Helping the Next Generation Transition to Work

There are nearly a quarter of a million young Australians out of work, and the number of people starting an apprenticeship or traineeship has fallen by 40 per cent over the last three years. The National Retail Association (NRA) has partnered with Busy at Work to deliver the Transition to Work program in the Sunshine Coast region to assist young people in finding employment.

What is the new Transition to Work service?

Transition to Work is a new service to support young people aged 15-21 on their journey to employment. The service will provide intensive, pre-employment support to improve the work-readiness of young people and help them into work (including apprenticeships and traineeships) or education.

An Australian Government initiative, the Transition to Work service 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.

How does the Transition to Work service work for employers?

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. Transition to Work Providers will deliver services to employers to recruit young employees who meet their business needs and are supported to settle into a job. For eligible young people, a youth wage subsidy of up to $6,500 over 12 months is available to help employers take on new starters, such as any hiring or training costs. This includes regular contact to ensure the young person is settling in and the employer’s expectations are being met. The Transition to Work service 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.

For Queensland members, BUSY At Work is the local Transition to Work Provider for the Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast regions. The NRA is working with Busy at Work in these regions to prepare young people for work in a retail environment. Over the coming months the NRA will be delivering retail training to young jobseekers in Caloundra, Maroochydore, Nambour, Gympie, Hervey Bay, Noosaville, and Kingaroy. For more information about how employers can become involved in the Busy at Work Transition to Work program, please contact NRA Training Director Yvonne Williams.

For members in other regions, to find your local Transition to Work provider visit the Find a Provider page on the jobactive website.