Growing Workforce Participation Fund successful projects

Skills Audit and Training Plan Project

Delivered by Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council

This project is designed to improve staff retention, reduce staff shortages, and improve the employment and career progression prospects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council. This project will address issues with recruitment and retention and aims to match the right people with the right jobs and increase their level of job satisfaction.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Connecting Gladstone's Young Professionals

Delivered by Integreat Queensland Inc

This project proposes to address professional workforce shortages in the Gladstone region by targeting and supporting young working professionals across multiple sectors to become immersed in their local community to create a sense of belonging and achieve longevity in their professional roles within the region.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Workforce Development Program – Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire

Delivered by Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Council

This project aims to enhance employment possibilities and ensure long-term workforce sustainability for the Wujal Wujal community. The project will address existing skills shortages by engaging with and arranging appropriate training and professional development programs to support the target cohorts, ensuring that participants are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen fields and in critical Council and other roles. The project will also focus on attraction and retention strategies by showcasing employment opportunities in Wujal Wujal, as well as upskilling current staff members.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Supporting Diverse Workforces

Delivered by Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) Ltd

This project will follow on from previous GWPF projects to collaborate with 5 community service organisations across Queensland to provide tailored support to improve their human resources capability using the resources now developed.

QCOSS will work one on one with these organisations to identify their workforce participation priorities, and coach them in implementing strategies that attract, support and retain a diverse workforce.

Funding awarded – $199,999

Aged Care Regional Integration Initiative

Delivered by Aged & Community Care Providers Association Ltd

This project proposes to recruit, support, and integrate unemployed migrants into the aged care workforce in regional Queensland. The project will implement:

• a place-based concierge service to support essential workers and their families when relocating to regional Queensland
• an integrated attraction campaign promoting regional Queensland as a great place to live and work
• community integration and social capital building—enhancing community participation and social connections for migrant workers and their families
• and
• professional development and mentorship—ensuring migrant workers are well-placed and supported in their roles.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Dalby Empowered Employment

Delivered by Dalby Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc

The Dalby Empowered Employment project seeks to address the skills shortages in the Dalby region by providing a liaison between employment services and businesses to tailor best fit matches for both the employer and jobseeker, as well as provide support to businesses/employers with onboarding processes and offering one-on-one support during probationary periods for both employer and jobseeker to support and foster long-term working relationships and employment.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Cultural Capability Framework Project

Delivered by Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC

This project aims to bring together local businesses, industry representatives, training bodies and representatives to grow culturally appropriate workplaces by developing an implementing a cultural capability framework. The framework will provide capacity-building and learning opportunities for major projects, business and industry to improve their First Nations human resource strategies, polices and procedures. It will also include the establishment of a local consortium of Indigenous-owned businesses, assisting major projects and government in streamlined engagement to achieve Indigenous participation procurement requirements.

Funding awarded – $188,000

Remote Indigenous boarding students Mentoring & Employment Support

Delivered by Torres Strait Kaziw Meta Inc

The project aims to increase employment outcomes for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the Torres Strait by improving access to vocational education and training programs and addressing labour-market shortages to increase productivity in the region.

The project will employ a full-time transition officer to support young people transition into employment and engage with external business coaches to provide support for training and development pathways, ensuring that participants are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen fields.

Funding awarded – $180,000

Implementing the 2023-2027 Balonne Shire Workforce Development Strategy

Delivered by Balonne Shire Council

The project extends the workforce development officer (WDO) position at Balonne Shire Council, who's main purpose is to help employers, job seekers, residents and key stakeholders to achieve workforce development objectives and outcomes.

Specifically, the WDO will:

• develop a work plan for local employers and prospective job seekers who identify as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, long-term unemployed, youth or people with disabilities
• work with employers to employ candidates from the target groups and support service provider partners to reduce unemployment
• engage employers in current emerging industries
• identify and promote employment and career opportunities to prospective clients
• assist employers and candidates in accessing funding incentives
• develop a participant survey, case studies and a final report of the program.

Funding awarded – $165,000

Community of Practice: Supporting Diverse Workforces

Delivered by Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) Ltd

The project aims to increase the sector’s understanding of the critical importance of diversity in the workforce and provide practical information and resources to support the sector to implement inclusive human resources practices.

The project will build on the original pilot community of practice project to further help community service organisations seeking to improve their employment and retention of diverse employees. Five online 'community of practice' events will be delivered throughout the project, with the sessions exploring the deep-seated issues that affect diversity in the community services sector, along with strategies and actions to address these issues and build more inclusive workplaces.

Funding awarded – $200,000

EnABLED Business Program – Ipswich

Delivered by Spinal Life Australia Ltd

The project will address barriers that prevent full participation of people with a disability in the labour market by appointing a business mentor to work with small-to-medium enterprises, facilitate connections to job seekers with a disability and work with local employment support services.

The project will include the development and delivery of tailored industry training as well as promotional activities at career fairs and industry events. Workshops and online resources will also be delivered to tackle topics such as workplace adaptability, understanding disability and making use of available resources and support.

Funding awarded – $165,000

Engage, Educate, Empower – Goondiwindi Development Champion

Delivered by Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce

The project will appoint a workforce development champion to provide support to job seekers within the Goondiwindi region whilst also attracting job seekers from other regions to work in Goondiwindi. The workforce development champion will engage with and connect businesses looking for employees with job seekers.

The project will include a series of workshops to educate businesses on new workforce planning resources, a mentoring program, industry bus tours, local job fairs and industry events.

Funding awarded – $180,000

Navigating Workforce Diversity through Social Enterprise

Delivered by Queensland Social Enterprise Council Ltd

The project will develop a co-designed online resource that empowers industry and employers to actively engage job seekers from identified groups who are experiencing a disadvantage in the labour market.

The project will connect with focus groups to understand the challenges and opportunities for diverse employment, and develop a capability framework along with a navigation tool for businesses to connect with social enterprises who provide access to diverse workforces.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Integrated Skilling and Alert Centre Service

Delivered by Energy Skills Queensland

The project aims to create a new workforce cohort of 24 entry-level IT employees with training in cyber-security incident alert and response. The project will bridge the skills gap in IT and cyber security and focus on skilling cohorts of job seekers from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds.

Participants will complete the BSBSS00094 Cyber Security Skill Set training to enhance their employability and skills. Support services will be available to aid participants in their journey towards employment.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Sport and Recreation Industry Mentoring Program

Delivered by South Burnett Regional Council

The project aims to deliver a sport and recreation mentoring program for job seekers who identify as young Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, through a partnership arrangement with Cherbourg Youth Justice Department, the town of Murgon, Wondai Swimming Pool managers and the South Burnett Regional Council.

The project aims to address key issues in the South Burnett region such as skills shortages in the sport and recreation industry and horticulture industry, and upskilling the local sport and recreation and horticultural workforce, as well as addressing staff shortages.

Funding awarded – $180,000

Aged Care is the Place to Be

Delivered by Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA)

The project is a co-designed employment pathway, supported by industry service providers, which aims to attract and induct currently underrepresented cohorts in the aged care workforce, including those aged 25-24 years and people identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

The project aims to support the aged care sector to attract young individuals into entry-level jobs, support individuals registered on the ACCPA employment hub to deliver quality aged-care service, and enhance the skills of the aged care providers to ensure better support for new workers in the sector.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Breaking Down Barriers – Uncovering Hidden Talent

Delivered by Regional Development Australia Townsville and North West Queensland

The project aims to connect businesses, support groups, job service providers and training organisations by establishing reference groups for targeted cohorts such as:

• culturally and linguistically diverse people
• Indigenous youth
• veterans
• people with disabilities.

The project will deliver 6 employment expos to uncover hidden talent, address and raise awareness of barriers, and engage the targeted cohorts to increase workforce participation and reduce workforce shortages for local businesses.

The established reference groups will plan and deliver these expos and continue to work together on possible future projects.

Funding awarded – $80,000

Community of Practice: Supporting Diverse Workforces

Delivered by Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) Ltd

The project will deliver a community of practice learning environment to support community service organisations (CSOs) seeking to improve their employment and retention of diverse employees, including people living with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and long-term unemployed people.

The community of practice will provide capacity-building and learning opportunities for CSOs to improve their human resources strategies and practices with respect to diversity.

Funding awarded – $177,000

The Future is Cyber

Delivered by Energy Skills Queensland Inc

The program aims to foster a partnership between government, community and industry to bridge the skills gap for those training to gain stable employment in the ICT industry. The project will provide support, connection and mentoring to young people with anxiety and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and skills development and employment pathways into the cyber-security industry for long-term unemployed people with ASD.

Funding awarded – $148,000

Industry Lead Workforce Solutions

Delivered by Cairns Chamber of Commerce Inc

The project will provide business owners with resources to assist them in recruiting outside of their typical workforce pool and focus on GWPF target groups. It will also assist employers to be agile with recruitment and adapt to the expectations of the new workforce.

Funding awarded – $200,000

New Realities in North Queensland Agriculture and Aquaculture

Delivered by Bowen Gumlu Growers’ Association Inc

This project will utilise interactive media and virtual reality to support direct engagement with youth people to create greater awareness of local agricultural and aquaculture roles, increase youth engagement and participation in different farming roles, processes and tasks.

This will promote the positive aspects of agricultural/aquaculture jobs and role diversity and connect industry roles to skills pathways and career progression in the industry.

Funding awarded – $158,000

EnABLED Businesses Program

Delivered by Spinal Life Australia Ltd

The program will provide a comprehensive suite of information, training and mentoring for small-to-medium enterprises to build their disability capability in employers to support them to employ people living with a disability.

This will include Business Inclusion and Diversity Services, Good Access = Good Business and Realistic RACE disability awareness training.

Funding awarded – $183,000

Workforce development officer – Balonne Shire

Delivered by Balonne Shire Council

Employment of a project officer to focus on the target cohorts, as well as showcase employment opportunities in the Balonne Shire Council. The role will focus on attraction and retention strategies.

Funding awarded – $158,800

Hospitality First Steps

Delivered by Queensland Hotels Association

The project will deliver a training program called #HospitalityFirstStep. This project will provide a recruitment pathway for industry, by providing entry-level training to job seekers.

QHA’s #Hospitality First Steps is a 5-day training course which will focus on essential specialist skills for the industry – bar, restaurant, gaming, housekeeping and customer service. The course will provide industry awareness experiences as well as supervised assessments at licenced premises.

Funding awarded – $156,900

Increasing the Health Workforce in the Western Downs

Delivered by Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Pty Ltd

This project will seek to increase the health workforce capacity in the Western Downs by establishing a database of inactive healthcare workers in the regional community and understand the barriers of these individuals re-entering the health industry.

The key objective of this project is to examine who in the region has previously worked in healthcare or holds health qualifications and get them re-engaged in employment to supplement the demand in the labour market.

Funding awarded – $130,000