More than $7.1 million from the Queensland Government’s First Start program will fund 365 traineeships and 110 apprenticeships at 63 Queensland Councils, including eleven Indigenous Councils.
Queensland Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, Di Farmer, said the program aims to provide young people and disadvantaged job seekers with opportunities to gain a nationally recognised qualification and 12-24 months paid employment.
“That’s a total of 475 new jobs created across Queensland and new careers getting started.
“Of these jobs, 74 per cent are in regional and remote Queensland, and all 110 apprenticeship places have been allocated to regional and remote Queensland councils – an important and deliberate strategy to prioritise jobs in our regional communities,” Ms Farmer said.
Part of Skilling Queenslanders for Work, the First Start program enables participants to undertake a subsidised traineeship or apprenticeship with a local council or statutory authority, or a subsided traineeship with a not-for-profit community-based organisation.
Since 2015, First Start has supported 2,426 young people and disadvantaged job seekers.
The Queensland Government Statistician’s Office December 2021 SQW Survey Report found 91.4 per cent of First Start participants were employed after completing their traineeships.
The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) assists with the bidding and allocation of First Start traineeship and apprenticeship places across interested councils.
LGAQ CEO, Alison Smith, said the First Start program made a big difference to Queensland communities with councils able to offer training across more than 240 occupational areas.
“In many parts of Queensland, councils are the biggest employers in the community,” Ms Smith said.
“First Start is another way of giving people the jobs, training and skills they need while helping them stay in the communities they love, particularly in First Nation councils, remote and regional areas.”
Ms Farmer said the First Start program supported many focus areas from the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032.
“Councils will now manage the recruitment for their positions and choose the qualifications they need to add to their workforce, to ensure that regional needs are met,” Ms Farmer said.
“This program supports workforce participation with key regional employers and recorded strong diversity outcomes with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people making up more than 19 per cent of participants.
“First Start also fosters local solutions and apprenticeships and traineeships are important pathways for school-leavers and other young people to make a strong start in the workforce.
“This is an exciting announcement for our regions and people interested in launching a career with the local government sector, which delivers a fantastic range of services for our communities.”
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.
