In what has been a turbulent year for Tasmania's job market, 23-year-old George Town resident Michael Blachford has shown that hard work still pays off.
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Mr Blachford had worked in a number of trades including painting, however he had recently been unemployed for about six months.
He undertook at 12-week internship through the PaTH program facilitated by the Salvation Army's Employment Plus office at George Town.
Through this internship, Mr Blachford said he did various upkeep tasks for the George Town Council.
As a result, Mr Blachford is now under contract from fellow George Town operation KEEN Partners to continue his work for council.
"I'm very appreciative to have been given the chance to gain practical experience at the council and to find a job with a council partner is an ideal outcome," he said.
"I have tried a few other things but this really suits me. I can honestly say I love getting up doing this type of work and I've not had a bad day since I started."
In other news:
Organisations that host interns through the PaTH program received $1000, with up to $10,000 also available through the Youth Bonus Wage Subsidy if the intern is aged under 25 years old and works more than 20 hours a week.
Employment Plus site manager at George Town Delanie Sky said she'd like to see more uptake in the program, given the continuing issue of youth unemployment in the region further emphasised by COVID-19.
"It's a good time to take on an intern and show them the ropes of the business, and the young person can find out if it's something they like, and then when it [business] picks up again a placement could come from it," she said.
"The scheme provides significant subsidies for staff costs whilst providing opportunity and a positive outlook for our young job seekers in our community."
George Town Council general manager Shane Power said council had also been employing workers in the area displaced from COVID-19 in sectors such as hospitality and tourism.