Employers

The Transition to Work National Community of Practice recognises that a diverse effort across multiple sectors, including industry and employers, is necessary to successfully address youth unemployment.  No one program, or top-down approach, can fix youth unemployment; communities want to be enabled and responsible for co-creating solutions.  As such, the TtW CoP works with employers and other key stakeholders to co-design youth employment pathways, enabling a collaborative process that leverages diverse expertise to ensure initiatives and outcomes are realistic and meaningful.

The TtW CoP works with employers to develop employment opportunities that meet both the aspirations and capabilities of young people, and the needs of local business. It also works to ensure that local development of pre-employment and training initiatives for young people align with job opportunities and growing demand in the local labour market.

A young person’s journey into employment is more than just securing a job and there are a variety of ways in which employers and local industry can be involved in creating opportunities and pathways for young people, including:

  • Engaging with young people
  • Becoming an Employer Champion
  • Working with community
  • Working at a national level

Engaging with young people

  • Host work place tours for experiential learning
  • Talk to young people, sharing your person career journey
  • Host a workshop to develop specific skills and introduce young people to your industry
  • Offer volunteer positions
  • Provide work experience opportunities

Your local TtW CoP partner will work with you to:  

  • provide assistance structuring tours and hands-on learning activities
  • co-design training programs to prepare for work experience and internships
  • Provide support once young people are employed for both the young person and employer

Benefits to employers:

  • Increase and strengthen networks to the community
  • Employ motivated employees with work readiness skills
  • Tailor training for future business requirements
  • Increased workforce diversity, staff loyalty and retention
  • Learn from the experiences of young people
  • Identify young people who may be suitable for further employment
  • Inspire young people to pursue a particular career path
  • Raise the profile of your business or industry

Benefits to young people:

  • Increased independence and networks
  • Gain work experience
  • Build transferable and soft skills
  • Increase employer connections and networks
  • Preparing for the workforce with industry specific training
  • Understanding of entry-level opportunities and diverse career pathways
  • Increase confidence, aspiration and motivation
  • Exposures to different industries, roles and career pathways

Become an Employer Champion

Employer champions of youth employment can make a real difference to the lives of young people and the success of business and community.  Employer champions believe in young people and their capabilities, and the value that young people bring to the workplace and their community.

Employer Champions build youth employment pathways and economic development in the communities by:

  • Sharing their knowledge and expertise and considering the knowledge of others
  • Collaborating with key sectors including skills and training, community organisations, young people and government
  • Connecting with their community and building on strong local networks
  • Advocating for young people and their capabilities and promoting the benefits of investing in young people
  • Creating opportunities for young people to learn about and participate in the workforce in meaningful way
  • Engaging with evidence of good practice and advocate for change at a national policy level.

Every contribution from employer champions is an important step towards changing how young people are supported to learn and work in their community. The TtW CoP in turn supports employer champions to contribute beyond their own business through membership on a local Community Investment Committee or through involvement at a national level.

We travelled around Australian speaking to employers who are part of the Transition to Work program and asked them to share their experiences of bringing young people into their businesses.

Mark Dall’Acqua, Managing Director of MD Conversions in Blacktown in New South Wales has had over a hundred young people through for work experience and would like to see longer placements for young people.

Peter DeJonge, Darwin Operations Manager, Metcash Food & Grocery shares his experience with Transition to Work and Youthworx NT.

Melanie Soo, Human Resources Officer at Sea Swift in Portsmith, Queensland shares her experience of with VPG to offer work experience positions to young people in the hope of ushering in the next generation of workers at Sea Swift.

Contact Us

If you would like more information on our work, or you are an employer who would like to get involved, contact us and someone from our Transition to Work team will respond.