The Palaszczuk Government has committed $2.659 million from its Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to assist 396 people across North Queensland.
Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said 198 projects across the state would assist more than 6400 Queenslanders thanks to $41.1 million from this latest funding round.
"The 14 funded projects in Townsville, Cloncurry, Mount Isa and Charters Towers will deliver tailored support for local unemployed and underemployed people, to prepare them for new opportunities with businesses in key sectors for the local economy," Minister Farmer said.
"Skilling Queenslanders for Work has assisted more than 43,500 people to gain employment and it is exciting to see how these newest projects will push that number to keep growing."
Member for Thuringowa, Aaron Harper said the announcement would be a welcome boost for employers as well as jobseekers.
"Skilling Queenslanders for Work prepares people to enter or re-join the workforce or to find more meaningful jobs, which assists local businesses which want to find more job ready people," Mr Harper said.
"By supporting young people, culturally and linguistically diverse people, mature age people, people with disability and others who face barriers when they apply for jobs to build up general workplace understanding and specific knowledge and skills will help fill vital roles in key industries for our economy."
Minister Farmer said among the latest projects to be funded are:
- Myuma's Buddies in Civil Construction project will assist eight people in Camooweal, outside Mount Isa, thanks to $258,000.
- Cowboys Rugby League Football's Cowboys Dream, Believe, Achieve project will assist 20 people in Townsville thanks to $86,800.
"These projects assist people from a variety of backgrounds to improve their employment prospects including young people looking for their first job, women returning to the workforce, migrants and refugees making a new life in Queensland and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wanting to support their community," Minister Farmer said.
"The benefits these projects produce reach beyond the individuals who are recruited. It flows through to support their families and improve communities as well as assist businesses in a range of industries.
"Skilling Queenslanders for Work is an important part of Queensland's COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan.
"In last month's 2022-23 State Budget, we increased our investment in skills and training to more than $1.2 billion to continue delivering high quality training and creating exciting career pathways for Queenslanders.
"Providing opportunities for all Queenslanders to participate in the workforce will be a key focus of our forthcoming workforce strategy which acknowledges that to address current workforce shortages, every Queenslander who wants to work needs to be given a pathway to do so.
"Our workforce strategy will attract, connect and educate workers and employers to set Queensland up for success now and into the Olympic decade."
Skilling Queenslanders for Work funds skills development, training and job opportunities for unemployed, disengaged or disadvantaged Queenslanders through a suite of targeted skills and training programs.
Seventy-six per cent of participants find work or take on further training around 12 months after exiting a Skilling Queenslanders for Work program.
