Back to Work program delivers for Somerset region jobseekers

Employment Minister Grace Grace today visited an Esk business which is one several in Queensland’s Somerset region to hire a jobseeker through the Palaszczuk Government’s Back to Work jobs program.

Ms Grace said it was fantastic to visit local business AJ’s Barbers Shack and Hair Salon, which has successfully used the program to get a jobseeker back into employment.

“Somerset employers are right getting behind our Back to Work program to hire local jobseekers,” she said.

“This highly successful program has already supported 7,500 Queenslanders into jobs, including pending applications, and these numbers are growing by the day.

“It’s great to see employers in the Somerset region taking advantage of the incentives on offer to get more Queenslanders back to work.

“Businesses often need that extra bit of confidence to take someone on board and this program is delivering that confidence in spades.

“I say to employers out there, if you’re thinking of hiring, get in touch with our local Back to Work team to put yourself in line for support payments of up to $20,000.”

Back to Work Regional Queensland *

Support payments currently available for eligible employers of up to:

$10,000 for hiring an unemployed worker (specific to regional Queensland, outside South East Queensland)

• $15,000 for hiring a long-term unemployed worker (a person unemployed for 52 weeks or more)
• $20,000 Youth Boost for hiring a young jobseeker aged 15-24 years (must be employed by 31 October 2017 (inclusive)

Back to Work South East Queensland *

From July 1, 2017

Support payments available for eligible employers of up to:

• $15,000 for eligible employers who hire a long-term unemployed jobseeker (a person unemployed for 52 weeks or more)
• $20,000 for a young jobseeker (aged between 15-24 years)
• To be eligible, employees need to have started work on, or after Saturday 1 July 2017, and have been employed for at least four weeks. 

Businesses can visit www.qld.gov.au/backtowork or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) for more information about Back to Work, or to apply for an employer support payment.

Media Contact: Martin Philip 0427 919