Industry and community groups have just under two weeks left to apply for the Queensland Government’s Growing Workforce Participation Fund, which is offering support to turn jobseekers into new workers.
Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said eligible organisations could apply for grants of $20,000 to $200,000 to trial new programs that will help jobseekers and employers to connect.
“Queensland’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan has seen our unemployment rate fall to 4.0 per cent, which makes attracting and retaining workers even more important for industries gearing up as our economy powers forward,” Minister Farmer said.
“The $1.5 million Growing Workforce Participation Fund was launched in March this year and is part of our Back to Work initiative.
“The fund aims to support industries and community bodies to address labour and skills shortages they are facing, by improving the ways they engage with disadvantaged people who are looking for work.
“This may be through job-matching services, pre-employment pathways or other innovative resources and programs” Minister Farmer said.
“Attracting new workers and keeping them, means they pick up more skills and experience in the workplace, which will raise their productivity and open new opportunities that can lead to rewarding, long-term careers.
“The fund has a focus on assisting employers and jobseekers across regional Queensland and in the Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Scenic Rim and Somerset local government areas in the South East corner.
“Supporting industries to develop new ways to recruit and retain workers, including reaching out to young people, the long-term unemployed, Aboriginal people, Torres Strait Islander people and people with disability, is an exciting prospect because each industry knows where the opportunities and needs are across the state.
“Queensland’s future is looking bright but key sectors of our economy need to pursue new, innovative ideas to tackle the threat of workforce shortages.
“Through the Growing Workforce Participation Fund the Queensland Government is supporting them to act now to benefit employers in their industry as well as a range of jobseekers across the state,” Minister Farmer said,
Applications to the Fund close at 5pm on 9 May 2022.
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