms Tranter.
Subsidies Available
For eligible young people, providers will be able to offer a youth wage subsidy of up to $10,000 over 6 months to help employers take on new starters, such as any hiring or training costs.
Providers will also offer post placement support. This includes regular contact to ensure the young person is settling in and that the employer’s expectations are being met.
Who is eligible for Transition to Work?
Transition to Work is particularly targeted at early school leavers, however the service will also support some young people who need support transitioning from education to employment. This can include all eligible young people regardless of their income support status.
Refer to www.employment.gov.au/youth for further information on Transition to Work eligibility.
Who can refer young people to the Transition to Work service?
Young people can be referred to Transition to Work services through different pathways, reflecting the different circumstances of each young person. For example:
- Eligible young people will be referred to a local Transition to Work provider by the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) when they first claim income support.
- Eligible young people will be able to directly register with a provider.
- Eligible young people may be referred to a Transition to Work provider by a jobactive provider.
For more information visit www.employment.gov.au/youth or call VPG Cairns office on (07) 4032 1677.
