The Coalition government has cut unemployment benefits for 1300 young people who refused to participate in its internship program.
Those long-term unemployed who lost their welfare payments had failed to attend compulsory Employability Skills Training as part of the Youth Jobs PaTH scheme.
The $750million PaTH – Prepare, Trial, Hire – program started on April 1, and 9427 young Australians have started the training so far.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash (pictured) said the program involved mutual obligations and was committed to getting young people off welfare and into the workforce
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the program involved mutual obligations and was committed to getting young people off welfare and into the workforce, The Australian reported.
‘Australians rightly expect that those in receipt of welfare undertake pre-employment skills training so they obtain the necessary skills to get a job,’ she said.
‘Young people want to work and they recognise the best way to get a job is to engage in skills training that will provide them with the skills they need.’
Labor MP Ed Husic said the government was using a program intended to help young people find employment to cut welfare benefits.
Labor MP Ed Husic (pictured) said the government was using a program intended to help young people find employment to cut welfare benefits
‘The government should fix its job programs instead of punishing young people,’ said Mr Husic.
Australian Council of Trade Unions boss Ged Kearney called the cuts ‘cruel’ and said young people were struggling to buy homes and find work.
He said government was paying businesses to hire low-paid workers, giving those workers training of dubious value and suspending the benefits of those who couldn’t take part.
The Coalition government has cut unemployment benefits to 1300 young people who refused to participate in its internship program (pictured is Centrelink, which delivers government benefits)
Ms Cash said government planned to fund 120,000 internships through the program over the next four years, paying businesses up to $10,000 if their interns find a job.
In the last five months 583 young people have finished internships, and 71 per cent of those were able to land a job as a result.
PaTH aims to provide young people with pre-employment skills before they complete a government-sponsored internship to gain work experience.
Companies are then offered financial incentives to employ those who have completed internships.
PaTH (pictured) aims to provide young people with pre-employment skills before they complete a government-sponsored internship to gain work experience