The Palaszczuk Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work program will assist a further 164 job seekers in the Caboolture region in the coming months.
State Member for Morayfield Mark Ryan said he was delighted to announce further funding of $817,000 for four new projects.
“Already hundreds of people in our region have had their lives transformed by the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program, and now we’re announcing the largest funding round since the initiative was reinstated in 2015,” he said.
“This funding will go to not-for-profit community organisations and in turn they will provide unemployed or under-employed people with the training and support they need to improve their chances of finding a good job.
“This latest round includes one project that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers to gain skills and experience to equip them for work in the community sector, and for entry-level business roles.”
Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said the projects were selected to address local needs to prepare participants with the skills that local employers are looking for.
“We know that the initiative works. It’s great for participants and it’s great for local business and the local economy,” she said.
Participants can also study to earn a nationally recognised qualification, up to certificate III level, through some projects, or take on a paid Work Skills Traineeship while studying a qualification in business, construction, conservation and land management, hospitality or retail.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work projects assist a variety of people and have helped job-seekers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature age people and women achieve strong, positive results.
“Different groups face different barriers when applying for work,” said Mark Ryan. “So it’s important that projects can respond to the individual’s needs.
“Businesses that employ Skilling Queenslanders for Work graduates, who are under 25 years-of-age, as an apprentice or trainee may be eligible for the $20,000 Work Start Youth Boost incentive, which kicked off on 1 July.”
Interested job seekers should visit www.training.qld.gov.au/sqw to check the eligibility requirements, then contact the community organisations delivering projects in their local area.
Applications for Skilling Queenslanders for Work’s second funding round will open on 1 August.
2018-19 1st Funding Round Approved Projects (Morayfield Electorate)
Challenge Employment & Training Ltd (www.challengeemployment.com.au)
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd (www.iuih.org.au)
WORKLINKS INC (www.worklinks.com.au)
YOURTOWN (www.yourtown.com.au)
