Host A ‘Travel Gapper’

Build The Next Generation of Travel Professionals.

Host A ‘Travel Gapper’

The Travel Gap is a 29+ week structured school leaver program delivered by My First Job in partnership with the Australian Travel Industry Association.

It creates a direct, structured pathway for young people into the travel sector through paid, professional placements.

For employers, it offers a practical way to engage emerging talent early while contributing to long term workforce sustainability.

How The Employer Model Works

The program runs across four 6 week paid placement blocks.

Host employers can:

Offer one 6 week block
Offer multiple 6 week blocks across the calendar year
Host one Gapper or multiple Gappers within the same block
Host Gappers across different teams, locations or consecutive years

Each placement is time bound and structured. Gappers are integrated into real teams and expected to meet professional standards.

This model allows flexibility for both independent agencies and national organisations.

Are Gappers Paid?

Yes. Gappers are paid by the host employer for each 6 week placement block in line with applicable award rates or entry level industry standards.

Travel break weeks between blocks are not paid.

What Hosting Involves

Host employers are expected to:

Provide a structured 6 week placement
Create framework of responsibilities / tasks aligned to business operations
Offer supervision (buddy) and feedback
Exposure for Gappers to all functions within the organisation

Placements are designed to immerse young people in how the business operates. The program is not structured as short term administrative support.

What Gappers Should Be Doing

Gappers should gain exposure to the breadth of career pathways within travel. This may include client servicing, sales support, supplier engagement, marketing activity or operational workflows.

While practical support tasks may form a part of learning, placements must provide insight into how the business generates revenue and delivers value.

Why Participate

Hosting a Travel Gapper allows your organisation to:

Identify and assess emerging talent in a defined timeframe
Strengthen early stage recruitment pipelines
Increase brand visibility with school leavers, parents and schools
Contribute to industry workforce development

Some hosts progress Gappers into ongoing employment where alignment and capability are demonstrated.

Industry Participation

In 2026, Gappers are placed with organisations including:

Interested? Register your interest now

Not an Employer?

Future Gappers see more information here.
Interested in supporting as an Industry Partner? Learn about partnership opportunities or register your interest

"This isn't just a recruitment drive; it’s about showing the next generation that travel is a dynamic, people-driven powerhouse with endless career paths. We are innovating at pace to solve workforce shortages" - Dean Long, CEO ATIA

Employer FAQs

Yes. Gappers are paid by the host employer for each 6 week placement block in line with applicable award rates or entry level industry standards. Travel break weeks between placement blocks are not paid.
Employers are responsible for wages during the 6 week placement block in line with applicable award rates. As this is a national program, some Gappers may temporarily relocate from interstate. In these cases, employers may be asked to contribute toward accommodation costs. Performance based incentives or bonuses are encouraged where appropriate.
Gappers should be immersed in real business functions and exposed to diverse career pathways within your organisation. The placement should extend beyond basic administrative support and provide meaningful industry exposure.
No. While practical support may form part of the learning experience, the program is structured for capability development and industry immersion rather than short term administrative assistance.
A nominated supervisor should provide oversight, structured engagement and professional feedback throughout the 6 week placement block.
Yes. At the conclusion of the 29+ week program, employers may offer ongoing employment where capability and alignment have been demonstrated.

Host A ‘Travel Gapper’