In June 2015, the Australian chapter of the Hellenic Initiative (THI) launched its Internship Programme to provide work and training opportunities for young Greek graduates. THI Australia has partnered with more than twenty Australian companies to offer six-month paid internship positions, representing a €1.7 million investment for over two years.
The first forty-three graduates selected, who are due to depart early 2016, were formally introduced to the president of the Australian chapter of the Hellenic Initiative, Nick Pappas, on November 16, in Athens. A lawyer and chairman of Bank of Sydney, Pappas explains that “it is not that Australian bankers are brighter than their Greek peers, it is about working in a highly developed environment inherited by the British”.
The programme’s mission is to help interns receive mentorship, based on their Australian workplace experience. Participating companies include major Australian banks and placements are spread across Australia in a variety of industries. Past the six-month period, graduates must return to Greece, hopefully, with new mindsets and experiences. The return is obligatory “otherwise, we would be not helping Greece”, Pappas concludes.
The Australian Internship Programme is in partnership with the ReGeneration programme in Greece.
TAGS: BUSINESS & TRADE | CRISIS | EDUCATION
