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Queensland is leading the nation in job creation and we need to support everyone who wants to work into a good job.
Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032 will connect Queenslanders with the work they want, support employers to develop inclusive work practices and grow a stronger and more diverse workforce.
Industry, community and government are committed to tackling skills and labour shortages together by addressing the different needs of our diverse population, businesses and regions, identified at the Queensland Workforce Summit in March 2022.
The strategy is built on 3 pillars to connect, educate and attract the state's workforce to ensure the continued success of our economy, while enhancing Queensland's reputation as the best place to live, work and play.
Supporting the strategy is the first 3-year action plan to strengthen partnerships between industry, community and government to deliver a range of initiatives.
The Queensland Government will also continue to work closely with the Australian Government as it delivers its Jobs and Skills Summit to address national economic challenges.
Action Plan 2022–2025
Workforce participation
Focus: Enable all Queenslanders to participate in the workforce and support employers to rethink their employment practices and grow a more diverse workforce.
- Establish a network of Industry-based Workforce Advisors to work directly with employers to help them to address workforce challenges and diversify their workforces
- Support more Queenslanders, particularly women, to access the workforce through fostering flexible work practices to widen the pool of available workers
- Establish a Multicultural Affairs Settlement Team to advocate and improve workforce outcomes for migrants and refugees
- Expand the Diverse Queensland Workforce Program to ensure migrants, refugees and international students have the support and guidance needed to find a fulfilling job and build rewarding careers
- Deliver the Social Enterprise Jobs Fund to support profit-for-purpose businesses and increase the participation of Queenslanders currently underrepresented in our workforce
- Partner with industry to harness the existing skills of the onshore migrant workforce, particularly to address skills shortages in high demand sectors
- Deliver the First Nations Training Strategy to support First Nations people to be better connected with training and skilling opportunities that link to sustainable local jobs
- Deliver the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Economic Strategy to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders
- Deliver the Queensland Public Sector Inclusion and Diversity Strategy 2021–2025 to improve outcomes for groups who may be underrepresented in the workforce, and showcase the Queensland Government as a model employer
- Deliver the next state disability plan through a co-design process, incorporating priorities under Australia's Disability Strategy 2021–2031 including increasing employment opportunities for people with disability.
Local solutions
Focus: Implement locally focused and led workforce planning and initiatives and coordinate efforts across industry, the community and government at all levels to focus on local and regional workforce priorities.
- Partner with rural and remote communities to deliver local skills and job creation initiatives to increase workforce capacity in these locations
- Partner with regions to develop workforce plans and initiatives to support 'grow your own' workforces and cross-sector skills development
- Increase subsidies available to eligible regional apprentices/trainees to offset their travel and accommodation costs when attending training offsite
- Include a focus on place-based approaches within the design and development of relevant future workforce-related programs
- Extend the Rural Jobs initiatives for the Queensland agricultural sector to continue efforts to attract, train and retain a skilled and high performing workforce.
School-to-work transitions
Focus: Create strong and effective school-industry partnerships across Queensland and improve access to high-quality career information for school students.
- Develop regional action plans to expand and assist school-based apprenticeships and traineeships
- Expand the Gateway to Industry Schools program to include the hydrogen industry and ensure accessibility for individuals and groups that may be underrepresented
- Appoint Regional School Industry Partnership managers in education regions to strengthen school-industry partnerships and support school to work transitions
- Create a career development program for teachers and a career education program for students in Years 7 to 10 to help them understand their potential career options.
Workforce attraction and retention
Focus: Partner with industries and communities on new approaches to attract and retain workers and support industry-led initiatives to work differently to increase workforce capability and capacity.
- Establish a Workforce Connect Fund to increase investment in industry and community-led projects that address workforce shortages
- Partner with the health and community services sectors to create and implement sector-led workforce development, attraction and retention strategies
- Create a Queensland Government Skilled Workforce Attraction Office to promote Queensland as an attractive destination to live, work and play
- Develop the skills pathways for the growing clean energy economy, including the critical skills required for Queensland to embrace the emerging opportunities in clean energy
- Develop a Queensland Resources Industry Workforce Plan, as an action under the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan
- Enhance the Mentoring for Growth program to provide further one-on-one support to employers to help them address their workforce challenges
- Implement new initiatives focused on supporting apprentices and trainees to complete their training
- Deliver an internship program pilot for a supported pathway for people with a trade qualification to become qualified teachers
Skilling Queenslanders now and into the future
Focus: Develop an innovative, modern and flexible training system that delivers for traditional and emerging industries, and increase collaboration between government, industry and the education system at all levels.
- Develop a VET Strategy to ensure that Queensland's $1.2 billion annual investment in skills and training is tailored to meet current and future workforce needs
- Partner with industry to increase the uptake of higher-level apprenticeships and traineeships in industries where strong demand exists
- Extend the Micro-Credentialing Pilot Program to provide increased access to industry-supported short courses
- Expand the Group Training Organisation Pre-Apprenticeships Program to encourage more individuals to complete an apprenticeship and to provide employers with greater access to skilled workers
- Partner with Queensland's university sector to increase collaboration and engagement between the Queensland Government, universities and industry
- Develop pathways into higher education courses for those interested in pursuing a career in automation and support upskilling and reskilling in autonomous technology fields through an additional investment of $3.3 million in the Queensland Future Skills Partnership.