I propose to take Questions Nos. 330 to 335, inclusive, together.
As at 28 April, 2014, 8,020 JobBridge interns were aged under 25 years, of whom 3,410 finished early, 2,751 finished in full, and 1,859 were currently on an internship.
Regarding those who finished early, it should be noted that a high proportion of each cohort finish early to move directly into employment.
According to the independent evaluation of JobBridge, participation in JobBridge by those under 25 and under 35 exceeds their proportion of the Live Register. The independent evaluation found that 28.4% of JobBridge interns were under 25, while they made up 17.1% of the Live Register and 45.1% of interns were between 25 and 34 years, while they made up 30.2% of the Live Register. This reflects the appeal of a JobBridge internship for those seeking to broaden their skills base, enhance their real workplace experience and add to their CV.
The Department does not keep records on the number of interns aged between 18-29 years as a separate cohort. However, as at 28 April, 2014, 12,304 JobBridge interns were aged between 25 and 34 years, of whom 4,978 finished early, 4,583 finished in full, and 2,747 were currently on an internship.