Skills for Queensland - Great training for quality jobs

Queensland's future economic prosperity will depend on the availability of a skilled workforce.

Skills for Queensland – Great training for quality jobs is the Queensland Government's plan to secure our future prosperity through a skilled and adaptive workforce. It aims to address the growing imperative to equip all working-aged Queenslanders with skills that meet the current and future needs of the labour market right across the state.

Read Skills for Queensland – Great training for quality jobs (PDF, 1.7MB).

Planning for, and adapting, our skills and workforce development approaches will help industry and businesses of all sizes to create job opportunities. We want to assist workers and job seekers to be highly capable and adaptable throughout their working lives.

A broader range of pathways and better tailoring of programs is needed to cater for a changing labour market, with additional focus on new and emerging skills and capabilities. More innovative and flexible training opportunities will give Queenslanders better access to skilling, reskilling and upskilling pathways to remain agile as jobs evolve.

The 6 focus areas and key initiatives in the Skills Strategy build on the existing strengths of the training system to ensure planned investment is targeted and responsive to skills needed now and in the future.

Key initiatives

Industry and small business

• The Free apprenticeships for under 25s initiative that will expand across to fee-free apprenticeship and traineeship training for Queenslanders up to 25 years of age.
• Refreshed industry engagement approaches with a sharper focus on small business.
• Establishment of a Ministerial Skills Roundtable.
• Biannual regional skills and jobs summits to better inform government planning.

Future skills through an adaptive system

• $5.5 million over 3 years for a micro-credentialing pilot.
• $300,000 over 2 years for an industry-lead Higher Level Apprenticeship pilot.
• An additional $5 million to support higher level skills.

Jobs for regional Queensland

• New Regional Jobs Committees to identify trends and opportunities and deliver place-based solutions.
• A further $5 million for the Regional Skills Adjustment Strategy so TAFE Queensland can continue to support regional workforces navigate change.

Quality

• A new Skills Assure approach to quality for government subsidised training.

Inclusivity and the public provider

• Public provider infrastructure investment of $105.8 million.

Better pathways

• Better career advice in schools about VET options.
• An additional $1.5 million to refresh and expand the Gateway to Industry Schools Program, with an increase from 6 industries to 10.
• $1.6 million for a Link and Launch pilot initiative that will help disengaged young people to reconnect with further education, training and employment.
• $2.3 million for a Digital Engagement Strategy to provide tailored information on possible career pathways to empower young people to make decisions about the right career for them.

Next steps

Skills for Queensland – Great training for quality jobs will be implemented in 2019–20, with key initiatives rolled out to deliver real benefits at local and state levels.

Key initiatives in the strategy will be showcased across the state over the next few months. Further details will be available shortly.

For enquiries, contact info@desbt.qld.gov.au.

Related information

• Skills Strategy consultation process.
• Future of Work – Skills and Industry Summit – November 2018 (PDF, 2.2MB).

Last updated 13 May 2021