QLD Retailers: Are you prepared for the Bag Ban?

The Queensland Bag Ban Legislation The Queensland Government has passed the Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Bill 2017 which will forbid retailers from providing or selling lightweight plastic bags (known as single-use singlet bags) from 1 July 2018. To ensure consistency for the retail sector, Queensland will adopt a similar law to South Australia, the Australian Capital […]

Employer incentives of $20,000 available now in regional QLD

Youth Boost incentives

Don’t miss out! Remember that Queensland employers have an additional incentive to hire local young people this festive season. As announced in early November, the Queensland Government is offering a offering a $20,000 kick-back for regional businesses who hire unemployed youths as part of their Back to Work ‘Youth Boost’ Program. The offer applies to […]

Jobs QLD discussion paper released

Jobs Queensland has been established by the Queensland Government to provide strategic advice to the Government on future skills requirements, workforce planning and development issues and the apprenticeship and traineeship system in Queensland. There have been numerous reviews and reports into apprenticeships and traineeships, and agreement is that the apprenticeship and traineeship model – that […]

Queensland Training subsidies and incentives

In July, the 2016-17 Annual VET Investment Plan was released. It outlines the Queensland Government’s planned investment in vocational education and training over the coming year; a record $810.7 million in skills and training, an increase of $56.1 million from last year. Over 1/4 million Queenslanders undertake publicly funded training every year with 2015-2016 seeing a 6.4% growth […]

Revised training packages update

The National Retail Association (NRA) has been selected as the industry intelligence provider for the Queensland Government through the VET Industry Engagement Program. This position gives us the platform to advocate and recommend the reforms our members believe are needed for the retail sector around skills, training and workforce development. You may be aware that Industry Skills […]

Queensland Parliament to hear report on labour hire arrangements in 2016

Labour hire companies operating in Queensland may be subject to licensing and registration requirements in the near future, as the Queensland Parliament launches an investigation into the nature of these businesses and allegations of sham contracting. The review, headed by the Finance and Administration Committee, will consider both the social and economic impacts of these […]

Tell the QLD Government about your training priorities!

We’re excited to have been once again selected as the retail skills advisor for the Queensland Government through the VET Industry Engagement Program. The purpose of the Program is to advocate and recommend the reforms needed right now for the Queensland retail sector around skills, training and workforce development. As part of our role, the […]

QLD Alert: Changes to Work Health Safety Laws

As a result of the Queensland Government’s “Improving Safety for Queenslanders at Work” Policy, Work Health and Safety laws in Queensland have changed effective 22 October 2015. The amendments to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 are as follows: WHS entry permit holders allowed to enter a workplace immediately if they suspect a contravention […]