Virgin Australia has teamed up with the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) to provide flights and firsthand insights for The Travel Gap youth travel and jobs initiative as the program’s official Domestic Airline Partner.
Virgin Australia joins forces with ATIA and My First Job youth employment platform to deliver The Travel Gap, a 29-week program designed to attract school leavers to the travel industry with hands-on experience, industry insights and long-term connections.
As the program’s domestic airline partner, Virgin Australia will enable participants to move between placements with travel brands and host employers, ensuring they experience the full scope of the industry from the tarmac to the travel desk.
ATIA CEO Dean Long said The Travel Gap is the latest delivery of the Project A30, a strategic roadmap to future-proof Australia’s $69 billion travel sector with a professional pipeline.
“The Travel Gap is the first major delivery of our A30 Workforce program and having Virgin Australia fuel this initiative is a game-changer,” he said.
“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, and the strength of our relationship with Virgin Australia allows us to deliver a program that is truly national and world-class.”
Virgin Australia Manager Global Agency Partnerships Lorraine Donnan said: “We are thrilled to be the Domestic Airline Partner for The Travel Gap.”
“By helping ‘gappers’ move around the country, we are not just supporting their journey; we are helping them see the vital role aviation plays in the travel ecosystem. We want to inspire them to choose travel as a career for life.”
My First Job Ceo And Founder Cass Champion said: “The Travel Gap is about empowering young Australians to step confidently into the workforce. Partnering with Virgin Australia and ATIA makes perfect sense; we are providing the tools, the trust, and now the travel to help Gen Z chart their own course through meaningful, purpose-driven work.”
Find out more at atia.travel
