Premier launches innovative employment and training service
Premier Peter Beattie and Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton today launched an innovative training, employment and career information service that also aims to help address skills shortages in industries.
Skilling Solutions Queensland, a unique one-stop-shop for those seeking training and career advice, opened today at the Logan Hyperdome - the first of four pilot sites.
Premier Beattie said the new service - part of the Government's three-year SmartVET strategy to tackle skills shortages - brought a new dimension to the state's training and employment services.
"Skilling Solutions Queensland will offer people free access to relevant up-to-date information about training and career prospects," Mr Beattie said.
"For some Queenslanders, either unemployed or working, no-one has really looked closely at their skills and prospects since they left school. Our one-stop-shops will fill this need.
"They're equally aimed at the unemployed and people who want to upgrade their skills and improve themselves.
"For example, men whose jobs have been made redundant and women who want to return to the workforce after raising families will benefit from these services.
"People who may have no formal training will learn through Skilling Solutions Queensland that they can receive formal recognition for skills they have acquired in past jobs or in volunteer work they have done."
Mr Beattie said the Government had committed $10.7 million over three years to the initiative, and would extend the pilot service to three regional areas during the period. A wider rollout will depend on results from the pilots.
"While the Government has achieved record low levels of unemployment, we're still working hard to create jobs and address the skills shortages," he added.
"We established SmartVET nearly a year ago with the objective of creating 180,000 new training places over the three years in industries with skills shortages or growth industries with an investment of $1 billion.
"These programs are now well underway and include Industry Training Partnerships, Accelerated Apprenticeships, and Recognition of Prior Learning."
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Minister Tom Barton said Skilling Solutions Queensland would help clients assess the skills they already had and determine what training they might need to meet their career aspirations, as well as providing information about local employment opportunities.
"Skilling Solutions Queensland is focussed on the individual," he said.
"Not only do people using the service receive a skills assessment, but they can find out about any one of 400 occupations, from aged care to wood turning. Information about training requirements, salary, industry employment trends and demographics is available.
"In some cases where the person is upgrading skills, they will be able to later have a complete assessment of their skills and competencies by a training organisation, with the Government meeting the cost.
"This service is the latest initiative out of SmartVET, and links in with our new programs such as Accelerated Apprenticeships and Cadetships which encourage Queenslanders to gain new skills and fill the jobs currently going begging.
"It's aimed at countering Queensland 's skills shortages, which affect both traditional and emerging industries."
Mr Barton said Skilling Solutions Queensland shopfronts were conveniently located and staffed by highly trained consultants. Other trial sites would be located at the Logan Institute of TAFE in Loganlea; at the department's regional office in Woodridge; and at the Open Learning Institute of TAFE at South Brisbane .
The service being offered - which is free - will be available on a face-to-face basis at each site.
Mr Barton said that during the pilot year, data would be collected from the Logan and the Open Learning Institute pilots to assist with the future development of additional sites across the state.
17 March 2005