Growing Workforce Participation Fund successful projects

Women in Agriculture

Delivered by Regional Development Australia Ipswich & West Moreton Inc

This project aims to address the gender imbalance in Queensland's agriculture workforce by creating accessible, entry-level pathways for women. Through tailored pre-employment training, participants will build core technical skills and receive industry mentoring and short-term work placements with local agribusinesses. The project will also develop micro-credentials and offer wrap-around support services to participants to help address employment barriers.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Greater Careers Connect

Delivered by Greater Whitsunday Alliance Limited

This project will provide structured opportunities for young people to explore career pathways in priority sectors within the region, helping to support local industries to meet their workforce challenges. The project will deliver student/employer networking events and host online career forums designed to support more informed career decisions, boost student confidence and enhance readiness for employment.

Funding awarded – $119,000

Lay the Way: Not Just Bricks. Foundations for Life

Delivered by Australian Brick & Blocklaying Training Foundation Limited

This project will deliver a 4-week structured training and employment program to disadvantaged job seekers, consisting of 3 weeks pre-employment training followed by one week paid placement with a local bricklaying business, with an aim of transitioning into an apprenticeship. Project participants will complete accredited units of competency and obtain essential industry tickets and will receive post-placement mentoring and wrap-around support.

Funding awarded – $198,340

Indigenous Support Officer

Delivered by Golden West Apprenticeships Limited

This project will employ an Indigenous Support Officer (ISO) to lead improved participation and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals in apprenticeships and traineeships across south-west Queensland. The ISO will provide culturally informed, one-on-one mentoring to Indigenous apprentices and trainees as well as work with employers to build culturally safe and supportive workplaces.

Funding awarded – $148,684

The Promising Role of Multicultural Community Peer Support Health Workers

Delivered by World Wellness Group Limited

This project aims to increase workforce participation and retention of multicultural health and community peer support workers. The project will develop resources, tools and training to help support multicultural workers and increase recognition of the healthcare industry workforce. Participating employers will receive support in developing organisational readiness to support multicultural peer workers. The project will also establish a collaborative committee consisting of care staff, service users and local community members to oversee implementation.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Co-Designing Confidence: Careers in Health for All

Delivered by Central Queensland University

This project aims to support neurodivergent nursing students to enter employment in the healthcare sector by providing inclusive pathways, improving work readiness and increasing student retention. The project will develop a peer lead, content series using the human-centred design process to create practical, strengths-based, workforce ready content that can be embedded into Central Queensland University student support services.

Funding awarded – $180,063

Pathways into Restaurant Jobs

Delivered by Restaurant Catering Industry Association of Australia Incorporated

This project aims to provide greater opportunities for job seekers to acquire the skills and experiences required to successfully participate in restaurant and catering businesses and address the industry's workforce participation issues. Working in collaboration with various groups in the Wide Bay-Burnett region the project will include pre-employment screening, job matching, tailored workplace skills development and mentoring and workplace experience.

Funding awarded – $200,000

Spark Employment Project

Delivered by Youth and Family Services (YFS) LTD

This project aims to improve labour market participation and retention outcomes for people impacted by homelessness and housing challenges by providing wrap-around employment mentoring. The project will include intensive mentoring and coaching tailored to individual goals, work readiness assessments and goal planning, connection to training pathways, direct engagement with local employers and assistance to overcome immediate barriers to workforce participation.

Funding awarded – $181,300

Queensland Aquatic Workforce Attraction and Retention Program

Delivered by Active Queenslanders Industry Alliance Limited

This project aims to address the shortage of swim teachers in Queensland by supporting individuals in gaining employment and creating career pathways for long-term employment and retention in the aquatic industry. The project will focus on attracting and support various roles within the industry including entry-level swim teachers, pool lifeguards, coaches, swim school managers, pool operators, aquatic technical operators and customer service team members. Support and development opportunities will be provided to both new and experienced employees to help foster long-term industry engagement and retention.

Funding awarded – $199,500

Driving "Location" Future Program

Delivered by Queensland Trucking Association Ltd

This project will provide an entry-level training program for the transport and logistics sector offering core units of competency and an opportunity to obtain relevant licences and tickets. Program participants will undertake localised industry tours which will put them in direct contact with employment opportunities. Participants will also be supported through non-traditional teaching methods, such as experimental learning and project-based approaches to aid increased engagement.

Funding awarded – $199,500

Balonne Workforce Development Program – Stage 2

Delivered by Balonne Shire Council

This project extends the workforce development officer (WDO) position at Balonne Shire Council, whose 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 workplace for local employers and prospective job seekers who identify as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, long-term unemployed, youth or person with disability
• 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 – $172,000

Remote Indigenous Boarding Students Mentoring & Employment Support

Delivered by Torres Strait Kaziw Meta Inc

This is an extension of the initial 12-month project. 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 – $180,150

Civil Connect

Delivered by Civil Contractors Federation Queensland Ltd

This project will continue the delivery of the Civil Pathways Program, previously funded under the Workforce Connect Fund.

The project aims to continue creating an additional labour market for the civil construction industry by delivering accredited training and wrap-around support to disadvantaged job seekers. The project partners with local employers, employment services, training providers, and community organisations to enhance work readiness and retention, and support pathways into real-world industry placements.

Funding awarded – $200,000

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 and 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, policies 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