Skilling Queenslanders for work - training and employment pathways for disadvantaged learners
Authors:
Lorraine Yabsley
Department of Employment, Small Business and Training
Theme: Access & Equity
Presentation:
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative has an annual budget of $80 million to assist up to 15,000 disadvantaged Queenslanders each year to enter and stay in the workforce through a suite of eight targeted skills and training programs.
SQW has an integrated service delivery model with partnerships formed between the not-for-profit community sector providing tailored support and specialist assistance to address personal, health and social issues and RTOs who deliver vocational education and training (up to certificate III).
SQW projects are designed and led by community organisations and delivered in a supportive, non-challenging environment, so disadvantaged participants can overcome identified barriers to learning and employment.
Nationally recognised training is delivered across a range of industry sectors and can be skillsets, qualifications or stand-alone foundation skills. SQW’s focus on foundation skills is an important and distinguishing feature. It is recognised that non-accredited training, mentoring and support can also be highly effective in developing enabling level foundation skills, particularly for those marginalised form the more formal education system.
SQW encourages equitable participation by a broad range of groups with complex learning needs. Current participation rates are: Indigenous 20%; migrants and refugees 19%; women returning to the workforce 52%; young people 58%; people with disability 13%; mature age 15%; long-term unemployed 48% and underemployed 16%.
Since 2015, over $700 million has been committed with 85,717 people assisted and 55,640 gaining jobs as a result of SQW. Over 76% are in employment or further training 12 months after exiting SQW.
In 2020, Deloitte Access Economics evaluated the impact of SQW from 2016 to 2019. Deloitte’s Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling estimated that SQW contributed an additional $1.1B to the Queensland economy. Deloitte found an unemployed SQW participant is 21 percentage points more likely to be employed after 12 months compared to the average unemployed individual.
SQW promotes a range of social benefits for individuals through increased workforce participation and productivity that includes improved health and wellbeing, confidence and social inclusion. SQW programs generate connections between participants, employers and community groups, which is particularly important in rural and remote areas where labour market opportunities can be limited.