Applications are now open for eligible employers to access the Queensland Government’s Back to Work Employer Support Payments.
This $100 million Back to Work regional jobs package specifically targets jobseekers and employers outside the southeast corner of Queensland and includes payments of $10,000 for employers who hire an unemployed worker, rising to $15,000 for the long-term unemployed.
This payment is to give employers the confidence to employ and supports Queensland’s regions.
If you are eligible to receive the employer support payment, we encourage you to apply. Further details about the support payment, including eligibility criteria, are available on the Back to Work website.
Back to Work Teams are also being implemented across the state to help employers and jobseekers navigate the system and help connect local employers with jobseekers in the regional centres. This looks like a great initiative to create connections between employers and jobseekers.
Work experience is a great recruitment tool and way to trial a jobseeker in your business to see if they are suitable for employment through the Back to Work initiative. Trialling a potential employee through work experience can lead to reduced recruitment costs. There is reduced time in screening applications and time spent away from completing tasks that grow your business due to the time you need to spend on recruitment. Work experience can lead to a faster turnaround of employment rather than waiting for the recruitment process and lower productivity loss from not having the right employee. Importantly, it can also reduce the risk of hiring the wrong person.
We currently have a group of students completing a Certificate II in Retail Services at Chermside. Their training takes place over 4 weeks and covers basic retail skills such as communication and customer service, workplace health and safety and security along with other retail operational skills. As part of the program, the students are required to complete 40 -45 hours work placement over 2 – 3 weeks. There is no charge to the host employer and the student is fully covered by our public liability and work cover insurance. Our students are enthusiastic and ready to work, and would love the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learnt in the training room.
The Chermside group would be ready to start Work Placement after 8th August.
Other areas where the NRA has Certificate II programs currently running are Cairns, Innisfail, Atherton, East Brisbane and Gympie.
Please contact Debbie Dillon, our Work Placement Officer for more information, to arrange to meet our students.
Have a good week.
Yvonne Williams