Wide Bay’s Big Build gets Big Boost with training for 1 million Queenslanders

ATTENTION MEDIA: radio grabs HERE

• New Miles Government plan delivers one million subsidised training places for Queenslanders to access good high paying jobs.
• Plan extends Free TAFE cost of living measure with 70,000 Free TAFE places.
• Wide Bay region will experience the fastest employment growth in the state (13.6% since 2021-22) – predicted to employ more than 133,000 workers by 2025-26,

In the biggest skills and training reform in almost a decade, the Miles Labor Government will fund one million training places for Queenslanders – easing cost-of-living pressures for those who want to train, upskill, reskill, and pursue careers in the state’s priority industries.

The Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024 – 2028 will help address local skills and workforce priorities in the Wide Bay including in the care, retail, nursing, construction and tourism sectors with more free and subsidised training for locals.

The strategy extends the Queensland Government’s Free TAFE program, funding up to 70,000 Free TAFE places – including 30,000 new places – to bring down costs for Queenslanders to get into better paid jobs or start a career in high-demand industries.

It will also fund one million publicly subsidised training places in health, social services, hospitality, clean energy, construction and more.

It will build on the success of Labor’s Free TAFE initiative, which has provided free training for more than 5,600 students across Wide Bay since the start of 2023.

Across five focus areas and five years, the strategy sets out to maximise productivity and participation, unlocking billions in annual skills investment – including a $370 million funding uplift to help kickstart the new strategy.

Quotes attributable to Member for Hervey Bay Adrian Tantari MP:

“We have one of the fastest growing communities in Queensland, so it’s critical that we get the workforce, the nurses, and industry professionals generally for our local healthcare, hospitals, and aged care.

“The Diploma of Nursing students here are saving around $25,000 each, so that's a massive cost of living relief when it comes to having student debt, and the people of Harvey Bay know for a fact that these facilities here, make the best nurses, we can get.

“We know that in 2015, if the Newman LNP government was re-elected then they wanted to close our campus, this campus was gone and we would not have a TAFE facility here at all,

“As a regional city Free TAFE is vitally important to keep our economy going, and for the future of our children it’s incredibly important that we have a TAFE campus here, so we need to protect from the LNP’s cuts with everything we’ve got.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith MP:

“Coming off the site of the new Bundaberg Hospital, we know how important priority skills are–ensuring that we meet the positions needed–so we know that we need a strategy in place to ensure the skills of the future are met.

“Last year we saw the 1,300 Bundy locals, access free TAFE, so we know that there's a demand in the Wide Bay region.

“By being able to access free TAFE right in the heart of Bundaberg, it means that our young people can have the opportunity to stay local, get a job and start their own family into the future.

“This is about investing in local jobs for local people, and it's only a Labor government that will deliver this kind of plan for our future.”

Quotes attributable to Hervey Bay Diploma of Nursing student Jakeb Nicolaou:

“There's just no comparison between having to pay for it versus obviously the Free TAFE course.

“As a student and as a young person trying to get into obviously a very professional big field–it's scary and having a huge debt over yourself is quite frightening–so a lot of that cost of living pressure has been taken away.

“I can't express how much it's helped me especially and obviously others.”

ATTENTION MEDIA: please click here for a photo of Jakeb and fellow students.

Quotes attributable to Bundaberg Diploma of Nursing student Cimah Orion-Williamson: 

“I want to advance my knowledge and skills into the health science industry without the financial impact as a single, middle-aged person looking for a secure future and purchasing my own home.

“Without Free TAFE, I would not be able to afford to undertake study into health care, purchase my own house or have the diverse opportunities that nursing can provide for a stable and comfortable future.

“My ultimate goal is to become an emergency paramedic or work in emergency rescue.”

ATTENTION MEDIA: please click here for a photo of Cimah.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum: 

"We want Queenslanders at the front of the line for good jobs in Queensland and this investment will ensure we make the most of this golden decade of opportunity.

“This strategy is not just real cost of living relief now, but a chance at a better life, with better pay and a better job, helping grow our economy right across the state.

“Labor’s Free TAFE has changed lives–people who were facing homelessness, mothers returning to work, and young people who haven’t completed high school–have completed free TAFE courses and come out with good jobs.

“There’s no clearer difference between Labor and the LNP who will jack up course fees and make young Queenslanders pay for their apprenticeships–they’ll have to, because David Crisafulli doesn’t back the coal royalties that pay for it.”

Further information:

• Jobs Queensland data projects that the largest employing industries in the Wide Bay region in 2025-26 will be:
  • Health Care and Social Assistance;
  • Retail Trade;
  • Education and Training;
  • Construction, and;
  • Accommodation and Food Services.
• Higher-level skills are also being sought by employers, with nine out of 10 new jobs requiring post-school qualifications over the 10 years to 2033 according to Jobs and Skills Australia.
• Development of the Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024 – 2028 is a key action under the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022 – 2032.

For more information and to read the Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024 – 2028, visit www.qld.gov.au/SkillsStrategy.

ENDS

Media contact:

Minister McCallum – Andrew Churchill 0472 645 871