A Youth Jobs PaTH internship in a local dentistry has resulted in a young Maitland resident, Fred, securing a job as a dental assistant.
Fred always had an interest in dentistry, his mum having working as a dental assistant. However, he wasn't quite sure what steps to take to follow in his mother's footsteps.
Little did he know, his Transition to Work provider, Mai-Wel, was already on the lookout for the right opportunity for him. Transition to Work is another Australian Government program that supports young people develop work-ready skills.
Mai-Wel negotiated a PaTH Internship with Tooth n Care dentistry in East Maitland and the rest as they say, is history.
"Fred was very keen from the start," Mai-Wel business development officer Amy Bottrell said.
"He found the employer and co-workers to be very supportive and informative when teaching him how the business operates."
Fred was determined to take this internship opportunity with both hands.
"You have to be prepared to invest your time and energy to succeed. Dentistry is like learning a whole different language," he said.
Fred built his confidence by observing, asking questions and learning on the job. His soon-to-be employer quickly noticed Fred's can-do attitude and enthusiasm.
"Fred was a great match for our business. It was obvious he was enjoying the opportunity from the start and really thrived in the role," Tooth n Care owner Nisheeth Agruwal said.
"His confidence grew and instantly he built rapport with existing staff in the workplace, picked up a lot of procedures easily and quickly and was given more opportunities due to his confidence and quick learning qualities."
"This made it an easy decision for us to end the internship earlier than planned and offer him the job," Nisheeth said.
As well as supporting young people, Youth Jobs PaTH also supports employers by giving them the opportunity to trial a young person in the workplace, and receive a wage subsidy if the young person is then employed.
"Youth Jobs PaTH was a great pathway for us selecting an intern and subsequently employing Fred," Nisheeth said.
