Deadline: 19-Aug-21
The Queensland Government has announced $320 million over 4 years, with $80 million each year ongoing, to continue the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative. You can apply for the same now.
The initiative will assist up to 15,000 disadvantaged Queenslanders each year to gain skills, qualifications and experience to enter and stay in the workforce.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work funds training and support for unemployed or underemployed people, with a focus on young people (including those in and transitioned from out-of-home care), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, mature-age jobseekers, women re-entering the workforce, veterans and ex-service personnel, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work is characterised by:
- clearly defined target groups
- voluntary participation
- individual pathways
- integrated mix of assistance
- strong support for participants
Programs
There are eight programs that make up the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.
- Community Work Skills: Funds community-based organisations to deliver tailored support and assistance to participants to help them gain nationally recognised skills and qualifications. This includes a mix of career advice, job preparation skills, foundation skills and individual case management. In 2021–22, $10 million will be available under the Community Work Skills program to assist disadvantaged Queenslanders to gain nationally recognised qualifications up to certificate III and build skills that will maximise their local job opportunities.
- Work Skills Traineeships: Funds paid work placements on community, public works and environmental projects for up to six months. Participants undertake a Work Skills Traineeship (Certificate I in Business, Construction, Conservation and Land Management, Hospitality or Retail Services) that integrates vocational skills with on-the-job training. In 2021–22, $37.35 million will be available under the Work Skills Traineeships program to assist long-term unemployed and disadvantaged Queenslanders to develop the skills and experience needed to gain employment.
- Ready for Work: Funds community-based organisations and school Parents and Citizens’ and Parents and Friends’ associations to deliver basic job preparation and employability skills courses up to 6–8 weeks to unemployed job seekers to get them ready for work. Ready for Work is being expanded in 2021-22 to also cater for adult job seekers as well as young people. In 2021–22, $4 million will be available under the Ready for Work program to assist disadvantaged Queenslanders get back to work sooner.
- Get Set for Work: Funds community-based organisations to deliver intensive employment and training assistance over 12 months to 15–19 year old early school leavers and disadvantaged young people to transition them to the workforce, undertake further education and training or return to school. In 2021–22, $8.75 million will be available to help disadvantaged young people under the Get Set for Work program.
- Youth Skills: Funds community-based organisations to assist 15–24 year olds engaged with Youth Justice or Queensland Corrective Services or the Queensland Police Service, to undertake nationally recognised training and provide integrated learner support. In 2021–22, $1 million will be available under the Youth Skills program to assist young people.
- Community Foundation Skills: Funds community-based organisations to deliver customised foundation skills training to disadvantaged Queenslanders with low level language, literacy, numeracy and digital (LLND) skills. Community Foundation Skills is a new program available from 2021-22. In 2021–22, $5 million will be available to support disadvantaged Queenslanders and under-utilised workers to develop the foundation skills required to pursue their career aspirations and support transitions to further training, employment or improved job roles.
- Skill Up: Funds community-based organisations, including notfor-profit peak industry bodies, to provide tailored assistance and industry focussed training to adult job seekers aged 25 years and over to help them get started on new career paths. Skill Up is a new program available from 2021-22. In 2021-22, $4 million will be available to support adults 25 years and older to upskill or reskill in entry level positions in high priority industries to maximise existing and future job opportunities.
- First Start: Provides wage subsidies to local councils and community-based organisations to employ additional trainees. The program offers opportunities for young people and disadvantaged job seekers to gain nationally recognised qualifications and 12 months employment by undertaking a traineeship. In 2021–22, $6 million will be available for local councils to create 400 new traineeships under the First Start program. A further $2.4 million will be available for community-based organisations to create up to 120 new traineeships.
Eligibility Criteria
Job-seekers
To be eligible for a project, you must:
- need support to gain the skills or qualification required to achieve any of the following goals:
- successfully gain employment
- secure more stable employment
- build foundation skills to the level for the successful completion of a vocational qualification
- reskill and retrain following redundancy or a long absence from work
- be a Queensland resident
- be aged 15 years or older (and meet any other age requirements of a program)
- meet Australian residency requirements.
Employers
- Organisations eligible for First Start funding include:
- Local councils, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils, and statutory authorities
- Incorporated not-for-profit CBOs.
- Eligible organisations must be community-based and must not operate in a commercially competitive environment.
- Organisations must be registered for GST and also able to demonstrate a commitment to access and equity principles, as well as an ability to provide appropriate support services.
Training Providers and Community Organisations
- Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) primarily targets Queensland residents who are:
- ineligible for Australian Government employment services or assistance; or
- require complementary services because they have significant barriers to learning and employment; or
- have accessed Australian Government services for more than six months and remain unemployed.
- Key target groups for SQW include:
- young people (15-24 years), including those in and transitioned from out-of-home care
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- mature age jobseekers (45+ years)
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- people with disability
- women re-entering the workforce
- veterans, ex-Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families.
- More broadly, disadvantaged jobseekers and underutilised Queensland workers are able to access assistance under SQW. Participants who fall into this category do not have to belong to one of the target groups listed above.
- Participants must be:
- Queensland residents
- aged 15 years or older
- an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant), temporary resident with the necessary visa and work permits on a pathway to permanent residency, or a New Zealand citizen.
- Each SQW program provides targeted assistance. A summary of each of the programs and the target group is summarised in the table. For further details on participant eligibility for specific programs, please reference the guidelines for the SQW program.
Criteria
- Tailored, local community-based support is offered to young people, mature-age job seekers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, women re-entering the workforce, Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans, recently released prisoners; and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
For more information, visit https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/training-careers/incentives/sqw