The Queensland Government will inject $2.3 million into the Growing Workforce Participation Fund, helping to create a more diverse workforce across the state.
More than a dozen industry and community groups will receive grants up to $200,000. In turn, this will help disadvantaged jobseekers connect with suitable employers, including in the construction workforce in South East and Far North Queensland.
This news comes after International Youth Day last week (12 August), in which Mining.com.au revealed that industries including mining are facing competition for talent.
Data obtained by Jobs and Skills Australia revealed that the construction industry is among the largest employing industries, employing around 1.34 million people – representing 9.2% of workers having their main job in the industry.
Comparatively, mining – despite being among the largest contributors to the overall nation’s economy – is a smaller employing industry. Jobs and Skills Australia reports that only 2.2% of workers have mining as their main job, with the sector employing 321,300 people.
Grants are one of the ways the Queensland Government is aiming to secure a pipeline of skilled workers to help deliver a strong economy.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates says the Growing Workforce Participation Fund helps employers and jobseekers build workplace confidence while expanding the pipeline of workers for the future.
“This initiative gives businesses the confidence to employ Queenslanders who have experienced a period of unemployment, and provides disadvantaged jobseekers with pre-employment support, so they can join the workforce with confidence,” Bates says.
The projects included in this round of funding are Regional Development Australia Ipswich & West Moreton’s Women in Agriculture project, Central Queensland University’s Careers in Health for All project, Torres Strait Kaziw Meta’s Remote Indigenous Boarding Students Mentoring and Employment Support project, as well as Australian Brick and Blocklaying Training Foundation’s Lay the Way project.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash & Worldskills Australia
