Miles Doing What Matters: Free Traineeships for the Next Gen of Tradies ‘Building Bundaberg’

• New ‘Building Bundaberg’ project will help young Bundy locals become tradies and build homes.
• Trainees will have full-time paid work, obtaining Certificate I in Construction and a White Card.
• Comes as Miles Government has $1 billion in social housing under construction and contracted and funded as part of Labor’s Homes for Queenslanders plan to build one million more homes.

Young Bundy locals will build their careers and Home for Queenslanders as part of a new initiative by the Miles Government.

A new fund has been launched, which will see 24 young people gain a Certificate I in Construction and White Card as they work on housing projects through ‘Building Bundaberg’.

Employed by community organisation Skill360 Australia, the trainees will undertake renovation and repairs on any of the 46 properties owned by the Bundaberg Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders Housing and Advancement Society (BATSIHAAS).

The organisation will also deliver wrap-around support for trainees, which may include mentoring, development of literacy, digital literacy and numeracy skills, transport, mental health and anxiety support and job preparation support.

It’s part of the Miles Government’s Homes for Queenslanders plan, which is already seeing more than $1 billion in social housing projects either in construction or contracted.

The plan will deliver one million more homes, including 53,500 more social homes.

Quotes attributable to Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith MP:

“Bundaberg is at the centre of Queensland’s Big Build and the Housing Construction Traineeship Fund is ensuring we have the skilled local workers to continue that momentum.

“We’re also doing what matters for vulnerable members of our community by supporting them into jobs through skills and training initiatives that set them for the futures they deserve.

“Only the Miles Labor Government will continue to support funds like this that give our community new homes and real cost-of-living relief.”

Quotes attributable to Skill360 Chief Executive Officer Margaret-Ann Goy:

“The funding for this project will go a great way in providing skills and future career pathways for local jobseekers.

“We’re excited to announce the launch of the ‘Building Bundaberg’ program which will provide accredited skills to local job seekers interested in a career path in construction, while also providing much needed social housing.

“Partnering with BATSIHAAS, Skill360 will be supporting local residents, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life in the Bundaberg Community.”

Quotes attributable to previous Skill360 recent construction trainee Keegan:

“What I really got out of working on the project was a sense of teamwork and pride.

“I was able to step up and show leadership when the team needed it, and I loved learning new skills.

“Looking back at the finished project, I'm so impressed by what we were able to achieve.

“I've definitely grown a lot since the project started and discovered through the course that I'm a natural leader and hard worker.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum:

“These traineeships are more than just a job on our Big Build, they’re a lifeline for Queenslanders who need it most.

“Everyone deserves a fair go, and these sponsored traineeships open the door for vulnerable Queenslanders to get their first start on the tools and take charge of their futures.

“The LNP don’t back these programs, in fact David Crisafulli and Campbell Newman cut it completely, so the workers who rely on this support should rightly be worried about their future.

“We can’t risk going backwards under the LNP.”

Explainer/fast fact and or further information:

• The Housing Construction Traineeship Fund – delivered under the existing Skilling Queenslanders for Work place-based framework – supports participants to be employed as entry-level trainees by experienced not-for-profit organisations and gain a Certificate I in Construction on-the-job, along with the General Construction Induction Training Card (White Card).
• The program is expected to bolster the residential construction workforce to deliver on targets under the Homes for Queenslanders Plan (HfQ).

For more information on the Housing Construction Traineeship Fund, please visit: https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/community-orgs/sqw/wst-hctf.

Media contact: 

Minister McCallum – Andrew Churchill 0472 645 871