Advance Queensland innovation drives job creation

New figures released today (Thursday) confirm a significant increase in the number of jobs being supported by the Palaszczuk Government’s $405 million Advance Queensland initiative.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business Leeanne Enoch welcomed the data, current to 31 March 2017, showing Advance Queensland is supporting more than 2100 jobs.

Ms Enoch said this represents a 50 per cent increase on previous quarterly figures to the end of December showing Advance Queensland was supporting 1402 jobs.

She said innovative firms with great ideas on how to create jobs are being identified and supported by the whole-of-government Advance Queensland initiative.

“As our funding recipients develop and grow their ideas and then stand on their own to scale into global markets, they will become the powerhouses for economic growth and job creation in the future,” Ms Enoch said.

“We’re working with Queensland innovators like Darling Downs Ice Cream company to harness new ideas that will generate jobs for Queensland.”

The Darling Downs Ice Cream Company, a family owned retailer, franchisor and manufacturer based in Toowoomba is pursuing an idea that could see their 40 part-time seasonal workers transition to full-time jobs.

They want to do this by exporting new, innovative ice creams and creating demand for their products all year round.

“Examples like this show that backing innovation works and that Advance Queensland is definitely on track and working well,” Ms Enoch said.

Queensland Chief Entrepreneur Mark Sowerby described the reported figures as “just the tip of the iceberg”.

“Through the Advance Queensland initiative, we’ve managed to open the eyes of a lot of people in the community to the opportunities available through entrepreneurship and innovation,” Mr Sowerby said.

“More than ever before, people from across the state are making a life choice that it’s better to approach their future from a standpoint of making a job, rather than taking a job.

“Advance Queensland is all about helping people approach their future confidently and create platforms from which they can express themselves to the world.”

Updates on the number of jobs supported through Advance Queensland are captured quarterly by the Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation.

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