Westpac Group has committed to recruit at least 40 Indigenous university student interns every year for the next 10 years.
The contract signed with CareerTrackers, a non-profit organisation that creates cadetship opportunities within the private sector for Indigenous university students, will see the bank increase its intake of Indigenous recruits to its highest level since the partnership started in 2011.
Michael Coombs is the founder and the chief executive of the CareerTrackers Internship Program.
He says there are many reasons why Indigenous students find it harder to make the transition from university to employment, with the main one being the high drop out rate of Indigenous people from tertiary study.
"It comes down to students often living in situations and accommodation that isn't often suitable to a learning environment for university students. Financial support and income is also quite a big issue."
Mr Coombs says CareerTrackers measures the success of its program in a number of ways, including how many of the students are invited back by the employer either for another internship or another employment opportunity.
"Each summer of their degree they complete their internship so that it leads to full-time employment. We look at how many students get invited back. Currently that sits at 96 per cent of our students."
CareerTrackers aims for its students to go from being cadets to full-time employees on the completion of their university degree.
Mr Coombs added that around 89 per cent of the students involved in its programs find full-time work with their internship employer.
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