Locally owned family business Biloela Mechanical and Agricultural Services (BMAS) provides quality farm machinery and servicing to their farming communities. They pride themselves on their dedication to the job and are passionate about hiring locals and making BMAS a great place to work.
Shari, business manager and owner of BMAS, has had great success with the Queensland Government's Back to Work program when hiring labourer Russel and apprentice mechanic Travis.
Shari said, 'We wouldn't have been able to do this without the funding. As a small business, there is risk factor when employing staff. A lot of time and money is invested into onboarding, PPE, safety equipment licenses, and training'.
Shari has been approved for additional funding under the Small Business Support Pool, which will support both Travis and Russel to complete essential training and to acquire licences to provide them with new opportunities and skills. Russel was previously long-term unemployed and is now a valued worker at BMAS, known for his good worth ethic. Shari also praises Travis for his teamwork and willingness to give things a go.
The Back to Work program also offers many non-financial wrap-around supports which Shari has also utilised, such as the Harrison Tool for Retention.
Shari advised, 'The tool is really good for establishing goals and a vision, not many people do goal setting, and it would be really difficult to draw this information out without these reports'.
Shari added, 'Russel is currently working part-time and is keen to be full-time. The reports have helped with considering the additional tasks he could do, such as car detailing and the training needed to upskill and work towards working full-time'.
By engaging with Back to Work, BMAS have made a choice to invest in their employees, improving the chances of retaining skilled team members who they know are a good fit for the business, ultimately saving time, energy and recruitment costs.
More information
Learn more about the Back to Work program.
Last updated 7 May 2024
