Apprenticeships and traineeships

50 per cent Payroll Tax Rebate for Apprentices and Trainees

The government is extending the 50 per cent payroll tax rebate on the exempt wages of apprentices and trainees until 30 June 2024. The change is subject to the passage of legislative amendments, and it is estimated the initiative will cost around $48.6 million (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 204).

Queensland Workforce Strategy - Group Training Organisation Pre-Apprenticeships Program

$7.3 million was provided in 2022-23 to 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. This forms part of the government's total funding package of over $70 million for new initiatives included in the 2022-2025 Action Plan as part of the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 123).

Queensland Workforce Strategy - Train and Retain

Funding of $3.4 million ($1.133 million in 2023-24) is allocated over three years from 2022-23 to implement new initiatives focussed on supporting apprentices and trainees to complete their training. This forms part of the government's total funding package of over $70 million for new initiatives included in the 2022-2025 Action Plan as part of the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 121).

ReBuild QBuild

The government is providing funding of $39.1 million over four years from 2022-23 (with $15.267 million allocated in 2023-24) and a further $27.4 million over two years from 2024-25 held centrally to support the next stages of ReBuild Qbuild. This includes re-introduction of funding for apprentice training and support for initial operating costs for Rapid Accommodation and Apprentice Centres in Eagle Farm and Cairns. The capital component to this measure is provided $29.5 million over four years, with nearly $9.5 million allocated for 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, pp. 46 and 168).

User Choice - Apprentice and Trainee Training Subsidy

The User Choice - Apprentice and Trainee Training Subsidy program provides government funding towards the costs of training and assessment for eligible Queensland apprentices and trainees, or complementary pathways leading to apprenticeship outcomes. An estimate of $252 million is allocated for the subsidy in 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 2: Budget strategy and outlook, p. 223).

Women's Economic Security - Women in Trade Apprenticeships Mentoring Program

$4.6 million over two years ($2.3 million each year in 2023-24 and 2024-25) is provided to support women undertaking a trade apprenticeship and provide them with a network to improve retention and completion rates, in alignment with the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032. This forms part of the government's total funding of $16.3 million over four years for the Women's Economic Security package (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 118).

Employment

Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program

The government is providing increased funding of $49.9 million ($2.813 million in 2023-24) over four years and $16.4 million per annum ongoing (indexed annually) for the continuation of the expanded Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger program, which increased ranger numbers from 100 to 200. The expansion was announced as part of Queensland's Protected Area Strategy 2020-2030 in October 2020. The program is administered by the Department of Environment and Science (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 51).

Queensland Workforce Strategy - Diverse Queensland Workforce Program

Increased funding of $5.5 million is allocated over three years ($900 000 in 2022-23 and $2.275 million each year in 2023-24 and 2024-25) to expand the Diverse Queensland Workforce Program to support migrants, refugees and international students into employment. This forms part of the government's total funding package of over $70 million for new initiatives included in the 2022-2025 Action Plan as part of the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 119).

Queensland Workforce Strategy - Multicultural Affairs Settlement Team

$3 million is allocated over four years from 2022-23 ($739 000 in 2023-24) to establish a Multicultural Affairs Settlement Team to advocate and improve workforce outcomes for migrants and refugees. This forms part of the government's total funding package of over $70 million for new initiatives included in the 2022-2025 Action Plan as part of the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032. The initiative is administered by the Department of Environment and Science following the machinery-of-government changes effective 18 May 2023 (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 50).

Women's Economic Security: Future Women - Jobs Academy

$3.2 million is provided ($800 000 in 2023-24, $1.6 million in 2024-25 and $800 000 in 2025-26) to support a Future Women - Jobs Academy program for a two-year period to train, support and connect up to an estimated 500 unemployed and underemployed Queensland women with paid employment and training programs. This forms part of the government's total funding of $16.3 million over four years for the Women's Economic Security package (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 139).

Industry

Queensland Workforce Strategy

The budget has over $70 million for new initiatives included in the 2022-2025 Action Plan as part of the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 including:

• Implementation arrangements - $5.3 million over four years from 2022-23 ($1.28 million in 2023-24) for the implementation arrangements of the Queensland Workforce Strategy (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 120).
• Gateway to Industry Schools Program - increased funding of $4.1 million ($1.371 million each year) over three years is provided from 2022-23 to expand the Gateway to Industry Schools Program to include the hydrogen industry and increase accessibility for individuals and groups that may be underrepresented (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 120).
• Industry Workforce Advisors - $6.5 million over three years from 2022-23 ($2.16 million in 2023-24) is provided for a network of Industry Workforce Advisors to work directly with employers to help them to address workforce challenges, diversify their workforces and support workforce growth (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 119).
• Place-based skills and job creation initiatives - $3.5 million over four years from 2022-23 ($1 million in 2023-24) to partner with rural and remote communities to deliver place-based skills and job creation initiatives to increase workforce capacity in these locations (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 121).
• Regional school industry partnerships - $5 million over four years from 2022-23 ($1.643 million in 2023-24) to strengthen local school-industry partnerships and support school to work transitions. The initiative is administered by the Department of Education (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 43).
• Workforce Connect Fund - $20 million over two years is being met internally by the Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training (DYJESBT) to increase investment in industry and community led projects that address attraction, retention and participation issues within the workforce (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 124).

Women's Economic Security: Women in Network Grants Program

$2.8 million over four years from 2023-24 (with $625 000 allocated in 2023-24), including $300 000 for evaluation, is provided for a grant program to support girls and women's participation and pathways in male dominated industries, including through support to recruit, retain, upskill and progress into leadership positions in these industries. This forms part of the government's total funding of $16.3 million over four years for the Women's Economic Security package (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 139).

National Agreements

The total Commonwealth Payments for specific purposes and National Partnership Payments to Queensland for Skills and Workforce Development are estimated at around $373 million for 2023-24.

National Skills and Workforce Development Specific Purpose Payment

The Queensland government estimates that around $343 million will be received under the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development for 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 2: Budget strategy and outlook, p. 147).

National Partnership Payments

In the 2023-24 Australian Government budget it is estimated that Queensland will be provided $30.2 million under the Fee-free TAFE 12-month Skills Agreement, which includes the TAFE Technology Fund (Budget paper no. 3: Federal financial relations, p. 47).

Queensland's 2023-24 capital program includes $5.8 million for TAFE Technology Fund projects delivered in partnership with the Australian Government (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, p. 11).

Training providers and programs

Australian Training Works Group

Up to $1 million will be provided in 2023-24, subject to determining a final project scope, to the Australian Training Works Group Pty Ltd to assist with the development of the Cairns Indigenous Training Centre (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 122).

Great Barrier Reef International Marine College

Funding of $16 million over two years ($8 million each year in 2023-24 and 2024-25) is allocated to expand TAFE Queensland's Great Barrier Reef International Marine College in Cairns, which will include the construction of a new workshop, additional classrooms, staff facilities and a boat shed (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 181).

Queensland Workforce Strategy - Micro-Credentialing

Increased funding of $5.9 million is allocated over two years ($2.95 million each year for 2022-23 and 2023-24) to extend the Micro-Credentialing Pilot Program to provide increased access to industry-supported short courses. This forms part of the government's total funding package of over $70 million for new initiatives included in the 2022-2025 Action Plan as part of the Good People. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 118).

TAFE Queensland

TAFE Queensland's 2023-24 budget total income is $770.8 million, which is an increase of $12.9 million, or 1.7 per cent, compared to 2022-23 Estimated Actual due largely to a decrease in grants and other contributions. This category of income which is budgeted at $515 million in 2023-24 includes government subsidies for training provided to eligible students, accounting for 48.8 per cent of income, with the remainder relating to the State Contribution Grant received from DYJESBT and other minor grants and contributions (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, p. 19).

In 2023-24, TAFE Queensland's capital program includes $4.5 million for the acquisition, replacement and modernisation of training and operational equipment, $5.1 million for the information and communication technology (ICT) program of work, and $5.6 million on the development of training product and materials to support delivery (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, p. 18).

Vocational Education and Training Modernisation and Transformation Program

$29.8 million is allocated over three years ($8.823 million in 2023-24) to upgrade and modernise existing government vocational education and training (VET) ICT systems (Budget paper no. 4: Budget measures, p. 117).

Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training

As part of the machinery-of-government changes, effective 18 May 2023, Youth Justice was transferred from the former Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs and the former Department of Employment, Small Business and Training was renamed the Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training (DYJESBT) (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, p. 1).

The Department's budgeted appropriation revenue for 2023-24 is around $1.7 billion, with the expenses of the 'Connecting Queenslanders to training and skills programs and initiatives' service area estimated at $1276.674 million (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, p. 10).

Department highlights for 2023-24 include delivering:

• the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032
• culturally appropriate training by implementing Paving the Way: First Nations Training Strategy to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to improve career development outcomes
• the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, to assist up to 15 000 disadvantaged Queenslanders each year through a suite of targeted skills and training programs
• quality skills pathways and opportunities, including approximately 37 000 Free TAFE and VET places
• strategies and actions to support apprenticeship and traineeship completions through the Train and retain initiatives, including supporting women in trades (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, pp. 2-3).

The 2023-24 administered subsidies estimates relating to skills and training funded programs are:

• $252 million for the User Choice - Apprentice and Trainee Training Subsidy
• $218.9 million for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) - Certificate 3 Guarantee Tuition Fee Subsidy
• $65 million for the VET - Higher Level Skills Tuition Fee Subsidy
• $3 million for the Travel and Accommodation Subsidy (Budget paper no. 2: Budget strategy and outlook, pp. 223-224).

The capital program for 2023-24 includes:

• $31.8 million for the continued delivery of Equipping TAFE for our Future projects comprising $26.5 million for the Eagle Farm Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Centre and $5.3 million for the Bohle Renewable Energy Centre
• $8 million to expand the Great Barrier Reef International Marine College
• $5.8 million for TAFE Technology Fund projects delivered in partnership with the Australian Government, including Loganlea Clinical Skills Laboratory, Pimlico Visual Arts Precinct and Thursday Island Health Hub projects
• $40.5 million for the Annual Training Infrastructure Program to renew and revitalise training infrastructure across the state (Service delivery statements: Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, p. 11).